“Yes. Reverend Morwin said that they aren’t yet sure what causes the condition, but the individual experiences a kind of intense vision, which she can scarcely distinguish from reality.”

“Frightening,” I managed.

“Public Health is working on a treatment.” Celane was smiling, but her eyes could have cut glass. “Do you suffer from any kind of hallucinations, Elfreda?”

“Not to my knowledge, Reverend.”

“I suspected not. Jesane, how about you?”

Jesane frowned slightly. “I can’t say I have. Never heard anyone else talking about hallucinations either.”

I thought that Celane looked, for an instant, disappointed. Then her expression smoothed over.

“Well, I suppose that’s something to be thankful for,” she said.

Millie slipped back into the dining room. She had a faintly puzzled look on her face, but smiled when she sat down beside me. The conversation moved on, and I did my best to seem relaxed and engaged, all the while feeling like I might be physically sick.

Celane knew. Celane knew about the existence of visions, and she had known to ask me about them.

Verje returned a few minutes later.

“I paid the driver double,” she said. “He still wasn’t happy about it, but Ilva had already passed out on the back seat, so he didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter.”

Jesane looked troubled. “Is she all right?”

“As well as can be expected. Disgraceful behaviour. I’ll have to talk to Maternal Affairs about getting her demoted.”

“Oh,” said Jesane.

After a while, the mood of the dinner picked up again, but Jesane remained subdued. When the Oblates cleared the last plates, she was quick to excuse herself.

“I have to be at work early tomorrow,” she said. “Thank you for the lovely evening, Reverend.”

“My pleasure, Jesane,” said Celane.

“We should be going too,” said Millie. She gestured reverence in an endearingly clumsy way. “It has been a privilege to spend time with you all.”

“Lovely to meet you, Lariel. I hope to see you and Elfreda again soon,” said Celane.

Millie waited until we were out of earshot before whispering, “That was dramatic.”

“Tell me about it.”

She maintained a firm grip on my waist as we walked. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I was glad you were with me, though. Thanks, Millie.”

She briefly leaned her head against my shoulder. “Anytime.”

Osan’s eyes glinted below the rim of his hat. He straightened in his seat as we approached.

“I was getting worried,” he said.

Millie hesitated. “Osan…”

“Let’s go. We can talk later.”

Millie climbed into the carriage. I glanced down the street.

“Just El?”

“Sorry. I was thinking about something.” I followed Millie inside.

Osan clucked his tongue at the horses. We rolled forward. Once we were a street away, he spoke.

“How did it go?”

“Bunch of psychopaths,” said Millie.

“And the woman escorted out?”

“That was Herald Ilva Bosch,” I said. “She had too much to drink. Started ranting about old dead women. Did you see her carriage leave?”