"Well?" said Sorpiala. She stared full-face at Si'Wren. "You could at least nod or something when I speak."
"Yeah, what's the matter?" said another, delivering Si'Wren a rude push from behind. "Are you deliberately trying to be insulting, or have you had all of your senses beaten out of you?"
Several girls giggled at this.
Someone else pushed her again, and she staggered and almost fell down.
Screeches of laughter ensued.
As Si'Wren turned her head to see who had pushed her, she was suddenly flung to the ground by a sharp push from Sorpiala herself.
"Look at me when I speak to you!" said Sorpiala angrily.
Lying helplessly at Sorpiala's feet, Si'Wren put one hand back unseeingly for support as she looked up at her, and felt her fingers touch the toes of the one who had first pushed her from behind.
"Ahh! Sorpiala, this—this idol-breaker has tried to trip me!"
Sorpiala confronted Si'Wren with an indignant, self-righteous stare. It was a hard, cold look of the most imperious hauteur.