She's Filled with Secrets

As a Jewel of Gold in a swine's snout, 
so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

Hamlet, There are Things You Don't Know.

Unexplored Territory

Uncharted Space

Secrets.

Mother Gemma Knows The Truth. 

Mother Gemma Knows Every Truth, 

Behind Every Lie, 

Inside Every Secret. 

She's The Gatekeeper."

The Queen : 

Have you seen how the hens in

the yard peck at each other?

Each choosing the one just weaker.

Why do the ladies peck at you?

Ophelia :

I'm not noble, My Lady.

The Queen : 

Did you know I was not raised at court?

My sister and I were sent as girls to a convent in France.

But even there, there were hens

and they pecked.

Ophelia :

Even the nuns?

The Queen :

But I had my sister to defend me.

The mask was closing on his face. The wire brushed his cheek. And then--no, it was not relief, only hope, a tiny fragment of hope. Too late, perhaps too late. But he had suddenly understood that in the whole world there was just ONE person to whom he could transfer his punishment--ONE body that he could thrust between himself and the rats. And he was shouting frantically, over and over.

'Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! 

Not me! Julia! 

I don't care what you do to her. 

Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. 

Not me! Julia! Not me!'

He was falling backwards, into enormous depths, away from the rats. He was still strapped in the chair, but he had fallen through the floor, through the walls of the building, through the earth, through the oceans, through the atmosphere, into outer space, into the gulfs between the stars--always away, away, away from the rats. He was light years distant, but O'Brien was still standing at his side. There was still the cold touch of wire against his cheek. But through the darkness that enveloped him he heard another metallic click, and knew that the cage door had clicked shut and not open.