“Again, from your left,” says Proserpina. “You saw what that Pole did at the match last week–he had just one little routine, pop pop swish crack, but all he had to do was reverse it and the other man was flummoxed. You’re better than that.”

“Give me a moment, can’t you?” Radiane pants. “I already had field hockey practice today, and it’s harder from this side.”

And Proserpina almost pauses, remembering her father, and her left hand tied behind her back as she wrote shaky As.

“There’s no hugging under Queensberry rules,” she says shortly, and Radiane blushes and scowls.