Strange quietly fumes as Lambert ignores his answer...and then continues to fume as Lambert offers a suggestion that's not only plausible, but it makes sense. This is hardly fair! He's a fourth rank mage from the Circle of Enlightenment (well, was a fourth rank mage from the Circle of Enlightenment, not that he's told Lambert that just yet) and yet this normal human's managed to come up with a theory that's more sound than anything he had?

He's not sulking. He's just expressing his displeasure at this whole thing.

"It is plausible," Strange has to admit. "I'll admit I know next to nothing about the Earth Spirit itself--that's generally thought of as hippie talk. But other spirits, proper spirits like the ones used in bindings, have been reported as weaker than normal, despite the fact that it's October. If they draw power from the Earth Spirit...well, weaken the Earth Spirit, weaken the rest."