Mona closed her eyes briefly, and steeled herself for an hour, at least, of pain. She took a modicum of solace in the fact that she got to play with the newbies just as a cat plays with a mouse it has no intention of eating. Fun for her; painful, she imagined, for the mouse.

"Chop chop, dearies," she said, clapping her hands. "Staff meeting! Put your best foot forward."

She turned on her heel and click clacked across to the conference room.