Segna startled. It sounded considerably more forceful than the way the servants knocked.

Catt said, "You hide the wand, I'll see who it is."

"Yes," Segna nodded. She began rapidly but carefully re-rolling the vellums and putting them back into the wand. It would be nothing, she told herself, but her hands still shook as she worked.

She finished screwing the gold end-cap back on, and was about to stuff the wand deep into one of the boxes, w...