Roxette finished reading the scroll and threw it onto the table.

There was a sound of silence. Silence except for the scurrying of rodent feet, the sound of spinning cobwebs in the stairwell and a constant drip of water through the unfinished roof. Odd I thought, but none of that seemed important now.

Jeff was the first to break the silence "I'm so sorry ladies" he muttered. He meant well but he didn't understand. The nature of messengers, was to be the message but be dumb to it.

Tara looked up angrily "I won't stand for it. It's too much"

I decided to play the peacemaker "There's not much we can do"

"But what of dignity" asked Kira

I smiled. I lost whatever remains of my dignity when I started peddling wares at Britain bank.

"And what of respect, or family honour" Roxette's face was lined with fresh anger making her cherubic features seem strangely changed, an angelic demon.

"It's no worse than that which has happened to Muldran. In fact it's strangely symmetrical" I tried to sound convincing...

"*^&* the Court". That was Tinkerbell "To treat the Leader like that is unforgivable"

Jenny started to cry. I instinctively held her head in my arms. Her dreams broken, even worse to give her back a broken one. It was Jenny I felt for most, so old, so frail.

"This is too much, I am going out".

I didn't even look up as Roxette left my tower and went out into the night, heavy with darkness.