She said the letter aloud. Crisp and precise. And then she drew an imaginary line under the word: six. There were six rats, in total, in Robert Rat's family. And together they owned six hats. Six hats for the six rats of Robert Rat's family. A banal rhyme, but it did have the added perk of bringing that letter sharply into focus.

"Six. X. It's in tax, as well. And -- oh!" Her face split into two different expressions. Her eyes were pleased while her mouth remained disciplined. "There is an x in axe."