Taako is quiet, for once, trying to block Zim's sharp voice out as he tries to think; the Carnival is, itself, a pocket dimension. Meaning that it's entirely possible the Ringmaster has just... manipulated it somehow. It's not out of the question that she may have just gotten bored and decided on a change of scenery for both herself and the people working for her... but something like that would take a huge amount of power.

Finally, the uneven peaks of Zim's voice poke enough of a hole through his thoughts that his chin snaps up.

"Hey, sorry, but I'm totally not listening to you, like, at all right now, could you be quiet for a second so I can think?"