Her body went cold and stiff; her lips moved soundlessly, her ears foggy. She couldn’t bear to look at Innes’s face. Instead she turned to the elders, silently pleading for intervention. For a moment, she saw her own shock and disappointment reflected in Elder Malvina’s eyes. But then the old woman raised her hands and began to clap. The others joined in a moment later, if a little hesitantly. They weren’t going to protest.
