Utterly terrified, the woman's round eyes flicked to Si'Wren and back to her Emperor again, before finally blurting out, "Oh great and divine Emperor, it may be that I have erred most grievously, and that what she has done be no wrong thing at all, although it was also rumored that she was a believer in the Invisible God—if that be a crime. Perhaps—perhaps she should even be forgiven in case she has actually done nothing!"
At this, Sorpiala and the other woman suddenly exchanged conspiratorial looks, and Sorpiala fairly hissed her disapproval with an insucking of air.
Emperor Euphrates ignored the scandalous behavior as he regarded the woman directly being questioned. Then his eyes moved to Sorpiala.
"How say you?" he asked her. "What punishment would you prescribe for such an idol-breaker as stands accused before you?"
"Why—I do not know, Highness," Sorpiala wheedled. "She has already been punished. Perhaps," she dropped her eyes and barely suppressed a gloating smile, "might I but whisper in your ear—"
Dropping his eyes to grant a less than sincere approval, Emperor
Euphrates nodded as he said, "Come forward, then."
At this, Sorpiala -pridefully imagining herself as a strong contender to become the new queen of the kingdom of Emperor Euphrates, and Si'Wren as her first victim- readily tip-toed to the Emperor's side and leaned forward upon the upraised balls of both tiny feet.
"Perhaps one called Si'Wren should suffer…" said Sorpiala dramatically, and leaning forward, she began to whisper at long length in his ear.
Sorpiala pronounced dire punishments, worse than anything she had ever seen or heard of anywhere in her hundred years upon the earth.
"Ah!" said Emperor Euphrates, nodding like a master thief who has joined hand-in-hand with a cunning new ally. "But this one has already been punished with a vow of silence under pain of death, has she not?"