“The Sisters of the Magdalene are rather less a convent of nuns and rather more a set of jailors,” Rosamund said dryly. “I am not one to disparage the clergy . . . but their order is a cruel one. Girls who have had children out of wedlock, or who have dared to love the ‘wrong’ young man, or sometimes even those who have done nothing at all but perform actions their parents deem ‘disobedient,’ are sent to them. They are not taken as novices, they are not permitted to become part of the sisterhood. Instead, they are held as prisoners, forced to labor from dawn to dusk, and presumably repent of their ways, for the rest of their lives, kept out of the sight of everyone but their captors.”

Fox uttered some words in Pawnee that did not bear translating. Cody stared at her.

“As you might assume, the lives of some of these young women are not very long,” Rosamund continued. “Their children, if they live, are sent away. If they do not, they are discarded like so much refuse. This is so that their mothers do not have the temptation of a grave to mourn over, as they are supposed to be fixing all of their attention on their own sins. And at any rate, according to the Magdalenes, an unbaptized child is one destined for hell, so why give it a grave?” She looked over in the direction of the ruins. “You most likely encountered some of the ones who did not survive the births of their children. And as you can imagine, they have a great deal to blame men for.”

Cody appeared speechless. Fox crossed his arms over his chest, his face stormy.

“I think,” the Pawnee said, finally, “That it is a very good thing this place is in ruins. Or I would be tempted to take scalps.”

“I would be tempted to let you,” Rosamund agreed. “But by the look of things, whatever happened to end this place was over two hundred years ago, perhaps even more than that. Whatever punishment was due to those who kept the Magdalenes in such misery has long since been meted out.” She paused. “And we cannot have a place of such danger where anyone can wander into it. I shall send a report to the Brotherhood when we reach Reichenbach. They will come here and lay the spirits to rest.”

“Speakin’ of . . . I need some rest of my own, only not so permanent,” Cody said. “Only—am I like to get called out there again?”

“Not tonight, and we’ll be gone in the morning,” Rosamund assured him. “It has been a long night for all of us,” she added, giving a pointed glance to Fox, who took her meaning—and Cody’s elbow—and led him off.

“I should reward my ‘army’ . . .” Giselle said, looking back in the direction of the graveyard. But there was no sign of her Elementals, and the night was silent once more.