"I said look, not handle," McLeod reminded him. "I meant look, not handle."

To the rest, he shrugged. "It's a good excuse for carrying a sword, indeed. The guns I carry, when I carry them, tend to be the modern kind. They jam less often."

He grinned.

"Basically, dealing in antiques gives you a chance to sell off your old stuff and get enough money to buy new stuff for it," he pointed out. "I guess most of us who've led somewhat sedentary lives have acquired a lot of dated things over the centuries."