"That's kind of the thing. We never really know how it works."

He says, holding up the intact piece of chalk, offering it to him.

"That's the difference between magic and science. With science, you can learn how. With magic, you can peel back the first layer- like we just did together 'this spell works because I had ten surfaces of broken chalk, which translates to twelve in base eight, so I used hand positions one and two,' but the why, the how, it's just... magic."

Which is a half truth at best. He should leave it there, but he's Quentin, so he can't.

"There are theoreticians who go deeper than that. Say- base eight because in certain traditions of numerology, the number eight is associated with wholeness. Why? Because collective human belief sometimes is powerful enough that tradition and faith can overcome physics. Why? Because- and on about that level of because, and the one below it, things start to get a little dangerous. You- you've lived through some shit. You know how there are things that once you know them, they change you?"