“The front door of the Flippant Witch gave a series of loud clicks and swung inward. Renard Lambert, his blue-and-purple finery resembling a plum in the twitching lanterns, practically hurled himself through the open doorway“Widdershins!” he called loudly, cape flowing behind him, “I—gaaack!” He ducked, barely in time to avoid the carafe that shattered loudly against the wall just behind his head. The tinkling of broken glass, a dangerous entry chime indeed, sounded around him.“Oh,” Genevieve said, her tone only vaguely contrite. “It's just your friend. Sorry, Renard.”“Sorry? Sorry?! What the hell were you—ah. Um, hello, ah, Widdershins."Widdershins, who had lurched to her feet as the door opened, was suddenly and forcibly reminded by Renard's stunned stare that Genevieve had disrobed her in order to get at the rapier wound. Blushing as furiously as a nun in a brothel, she ducked behind her blonde-haired friend and groped desperately for her shirt.“Didn't mean to take your head off, Renard,” Genevieve said, mainly to distract him. “But you rather startled us.”“Quite understandable,” the popinjay responded absently, his eyes flickering madly as he fought to locate some safe place to put them.”