Without even looking up from his notebook the professor nodded in response to the question, finishing off jotting a final note before finally turning that gaze back to Riley. "Of course. It would be a simple enough thing to weave the spellwork into the pipe. Wood has a natural inclination to take to serving as a decent receptor when it comes to magic. Unlike the more modern refined materials that are mass produced these days. Well wood and ducks. Though I have no clue why ducks seem to possess such an affinity for being altered through magecraft. Earnestly I had thought it had something to do with the waterproof coating that their feathers have. Yet to be honest...well that's mostly just baseless conjecture and speculation on my part. Since most other water fowl also have a similar feather composition, yet geese are...well that are just dreadful when it comes alterations. Geese and cheese."
Magic was...weird. There were rules, but not really. Structures and reasons/governing laws to certain aspects of wielding it. Yet also no rules or laws at the same time too. It was like trying to map raw chaos, and a man could get lost in such a pursuit to be sure. Blackstone knew that from personal experience, since he had dedicated so many years to his craft, and had authored countless unpublished papers on the various related subject matter. Even having once penned a three hundred page dissertation on geese and cheese. "I still think it has to do with the double e in the name; cheese and geese, but really I can't speak on the matter with real authority since it's one of the mysteries that still escape me." For whatever reason some things simply failed to work, while other spells worked just fine on a different object or subject.
Hearing that Riley had no intention of tampering with his magic set Blackstone at ease, yet when the lad inquired after the meaning of the word James found himself pausing for a second to think of a proper reply. Instead of going into a lengthy explanation though the illusionist merely fished out one of the coins from his pouch and held it up. Showing it off for a second before closing his fist around the metallic coin. With faintly muttered words, and a touch of power flowing down to his fist, James opened his hand at last. And where there had been the coin, now in it's stead was a small glass marble. "Transmogrify; to change or alter. Now in this particular case I've merely altered your perception of the coin, and not the coin itself. It is still coin, yet to all your senses it appears to be a marble. In the case of the hamster...well whether the change would be real or merely an alteration of the perception of the hamster, that remains to be seen."