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“How the hell would you know? Because of a few letters?”

“Lyria, I know You do not want to shoot her”

My ar the heavy pulseFist “She tortured you and ht? Let’s make sure—”

Victra laughs froeon? You mean Electra’s playrooave those rooms to Electra when she turned four She said our sophists were boring, and my mother did it to h there was Antonia, wasn’t there? But we sorted that” Her smile is one part satisfaction, another part pride “Electra solved the puzzle in thirteen days Slower than me, of course, but far faster than her father, and, a little secret between us girls, part of me thinks she liked that a bit The little harpy Anyway, if I were really torturing you, you’d go mad Just ask my husband”

A playroo’s display makes sense I feel about one millimeter tall

“You sahat it did to us…” Volga says

“Yes, well, a little friction never hurt anyone’s character Seemed to do you wonders If you were this bloodthirsty last year, your faht still be—”

A surge of anger goes through round near Victra’s head I’m thrown backward by the recoil and almost drop the weapon Victra didn’t even flinch She yawns as steam from the melted snow clouds around her “Gods, you Reds are dramatic”

Volga takes the weapon from me

“She is pregnant! I will not be evil”

“Evil?” I snap “You just plucked out Fig’s eyeballs”

“She was already dead She did not need them”

“Figment’s dead?” Victra says “Shit Well, there’s thirtypersonality” A thought coa nods to me Victra’s eyes fixate

Does she know about the parasite?

“Thanks,” I say to Volga