When Benjamin continued, the words were measured and thoughtful, carrying the substance of something he had considered before.
"Erica, there is a great saying where I'm from: 'If you see a fence in the middle of a field, do not remove it: discover the origin and history of the fence first, before making a decision.' No authority or monarch will ever want a place like the Lot district to exist when they don't follow the rules. Is that not treason?"
"What do you mean, Benjamin? We leave those people to continue suffering?" Erica's voice rose a full pitch above its usual register, sharp enough to cut through the low, steady hush of the Lot street.
The words carried the weight of something older than the present moment — an anger that had lived with her for a long time, coiled somewhere behind her ribs and waiting for a reason to strike.
Her green eyes fixed on him, bright and unblinking, as though she could force a different answer out of him by sheer force of will.
