‘How does it look?’ I asked with a raised eyebrow, hoping for some measure of good news. ‘Well, not good frankly.’ Treabilla sighed and start...d to crumble under the weight of news she held in. Treabilla sank into the nearest chair and a tear ran down her cheek. She buried her face in her hands and started to sob. In an instant I rushed to her side and put my arm around her, to comfort her as her friend and betrothed and not her Captain. She gripped me tight and held onto me, not wanting to. Any how the Puja got completed and we all had food. While having food Aunty was appreciating my shopping and she started to praise me like anything. I got to know that Aunty liked me very much and asked me to help Rimi in studies. I got to know her intention that she is fixing a match for me with her daughter and Aunty likes me very much. She asked Rimi to take my number and ask about the college am studying as it will help her. I could not get the point later she said that Rimi has joined my. I am sure it was nothing of great import or, at least, I hope it was.’ (what the Lizard has actually said was, ‘Welcome to the Palace of Pleasure and Pain’, something that Alice might have, indeed, found important).“Merci beaucoup,” she replied, feeling somewhat proud of herself, not only for remembering the phrase, but for being gracious to the servant. ‘Father always said that the measure of a man is how he treats a bird in the hand. Or is that two ducks in a shooting match? No, I am sure. He changed the dressings each day whichwas very painful.After about two weeks in Hospital, I was able to see what they had doneand realised I had not only been castrated but now had a vagina andjudging from the dilation that they must have been doing to me it wasquite deep enough to satisfy a man for intercourse.Over the next few days I was encouraged to walk around the ward and thenI was told that my hearing would be the next day. I asked, "Whathearing?" and was told that I was to be tried for.