"Well, tradition's a silly reason to do anything," counters one of the original devil's advocates. "If you don't know, why do it?" Of course, with someone like Loki, "whim" and "spite" are often acceptable answers.

"Well, you can play with those, I'll grant," Loki concedes, dodging the question about what his parents give him, "but how much can you make with them, apart from messes?"