Year of the Boar, Eighth Month, Day 10.

I have exacted my revenge upon Sol-Mae and although I demeaned myself by responding pettily to her mud-slinging, I have found it difficult to stop chuckling to myself since I did it. The anger I felt at the Chief's reaction to our contretemps only burned hotter when it appeared that he had in fact, chosen abstinence as the solution for the pregnancy issue. I found my anger directed at Sol-Mae rather than the Chief since in my eyes, it was her "acid" as he calls it, that caused the argument between us in the first place.

I spent a day or two thinking about how best to get back at her and I could not think of little of any substance especially given that I have so few resources. In the end, I invited her to my cabin under the pretext of making an apology. I presented her with one of my ancient hair pins as propitiation for my "offences" and as she reached out to take it, I pushed it into her skin so that it scratched. As she nursed the tiny graze, I feigned concern and then when I saw that a minuscule globule of blood had oozed up from between the faintly ragged edges of the skin, I seized the pin and made a huge fuss about how I hadn't meant to make a present of this particular ornament. I began to cry and screamed for someone to fetch the physician; all the while watching the panic in Sol-Mae's eyes grow. In short, I have managed to convince her that the pin had a drop of the most deadly, slow-acting poison on the tip. She also believes that there is no anecdote and that sooner or later, vile symptoms will take hold of her body and that she will fall ill and die slowly and painfully. I know it is childish but I cannot help chuckling to myself when I think about the look on her face.
By the time anyone realises that I have lied to her, I will be close to Dying Crane, if not there already and I shall never have to worry about the likes of Sol-Mae again.