"It does," Irene replied with a nod, possibly enjoying this track even more than the idea that it was some sort of forbidden thing. "It also sounds like a case of science versus magic, perhaps? Though there is a famous quote in this universe about the two being indistinguishable -- I tend to disagree. And even in the case of --" She gestured over towards Beaker and his costume once more, "The novel, as I know it, is a reflection on creation and ego and consequence, but interpreting art is a lost cause these days."