One day, Lili had news for Thyssa.

“Some of my colleagues were impressed by my progress with you.”

“Your colleagues? I thought they all abandoned you.”

Lili laughed. “Oh, they did, and I won’t let them forget it. But I’ve been broadcasting my results back to the Walled Garden. I didn’t think there was anyone listening, but it is a scientist’s duty to get the truth out, whether or not anyone listens. And now my scruples are rewarded.” She looked at Thyssa, a gleam in her eye. “They’re very interested in you, Thyssa.” Her eyes narrowed. “But they still don’t trust me. They’ve sent Dr. Goodfellow to perform an independent assessment.”

“What is she like?”

“He’s a man.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“But I can see why you’d assume otherwise. It’s really quite vanishingly rare to see men in this field. Goodfellow, though, he’s always been…quite a character.” She laughed. “Really, it’s quite lucky they sent him. Nobody has as much expertise on Scission and malforms as him…well, nobody in the city.”

“Scission?” asked Thyssa.

Lili looked uncomfortable, like she’d said too much. “I’ll…explain when you’re older.” She perked up again. “Anyway, the point is that he’s an excellent doctor. He was my mentor, and I can say he’s a very nice man. You’re in for a real treat.”

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Thyssa tilted her head. “Being assessed by him?”

“Oh yes, he’ll make it fun!” Lili suddenly turned deadly serious. “Nonetheless. You must be on your best behaviour. This will be the greatest trial of my work so far. If we succeed here, they’ll let us both into the Walled Garden.”

“What’s it like there?”

Lili looked off into space. “It’s the most beautiful place in the world. Palatial homes with all the comforts of the modern world, the finest places of learning and art, archives that go back millennia. Fountains that shoot as high as you can look. But none of that’s the true prize.”

Thyssa didn’t hesitate. “People.”

“Yes! People! Hundreds of the most wonderful, perfect people you’ve ever met. Friends, lovers, anything you can want from another human and they’ll be better than you even hoped for. People I haven’t seen since I was a girl. You’ll love them.”

“I’m sorry. You must miss them.”

“I want to show them the truth – that your kind can be domesticated, can be enlightened. I want to prove them all wrong. And, with an audience of hundreds, I will. The truth will spread like wildfire, until it is common knowledge, and all the people who laughed at me will just be a footnote in the history books.” She held Thyssa’s hand. “And you’ll help me do it.”

Thyssa tightened her grip on Lili’s hand. “I’ll show them all I’m human.”

“Yes. They’ll have no choice but to change how they see malforms. It’ll be the start of a new era for both our kinds.”

Thyssa took a deep breath. “It’s…a lot.”

“The stakes could not possibly be higher, of that you are right. But remember everything I have taught you – all your conditioning, all your lessons. As long as you keep my teachings in your heart, you will succeed.”

Thyssa nodded, at first weakly, then stronger. “Yeah. We’ll do it.”

“Of course we will.”

The two of them stood in silence as Thyssa contemplated the weight of everything riding on her shoulders.

“When does this Dr. Goodfellow depart?”

“Oh, he departed hours ago. That’s why I’m telling you.”

“You mean…”

Lili closed her eyes, attuning to her sensors. “Ah! There he is now.”