A Sorceress Comes to Call

Cordelia, Imogene, Hester, and Tom retreat inside as Richard stays behind to decapitate Falada, explaining afterward that the ritual failed because he did not embody wine. Richard shares that they buried Falada’s body and burned his head. Grateful, he thanks Cordelia for saving Bernard. Exhausted, Cordelia heads upstairs, surprising Alice, who had prepared a bath for her.

The next morning, Penelope’s ghost returns, explaining that she had gotten lost but was drawn to the ritual’s powerful energy, describing it as blazing up “like a burning city” (267). Cordelia recounts the ritual’s failure, and Penelope agrees that Richard was an improper match for the role of wine, vowing to search for a suitable person.

Alice praises Cordelia for her bravery, calling her a hero. At breakfast, Cordelia prepares to disclose Penelope’s presence but is interrupted when Richard summons everyone to Falada’s grave—where they discover that Falada has dug himself out of the ground.

Cordelia clarifies that Falada was not truly a horse, and Hester compares the familiar to a ghost. That evening, Hester and Imogene sit outside, with Imogene sharing a chart that categorizes people as wine, water, salt, and more.