[Beatrice bit into her half of the sandwich, placing the package over so that Mogget could eat the other one if he so chose. She chewed carefully. A petition to the Night Council...?]

"I've heard rumours, nothing more. I trust them as much as I trust the word of a fool. With exactly a grain of salt. But there's truth where there's smoke."

[She turned, and raised an eyebrow:] "What of the petition?"