She listens, and tries to understand. When Cassandra finishes speaking, she nods. 'I do respect your right to see it that way. I understand the caution. The truth is that there's a whole lot we don't know, so I can't say you're wrong. I don't want to come across like... like Citizen Pleasant, wanting everyone to forgive our enemy even while he keeps tormenting us. So I'm grateful to you for your honesty. If Sparkles keeps doing us harm, I won't keep excusing him.'

Tayrey frowns, considering it. 'If Sparkles grew from a piece of our captor, it was a piece from a much earlier stage of development. And in the intervening years - I can't say how many years - the false captain has imprisoned and tortured many people, while Sparkles has been tortured. I do think those are very different experiences. That Sparkles didn't just kill everyone in an attempt to end things - he set up that elaborate maze - that does make me very concerned. It makes me wary. But that's the example he's been set, isn't it? Children imitate their elders. I want to... to give him better role models, and see what happens. I don't think it costs me much to try. If it's silly idealism on my part, no doubt I'll find that out soon enough.'