Novice Sister Clara

I heard someone outside the shutter, calling a name that wasn't a name. I meant to pretend I hadn't heard, but I'd already memorized it.

• Sister JudithWhat is heard is announced by the bell. That is the rule.
  Novice Sister ClaraBut the bell is yours, Sister.
• Mother Superior MartaKlara. What's kept in your head can't be entered on any list. So be careful.
  Novice Sister Clara...Yes, Prioress.

The stylus takes no ink, yet it still leaves a mark on the page. It scares me that even what I didn't write stays behind.

• Old AnselmIf you know that much, you've already learned half of it.
  Novice Sister ClaraThen when do I learn the other half, old man?
• Sister DorotheaChild, a stylus exists to leave a mark. You can't write if you're afraid of it.