SCENE 4. ROOF. NIGHT

A rooftop under chaos. Flames flicker below. A restless crowd gathers.

LOWBORN FEMALE

(yelling)

She’s here!

SOUND: Window shatters. Glass rains down.

SOUND: A bottle with burning liquid hits the wall — then explodes into flames.

SOUND: Ropes fall. THUMP — Henrietta’s body hits the tiles.

SOUND: Dragging. Struggle. She resists.

LOWBORN FEMALE (O.S.)

Take her to the Square of Purity! Take her head off!

SOUND: Long dragging. Bodies struggling. Crowd growing louder.

SOUND: Crowd noise swells. Then — steam hissing.

SOUND: A heavy GUILLOTINE CHOP.

EXECUTIONER

(dryly)

Next! What do we have here? Another blueblood? Must be Tuesday.

SOUND: Henrietta struggles violently.

SOUND: Another heavy chop — slicing flesh, cracking bone.

SOUND: A damp thud into a basket.

SOUND: Silence.

SOUND: Soft whisper of silk. The crowd groans. A body lifts from the ground.

HENRIETTA

You should have burned me.