< No, > The Cynn said at length, setting the letter aside, and reaching for a thick red binder that sat at one edge of the desk instead. < We are not in the business of killing innocent people. It's our strict policy to react only in defense in the Archipelago. >

< I'm sure, > Helly said anxiously, < But...she seemed so confused. >

< Of course, > the Cynn agreed. He was busy rifling through the binder now, which was stuffed full of reports and newspaper clippings and ink-drawn maps. < The United Council on all islands but one have had their power, er, relieved by various military coups over the years. Her island was the first to go. >

He pulled out a small poster that looked like it'd been yanked from its pin, and handed it to Helly.

< This would be all she's heard of non-humans, > he said. < It's all anyone hears. >

The words 'DID YOU KNOW?' were printed in bold across the top of the poster, followed by a line that read '80% of demons can disguise themselves as HUMAN.' There was an image of a woman's face in the middle of the poster, as well, held gently in the claws of a grinning, shadowy monster with long, toothy jaws. The rest of the text encouraged the reader to 'report suspicious persons'. Helly squinted at it, pursing nir lips.

The Cynn had spread out some of the other articles in the binder for Helly to see--a clipping about a ban on alcohol, a headline declaring that ports in the Archipelago were closing to non-humans, a transcript from a popular talk radio show, and--

The last was a grainy photo of a group of riot police picking over the fallen bodies of three demons, of a sort. One was holding the limp body of a black jackal bigger than his torso up by the scruff of its neck.

< The panic is largely directed towards non-humans who've always lived secretly on Ardh, side by side with the humans, > Cynn Numair said matter-of-factly. < They're now being systematically hunted by their governments. In response, some of them are beginning to revolt. >