Fun With Science in a Magical Society

The audience - all of whom were in on the joke, many of them even being former victims - were expecting the resulting pop. They weren't expecting Lord Borchardt to slam into the far wall, leaving the diminutive Álfar figure standing in an aggressive stance, softly glowing.

Bergen quickly realized her reaction was inappropriate, and she moved into a relaxed stance, face flushing. She still wasn't certain what had happened, but felt vaguely embarrassed.

Llewellyn moved smoothly beside her and guided Bergen back to where Magda stood.

"How much trouble am I in?"

"Very little, actually," said Magda, a slight smile on her lips. "I have heard His Majesty more than once wish someone would do something to discourage Brixia from performing his trick again."

"Oh," said Bergen, relieved. She sighed. "I'm sorry I reacted so strongly. I've never seen alchemy like that before."

"There's no alchemy involved," said Llewellyn. "No magic at all, really. That's merely a result of the properties of glass. Pour the right amount of the correct formula of molten glass into cold oil to prepare it. For the trick, simply clip its tail and that is the result. Something to do with the strain created when the outside cools suddenly and the interior slowly."

"Be glad this is harmless," said Magda, earnestly. "My Father once told me of a man who would bring pyroglycerine to these parties, to demonstrate how flipping a drop briskly at a hard surface would make it explode with a loud crack. He finally - and permanently - stopped when he bumped into a table and set off the flask in his pocket."