"Mostly when magicians make spirits have babies with them it's woman magicians and man spirits. It's a lot easier to make a spirit have sex with you, and then gestate the baby yourself, than to make a spirit have sex with you and then stay corporeal for the next nine months."

"Oh."

"I don't think I'm literally the only one who's ever done this, but if it happens it's pretty rare."

"Will other spirits always want to kill her?"

"When she's an adult they'll be more likely to run than to want to kill her. And the fact that she hasn't hurt me will give her more--credibility."

Headtilt.

"When she's small she couldn't do anything to me even if she wanted to, so if I say she wouldn't hurt anyone I don't have any evidence to back it up."

"And spirits will think she would hurt you when she grows up?"

"Yeah."

"But they're wrong?"

"It's--less that they think she definitely will as that they think it's not worth the risk. And I disagree."

"Why?"

"Why do they think that or why do I disagree?"

"Both."

"They think that because magicians raised by other magicians pretty much always kidnap spirits, and it can get really really bad. I disagree because she's my baby."

"Why does that make it different?"

"Because I love her."

"And that makes it so she won't hurt anyone?"

"It means I won't hurt her because she might hurt someone."

"Oh."

"Besides, the other magicians are raised by other magicians. I really do think she'll be fine."

"How did magicians start to be like that?"

"I don't know. It was a very long time ago, and I didn't exist yet."

"Neither did I!"

"You did not! I'm older than you, though."