"That makes sense. Sad to say it's something of the same in my world, though few do," he replies. "And... What sort of technology do they have to defend themselves?"

"Security cameras, for instance, so they know who to retaliate against with a wide variety of overwhelming ordnance. Witch magic isn't very good at interacting with manufactured things - we can, it's just harder. And anyone who expects to be a target makes friends with some clan and gets wards put on them too."

"I have absolutely no idea what... 'security cameras' are," he informs her. "But I can't say I'm sorry that casual murder is more difficult to do."

"Do you want me to explain security cameras?"

"That would be fantastic, thank you."

"A camera is a device that can record a flat still image of whatever you point it at. A video camera can record a whole sequence of events. And a security camera is a video camera that's set up in a store or on a street or something, to have recorded evidence if anything goes on where it's pointed."

"It's not magic, it's - okay, what non-magical thing was most recently invented where you're from?"

"Hmm," he says, stopping to think. "The one I know best is two pieces of glass that go in a frame to change what a person sees and can be used to correct vision."

"So you have spectacles. Okay. That's pretty cool, right? And it doesn't take any magic to make. It turns out there are a lot of non-magical things to invent and we have a few hundred years' head start on you guys."

"... And they can get the equivalent of a type of scrying through technology? That's... Both nice to hear and somewhat unsettling."

"They've got all kinds of cool things. I have a phone -" She pulls out her cellphone. "I can use this to talk to my dad from across the country, or order food delivered, or summon emergency services, and access the internet, which is basically all the world's non-secret knowledge in a technological library that can be accessed by anybody with a compatible device."

"Nevermind. I take it back. That's amazing and I want a pocket library," he says, almost immediately. He coughs, right after. "I mean uh. That's interesting."

Isabella grins and puts her phone away. "I'm pretty sure you couldn't get 'pocket library' service where you're from. Requires a lot of elaborate technological infrastructure."

"Damnation," he says, maybe pouting just a little. He wanted a pocket library. It would have been useful.

"Also all the internet's information is about here, not there."

"A pocket library is a pocket library, I am not a picky man when it comes to all knowledge everywhere stored in a handhold device," he replies, archly.

Isabella laughs. "It's faster to get at from larger non-pocket devices, and it also costs money to keep your device - subscribed, and sometimes people put false information in the library. It's not perfect. But it is pretty great."

"I'm kind of jealous, even with the caveats it comes with," he says. "It sounds wonderful. Despite the false information."

"Your world presumably has neat stuff too."

"We do have portals. They are indeed nice," declares Adarin, with a smile. It's no pocket library, but it is convenient.

"Maybe witchcraft can do those too. I'll ask the alethiometer."

"Isabella. You have to give me some reason to not leave my world forever and go running off here for fantastic pocket libraries. Let me have something," he says. He's obviously joking.

"You have to bring them chamomile," she suggests. She pulls a dagger out of the folds of her silks and cuts open the nearer of the cooking pigeons; finding it cooked through, she turns off the fire and sets about plating them for herself and Metis.

"Hm. True. But then I could just go back, throw it at someone, then immediately turn around and come back here," he replies. "Chamomile delivered, my job is complete."