"Not a thing," Una said. "I've nothing against her myself; I think it's just one of those moments of negative chemistry—the opposite of liking someone immediately on sight." She shrugged, though she was a little aggrieved at the situation. "What's she got against you, then? Apart from daring her to put ice cubes down her shirt." There might have been just the faintest hint of suspicion in her tone.

"Rather flash, the cane. I didn't get a close look at it, as he was leaning on it at the time, but it looked like some sort of snake head or other." She smirked. "Don't tell me he's some sort of snake deity or something."