... a flask here, a green powder, a small hollow glass ball, a derringer.

Scylding glanced at movement; backstepped at snarling, hissing, spitting, clawing; ...

Powder in derringer, powder and flask liquid in ball, ball in derringer, tamped down.

... glanced again; anger. "For God's sa -- "

"QUIET!" in a dead-waking voice, aiming, firing. Scylding flinched at shot, cringed at silence.

A silent concussion of silence, the girl's face a rictus. Not a trimble, not a flutter.

"We must hurry: we only have a few minutes. Here, take these handcuffs while I burn the chain."

Scylding incredulous. "You carry handcuffs ... wait a minute. Burn the ... How do you burn..."

Blue flask liquid on cloth strip, strip on chain. "Touch the torch to the cloth."