Though the red-faced scientist averted his eyes, as he was bound to, the hatred within was so vibrant that it was almost tangible. Alice smiled, the expression genuine for the first time in weeks. The stuttering fool before her was exactly the type of man who valued his pride above all else, and who could not accept being the subordinate of a child. But, here, with guards all around him, he had little choice; he would submit to her authority or his own corpse would be the one used to fulfill his request. 

"You must see the wisdom of my work, Oracle," said the fool, barely able to contain his rage. Alice steeped her hands in front of her, her eyes flickering back and forth with the emeralds and sapphires dangling from her bracelets. "If we are to have any hope to overcome this virus, we must run experiments, and to experiment, I need [i]bodies[/i]."

"Let's be honest with each other, Mr. Leary," said Alice, directing her gaze to meet the scientist's. "You aren't really so worried about the well being of your brethren. How old are you now? Twenty-one?" The girl's smile broadened as she absently twirled a strand of her dark hair around her finger. "You're running out of time. Soon, you very well may be the perfect [i]live[/i] test subject!"

Dainty giggling reverberated against the walls of the old courthouse as the girl covered her mouth with one hand. 

The scientist flushed, his face going redder than a beat, so red it was almost comical. "I - I'm not the only one, my lady. Is it not the purpose of Omnibus Scientia to overcome this plague?"

"Of course it is, silly," said Alice. Mr. Leary must think her an idiot to suppose such a shallow argument would sway her! "But we also have the sacred duty to preserve those who of our own who have passed. Did you forget that? So, no, of course I will not let you pillage our tombs. But there are other options, dummy!"

The scientist's fists balled, but when he spoke, it was fear that was clearest in his voice.

"Oracle...?"

"If there is one thing of which we have an abundance, it is the dead, of course," said Alice. "I do see the value in your work, of course, so how about this? I'll assign a few of my servants to go dig up the bodies of some of the unenlightened who died recently. They should work as well as anyone else, shouldn't they?"

The supplicant averted his gaze. "I... I suppose so, Oracle."

"Excellent! Now go away."

Before he could utter another word, two of Alice's elite guards grabbed the scientist by his arms and dragged him out of the room. What a pathetic creature.

"Next!" Alice called impatiently. Listening to pleas was so dull.