[He's watching very, very, very closely.

Surely, there was a trick here somewhere. A hidden pipette, some sort of inclusion of gas, a spark, something, intently watching every single motion.]

Without physical proof, everything is hearsay, and you cannot build anything upon the words of a dozen easily misguided people.

[A hard look at the empty hands.]

I've heard tell the brain can fabricate sensations where there are none to maintain a sense of grounded reality.

[Ichabod, stop]