“I understand. If I might speak freely, Reverend?”

She gestured assent.

“Work gives me something to focus on. If you tried to send me home for a week, I would refuse.”

“That’s not much of a comfort.” She adjusted her glasses. “How would you feel about a promotion?”

The question caught me off-guard.

“Excuse me?” I said.

“This is unpleasant to discuss, but you are the most qualified to fill Zenza’s vacancy. If you took over her role, I could assign another Acolyte to your current position.”

That Acolyte would almost certainly be many years older than me, and she would regard me as a power-hungry usurper. Taking advantage of my supervisor’s murder to scale the Order.

“I’m—I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve never held a leadership position before.”

“I believe that you could excel, under the right circumstances,” said Somme. “But take some time to think it over. I won’t pressure you. Eater knows that you’ve been through enough already.”

“Thanks.”

“And you are eating, aren’t you?” She reached under her desk. “I think I have some wheatcakes here somewhere. Maybe a bit stale, but—”

“I’m fine,” I said hurriedly.

“Yes, well, if you’re sure. Are you ready for the symposium this evening? I was grateful for your offer to present Zenza’s work.”

I thought that I had misheard her. “Excuse me?”

“The presentation. You are ready, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I said. “Yes, of course. Sorry, I was thinking about something else.”

She nodded sympathetically. “At first I was surprised that you volunteered, but now it strikes me as the honourable thing to do. I’m sure you’ll do her legacy credit, Elfreda.”

“I hope so.”

I returned to my work, but found it impossible to concentrate. Somme believed, without question, that I had volunteered to speak at the symposium. But I hadn’t. I had never even given an indication that I was interested.

A misunderstanding? That seemed unlikely, but why would it matter to anyone else whether I gave the presentation or not? When the fifteenth bell rang and other Sisters began to leave, I hung back. The thought crossed my mind that I could just fail to show up for the event. But I had told Somme I was ready; it would be embarrassing for Food Management, and very unprofessional on my part.

The stack of audits on my desk dwindled. I cracked my knuckles and leaned back in my chair.

You’re just being paranoid.

The symposium was happening in Tivaria, the agricultural epicentre of Aytrium. The town was a few hours from Ceyrun, and the Order had arranged a fleet of horse-drawn cabs to take participating Sisters from the South Gate to the venue.

I had almost reached the end of Pearl Boulevard when Finn called out to me. I tensed, and turned to see him straightening up from the wall of the customs house.

“I thought we were past this, I specifically—” I began, but then I looked at him properly and my anger transformed into alarm.