Melitu: “Dumped her for another girl and she wants revenge. Any ideas, girls?” Grannie: “We can’t attack HIM, Melitu, you know that.” Irileth: “But we can perhaps do something about his new girl.” Grannie: “A frog?” Irileth: “Nah, bit too-old fashioned, Gran. Maybe a spider? A large one, of course.” Melitu: “She hasn’t thought it through yet. We haven’t discussed the finer points.” Grannie: “Such as what she can offer us for our helping her?” Melitu: “Precisely.” Irileth: “You have an idea, Gran?” Grannie: “Such nice young features; lovely skin. Ah me, youth is wasted on the young.” Melitu: “Ah, yes. Perhaps a year or two, Gran?” Irileth: “Or a little more, eh, Gran. Fix those twisted fingers of yours … “ Melitu: “And have the boys looking at you again in the way they used to?” Grannie: “You have such beautiful thoughts, girls. Now you, girl. You want our help to cause Kargaz discomfort. So, you want something to affect his new beloved, do you? Who is she, then?” Isildra: “Auritu. President of the Time Council.” Grannie: “You aim high, girl, but that gives me an idea. Perhaps we could adjust her time line in some way …” Melitu: “Auntie is good with time and space.” Irileth: “Do we really want to involve Auntie? She was all for cutting off that minister’s - “ Grannie: “Yes, we needn’t go into just what she was going to deprive him of. Though it would have prevented him leading any other girls astray. I had to take that sword away from her.” Melitu: “So we let Auntie know what we want her to do?” Grannie: “Agreed.” Irileth: “Very well, then. Well, girl, we will help you - or rather, Auntie will help you. She will use her powers to affect time in some way to cause Kargaz to grieve over this Auritu of his. And in exchange we will expect you to pay something for her help.” Isildra: “Of course - but how much?” Irileth: “Not money, dear; common stuff, and we can get as much as we want when we need it. No. You will pay us in time.” Isildra: “How?” Grannie: “Oh we’ll let you know, dear. We have to work out a few details first, and eliminate some wrinkles, as it were. Boys!” (Attendants spring to attention) Grannie: “Be so kind as to inform Auntie that her presence is requested here.” (Attendants leave.) Grannie: “We will leave you here, girl; Auntie will decide what to do. Be respectful. She is old and wise, but has a really nasty temper.” (Grannie, Melitu and Irileth leave the room.) Isildra (to herself): “Pay in time? So not straight away, then; eventually, yes, eventually. But what with?” Cat (invisible): “Oh dear, how sad, never mind … No good worrying about what they meant, dearie. You can’t go back now.”