Beth laughs, sitting back down on the bed beside Rani. It's hard to listen to the woman cough--she seems so much older than she was a few weeks ago, and everything that comes with that is tough--but hearing her laugh is nice. Better, hearing her talk about ass-kicking with that precise voice of hers. Rani's never said that in her life, has she?

"You're kind of scary," she says, grinning. "I'm pretty sure you could kick my ass in twenty years, too."

She pauses a moment, considering Rani, and after a moment or two, asks, "Was she related to you? Mastani Bai?"

Maybe it's the equivalent of Smith, the name Bai, but she's curious."