"It doesn't," is his flat reply as Evandau sets aside a rifle that has been thoroughly worked over by his hand. He takes a moment to look at this Foreigner -- a newcomer, it appears. Eager to please, which makes him a sight less defiant than others that have rushed in to demand a return home.

It is with that eagerness in mind that Evandau leans back in the chair and focuses on the conversation rather than the weapons. "I am no magician," he offers in explanation. "Soldiering and science are how I do things. The spells are Eshai's and continue in her absence."