The suddenness of Elena's shift in attitude is more than enough to make Kendrick flinch, which sends a few hot flecks of wax onto his hands and he has to fumble to get the candles he'd just dipped onto the drying rack and shake the wax free of his skin before he can address her.

"Th-that's not--the church wouldn't--" He takes a deep breath and starts over. "The ram, you see, is motivated by the natural instinct to create offspring for the good of the herd. It hasn't the concept o-of propriety, or custom. S-so what you witnessed was not weakness of character, no, it was...natural."