"Montreal," he says succinctly. "And I don't exactly keep souvenirs."

"Bit of a flight. Metis would give me the days off if that was what it took to get me to do a practice curse, though."

"And you might have to break into somebody's apartment. Which would be a help with the souvenir thing, I guess."

"I don't really want to break into somebody's apartment," says Isabella. "My dad wouldn't approve. I don't think it's particularly likely he'd find out, but I do rather care what he'd approve of anyway."

"He'd approve of you cursing somebody, but not of you breaking into their place to do it?"

"He'd approve of me cursing somebody that I would be liable to choose to curse. Especially if they committed a crime and managed not to get convicted. Well. Approve is the wrong word. He'd look at me for a while and then he'd ask me if it had been a good idea and then when I told him yes he'd change the subject."

"He's surprisingly understanding about extralegal witchy activities, for a cop."

"Good for him."

"Yeah, things would be worse between him and my mother if - actually, come to think of it, I don't think she does anything extralegal. Casual border-crossing is not actually illegal for witches. But he'd definitely get along worse with his in-laws if he weren't."

"I'm getting the sense I might not hate your dad."

"Were you likely to before learning this? On the off-chance you ever encounter him?"

"Well, he's a cop."

"Not fond of cops?"

"They're usually not fond of me first."

"Why?"

"'Cause I do illegal stuff and I'm not sorry about it?"

"Isn't it just?" he agrees.

"Rather. I don't suppose you happen to know why it's been banned?"

"Because some people just hate fun?" he says. "I honestly think that's it."

"Then why are other forms of fun not banned?"

"Because sex is scary and hookers are easy targets."

"Easy targets? Why is that?"

"I don't know why it's true, I just know it is."