"And I imagine he will. Look, Uriel, don't let it frighten you out of your wits," Ellie said, knowing she sounded cold, but she couldn't help it; her sympathy for the Severer could extend only so far. "That isn't why I told you. But for Someone's sake, be careful. I won't tell anyone else, you didn't need to bribe me for that. I have no desire to see the same thing happen again."

She paused. "And if you care about the Horseman at all, find a way to warn him. Since we don't know who gave the order, we don't know what line of logic or what precedent they're following. But whenever there has been an incident of this kind in the past," she was thinking now of the Nephandi as well, "it's always the father who's been punished."