He winces at the mention of contract. "Very well, a deal it is, then," he says, after a moment of consideration. "And I wouldn't say it came from beyond the universe... it was given to me as part of my contract with Shirley. She... hasn't told me the full terms, but I will... perform a service for her, eventually, and she granted me the Geass, so that I would survive the soldiers who tried to kill me."