Oh, right, retainers. It hadn't even crossed her mind to attempt to use her power on one of them, so she actually looks like a lightbulb has gone off in her head once Emet-Selch directs the retainer to stand in front of her. Without an ounce of hesitation, she gives the retainer a little pat on the arm, before stepping back a few paces.

"Oh, don't look so scared. I'll change you back afterwards."

She offers that as a reassurance, before she begins her enchantment; cold stone begins to creep up the retainer's appendages, starting at their feet and crawling up the lengths of both their legs. At this distance, the petrification grows swiftly, entombing the man up to the waist in little time. The retainer, for what it's worth, makes several attempts to move their legs, to no avail.

"—Okay, I've never gone farther than that." That tidbit is directed at Emet-Selch himself, as she blinks her eyes a few times - it's evident the spell comes from her sight, as she makes no motion to pantomime performing magic with her hands, or anything else. "The truth is, I don't really know how to keep going. I've tried it from far away, and I can't always do it to this extent... I think there must be rules or something. So that's why I came to ask for ideas from you, o wise professor..."

She calls him that with a bit of exaggerated drama, splaying her hand towards her example.