The girls looked out at the snow together. For a long time they said nothing. There seemed nothing to say. The whole spectacle was just so utterly insane."I know it's been a bad summer," Ms. Madison sighed, "but this is ridiculous."
"More ridiculous than human sacrifice in Wales in the twenty-first century?" Jill shook her head.
"Some people 'ld say that wasn't in the least bit ridiculous," Ms. Madison pointed out. "Some people 'ld say that it was unlimited. As the religion which marked Welsh life from the 1730s faded, so people retreat into older forms of life and belief. It's called atavism. Have you ever read Lord of the Flies?"
"I've seen Lord of the Dance at the London Palladium," Lady Sylvia replied, somewhat unnecessarily. "And when the amateur anthropology's done, I'd say it was really insane. This is the West, not darkes Africa!"
"The soul of man is the same the world over," Ms. Madison shot back. "At least, that's what he'd say..."
"You're probably right," the titled girl gurgled with laughter. "And I'll grant that for a moment, since the rest of you see to think it that way. Now, what do we do?"
"We visit Tonn," Ms. Madison was firm. "If the human sacrifice caused something really weird to happen, we'll find traces there."
"Right now?" Jill turned pale, starting.
Ms. Madison shook her lovely head, still smiling.
"No time like the present," the girl looked out over the snow-covered park.
"Okay," Jill nodded, "but you'll need to change." She examined Ms. Madison's elegant attire with a critical eye.
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