"Where we're from is not on the menu at the moment. The reason we're jaunting through as many universes as we are right now is that we are trying to find the universe we're from."

"Even so. I can give you a warehouseful of fetching hats in some sufficiently empty universe for you to retrieve and give away at your leisure."

"I can make metal behave how I like. It doesn't need to be in hat form."

"So a warehouse literally full of a solid block of the stuff. ...Would you mind helping with a small experiment?"

"Depends on the experiment."

"Well, do you detect any metal on my person right now?"

"You have a tiny bit embedded in your brain. I assume that has something to do with what you said about your computer not being usable by people who are not you. Aside from that, no."

"Yeah, that's what that's for. I would like that to stay where it is, but would you be willing to see if you can forcibly remove a small bit of metal from, say, my fingertip? I'll heal in moments and will also numb it first."

"Sure."

Now there is a small piece of metal in his left pinky fingertip.

"Numbed?" she checks.

"Yup."

She tries to yank it out.

She tries it again.

"What was the difference the second time?"

"Second time I let you."

"...I think you are more indestructible than Tialle's Demon or any of the rest of his kind. So that's something."

"I like my indestructibility. It is very reassuring."

"I'm sure."

"And I would be very sad if all the other demons of my kind were to go extinct. There is a thriving demonic culture."

"Presumably your kind of demons aren't omnicidal rapists."

"Not usually."

"It was literally unprecedented for Tialle's Demon not to be."