The Heretics were all escapees from the Temple, women who’d been abused beyond their ability to tolerate it and who were determined to fight back, even if it did mean eternal damnation. They’d escaped one at a time, at first, and eventually found one another hiding in the city. At that point they banded together for their own protection, to oppose the Prophet’s rule more forcefully, and to help free other women trapped inside the Temple. Occasionally one or more would be caught, and an example would be made of them at the next exhortation. Still, their numbers had been growing steadily, thanks to raids like the one just completed. Such raids were hazardous, though—not just because the Temple area had a lot of guards, but also because that was where the Prophet himself lived.
“Are you sure
