Eluvie had never attended a funeral, but she now knew what it sounded like. Her monitors stood in a corner of the clinic with all the energy of scolded children, and Amu laid out his implements with such care that they barely made a sound.

She wished that he would move faster. They had already cut her dress to expose her back, and the room was cold. Also, the feel and sound of her wings kept tempting her to greater rebellion. She could not escape, but she could rip off her blindfold and fly around the palace, laughing deliriously until they caught her.

What was that saying? Might as well be hanged for a cow as for a chicken.

Amu finally stopped moving.

“Turn over,” the doctor said. “You need to drink this.”

“No sedatives,” Madam Ria said sharply.

“Turn over,” Amu said.

Eluvie obeyed and sat up. Amu pressed a glass into her hand. A moment later, it was slapped away. The glass fell to the floor, bounced once, and rolled until it hit something.

Amu’s voice took on a dangerous tone. “I haven’t been clear enough,” he said. “I don’t care one whit about your plans or punishments or whatever depraved fantasies fill your dreams. I might be working for a group of maniacs, but I still have standards. I will determine the procedures necessary for my job. No -” Madam Ria began to speak, but he cut her off. “When I am done, you can conduct whatever torture you have planned. But I will not endanger her life -”

“Lady Mirab said no sedatives.”

“Then Lady Mirab should perform the surgery herself. If I cut into her spine and make her mute, Mirab will complain louder than anyone else. I’m sick of this nonsense. You can lie down, Eluvie. I have to mix another batch.”

Eluvie lay down and rolled onto her back.

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“If you won’t do it, then don’t do it,” Madam Ria said. “Lady Mirab will give more direction when she comes.”

Lady Mirab was already on her way. Eluvie could hear the faint clinking of her jewels and the disapproving gossip of the invisible voices. She wanted to pretend to be asleep, but it wouldn’t achieve anything.

Amu ignored Madam Ria’s complaints, so the woman continued her rant until Lady Mirab walked in. Then, the room’s atmosphere was promoted from funeral to graveyard.

There was a long silence.

Eluvie hated silences. She could never tell if someone was looking at her.

“Well done,” Lady Mirab said. “All of you. I now have an idea of the heights of incompetence you can rise to when my back is turned.”

Everyone remained silent.

“What?” Lady Mirab asked. “No defense to make? Blame to cast? Pleas?”

There was more silence.

“You are all fortunate that I have little time to deal with you,” Lady Mirab said. “Amu. If she ever obtains one of your knives again, I will gut you myself. You have one week to find and begin training an apprentice. He will need to replace you when I kill you.”

Amu had requested an apprentice in the past, but they had been unable to find someone trustworthy enough. Now, true to form, Lady Mirab was giving Amu a week to do something she had failed to do in a month.

“For the rest of you," Lady Mirab said, "and this includes you, Amu. You will not be paid for six months. If she misbehaves during that time, I will add an additional month for each misbehavior. Don't even consider resigning. You have lost that privilege."

Eluvie fought to keep her jaw from dropping. She had never had a high opinion of Lady Mirab's intelligence - the woman had spent her personality allowance on stubbornness - but this was such a foolish policy that it almost seemed like a trap.

"As for you," Lady Mirab's voice came closer to Eluvie, "you've grown guts. I shouldn't be surprised; it has been a while since you were a child. So, this is what we'll do. I'm going to retrain you. When this is done, Ria will take you back to your bedroom and lock you in the tub. Then, I'm going to go about my day. Tomorrow morning," Eluvie gasped, but Lady Mirab kept speaking, "tomorrow morning, I'm going to come and ask you how you feel about me. When I do that, tell me that I'm your god, that you will never do anything I disapprove of, that you would pluck out your eyes before you disobey me. If I believe you, we'll end the matter there. If I don't, you'll have your breakfast and go back in. And we'll keep doing that until I'm convinced of your good behavior."

Eluvie felt burning rage.

This was not the first time Lady Mirab had instituted such a punishment. In fact, Eluvie had expected it; it was simple and always effective. For that reason, Eluvie felt shocked by her own anger. She had always feared Lady Mirab more than she hated her.

But it's different now, she thought. I won this. I got everything I wanted. The punishment is what I expected. I led them in the direction I wanted.

She knew more, as well. She knew why they blindfolded her, she knew that sunlight could heal her, and she knew the ultimate obstacle to her escape. In a sense, she had the upper hand. Lady Mirab was deploying the only weapon she had left, and it would be ineffective.

Oh, Eluvie would break. She might even tell them about the boy. But they had no way to take away the knowledge she had gained. They had reached the limit of their control, but she was still on her way up.

She hoped all of that would be a comfort.