Segda is hiding behind her, but the strangers have seen it.

"What do you want?"

"The child. Why did you take one of our children?" asks one of the strangers. It's hard to tell if it's the same one who spoke to her yesterday.

"It wanted to come with me. It said everyone else would kill it."

"That's none of your business."

"Well, I made it my business."

"That does not make it so. Child, come out."

Segda does not do that.

"I own it. I filed paperwork. Go away."

"The human custom that you can own people is not one we hold to."

"The place where I'm from doesn't like it either. If she wanted to come with you that'd be one thing. But she doesn't, and the law is on my side here, so you need to fuck off."

"We are not humans. Human law is not our affair."

"It kind of is because it affects whether I will get in trouble if I knock you over and leave."

"You may leave. The child may not."

"Okay. I'm going to give you like five minutes to rethink that and then I'm going to take Segda with me and if you're in my way you will get hurt."

"It is dangerous."

"Segda? She's kind of a hassle but you know what, murdering kids is wrong even if they're spoiled brats."

"It is dangerous in ways you cannot understand."

"Explain."

"It is mad and contagious."

"I don't think it can be contagious to humans and she doesn't wanna hang out with other strangers, she hides from you, so she's not going to infect you either."

"It is still dangerous. You don't understand."

"Then keep right on explaining."

"You are not going to understand. It is not a human thing."

"Then you are not going to get Segda."

"We cannot leave it with you."