"No, it wasn't. I did a spell that granted me a vision."

"Oh. Congratulations." He is confused but sincere.

Now he's just boggled. Oscar, staid bookseller Oscar, knows and does spells? Surely that must somehow be stepping on the working class and increasing state hegemony.

Only if you strongarm him into it!

"I don't recommend practicing magic," says Oscar somberly.

"Roby sent the invitation to Ruby, who gave it to Oscar, I'm not actually sure who has it now. --The reason we're going is to stop them, obviously, like Sal said it's not a fun social jaunt."

"...I'm going to strongly recommend we don't take Ruby."

"And I'm pretty sure Ruby wouldn't come if we wanted her to, so that works out."

And why do you have an opinion on this? Wait, Ruby mentioned Jing Yi. How do they know each other?

A mystery for another day he guesses.

"I mean, of course. If they're going to kill someone - or, or harken in some kind of harpy murmuration to menace England - that's no good at all."

Skating right by the question of Jing Yi and Ruby's acquaintance!

"What else happened. Oh, Sal and I tried to explain that magic exists to Doctor Aarons, he didn't believe us, we gave him a copy of our notes, probably something is going to happen with that but I'm not sure what and I'm not sure I care."

"As he is a Man of Science, I don't think he would believe in that. ...unless he worked out how to cast a spell. Not sure what would happen then."

"They are going to kill someone," Oscar says.

Terrence is so naïve about the broader magic user community! It's not just a book club for jaded academics.

(Oscar, did we not less than a week ago talk about how your cat taught me everything I know about Babylonian epic poetry.)

(Oscar doesn't know why Inaaya isn't corrupted or made unwell by magic use. An inspiration to us all he supposes.)

"I believe you!"

"Not if we have any say in it. --and are able to stop it of course." It pays to be confident, but not over-confident.

"There were hundreds of byakhee."

Jing Yi visibly blanches.

"That is... many."

Terrence considers this. "I mean this question quite seriously - were they attacking the guests?"

"No. But... then, the ritual hadn't ended."

"All the more reason to not let it get that far!"

"It felt like... something bad was going to happen. Or arrive, specifically."

"Interesting. Alright. ... Because I don't think we're equipped to handle hundreds of them, I must say."

"But if they're behaving themselves - I suppose it's worth a shot."

"Yes, they were so polite."