"You know, this is fascinating to watch" Elspeth remarked to the hapless monkey, who was examining his still changing form in the mirror with concern "My spell is not only performing perfectly, but much more quickly than I expected. This will be a great party trick to demonstrate on you next time I have friends over!"
This statement was met by James with both horror and relief - the idea of going through this experience more than one filled him with dread, but at least it confirmed the plan was still for him to re-evolve back to humanity. He would then have to take any opportunity he could to escape from this nightmare, whatever that took. But for now, he accepted there was really nothing he was in a position to do other than wait for this horrendous process to run it's course.
As he he continued to observe himself in the mirror, James sadly realised that reducing him to a monkey wasn't impressive enough for Elspeth. The speed of Elspeth's spell seemed to accelerate as he both watched and felt his face quickly pushing out into something resembling a snout, while at the same time his hands and arms became a second pair of feet and legs and he was finally left with no other option than to remain on all fours. His tail seemed to be growing, at least in proportion to his quickly shrinking body, which was also becoming narrower and thinner. James scurried away from the mirror, recoiling in disgust at the primitive, rat like creature he now was. How could Eslpeth do this to him?
"Ha! you're a Juramaia sinensis!" she informed James proudly "they are long since extinct. How does it feel to be the only one of your kind in existence?"
James let out an almost involuntary high pitched, squeaking sound as he came to terms not only with this startling revelation but with the practicalities of his new diminished stature. Being reduced to any kind of animal had been daunting enough but the reality of being this small not only gave him an even greater, and completely justifiable feeling of physical vulnerability but also a sense of being another step further removed from his own species. Elspeth, normally a good foot shorter than him now loomed over him like a giant. She could easily crush him under her foot if she so desired. He was still able to understand her words but her voice boomed above him as if it were coming from some kind of twisted deity. At the same time, reciprocating any kind of meaningful communication with her was now impossible for him. His increasingly low status couldn't have been any more apparent.
As if to further emphasise that grim realisation, Elspeth leaned down and scooped James up - he was comfortably small enough for her to hold - and placed the now deferentially placid creature onto the her kitchen table.
"It will be safer for you here" Elspeth explained in a sympathetic whisper, stroking James' back as if he were a favourite pet "I don't want to ruin the rest of the experiment by treading on you. You're doing very well, by the way, but you still have a way to go yet"