Balthazar is oblivious to the amusement of the other two, considering the ritual before them. The frown of concentration might be more familiar to Dave, at least, than his previous, lighter mannerisms. He scatters grains of salt around the outside of the circle, then steps cautiously within the border and crouches near the symbol that represents Time, pulling out the stick of chalk and twiddling it thoughtfully in his fingers.

"The last time I fiddled with dimensions was when I was teaching Stuart," he says distantly. "I haven't had much call for it. You'd better check my figures after me, Maximus. Actually, you, too, Dave. If you don't know them you'll at least be getting a look at something new."