While there might have been fine traces of Harriet's scent on the vial previously, the way it had been handled and the placed it had been stored left only the glass, the metal of the stopper, and scents of Meesei and Grolak. Upon drawing in the scent of the cork, Meesei's throat was overcome with a coarse and overpowering sensation, as if she had breathed in a lungful of thick smoke. It was undeniably the poison itself that produced the scent, but it was so overpowering that any trace of other people's scents was impossible to perceive.

Harriet was still where she stood. The edges of her shape quivered slightly, containing some sort of anxiety, whether driven by anger, fear, shock, or a mix of feelings. Across her face, though, she held all other hints back behind her narrow eyes and inquisitive frown. She stood still for such a time that it almost seemed as though she would not say anything at all. She turned her eyes momentarily to her new 'bodyguard' and took in a breath to speak. She held it for a moment, then shifted her eyes to Meesei with her head still facing the others. "I'd say it's pretty damn convenient," she answered, her tone seething. "You got something to back yourself up, Champion? Or did you just want to say something insulting for kicks?"