Bright Star watched in amusement as Lecol warmed up. What were—in all honesty—political considerations had kept her from saying the very same thing. She could not afford to insult her tenured professors . . . but she had no compunctions about watching them insult each other. They all respected their colleague from Prance; she had systematically read through every treatise on pony surgical practice and single-hoofedly revised the Canterlot hospital’s routine—shaving an average of one day off each pony’s stay. Best of all, she was a guest professor, and had nothing to lose by stating her mind.