Ulla's sense of fashion, meanwhile, is impeccable, aside from the way she hates shoes. She turns up in human form today, in a deep green silk dress the color of ivy, skirt fluttering around her ankles, her feet bare. Her hair is held back from her face by a pair of iridescent shell combs carved with a design of pine trees.

"Hello," she says with a small smile. "Have you used the Enclosure before? I'll let you describe what you want, since I wouldn't know what to look for in an office."