"1 poison" - читать интересную книгу автора (Snyder Maria V)

The Commander said, УBrazell called it Criollo. Why? Is there poison in it?Ф
УNo. No poisons. ItТs justЕФ The proper words to describe it failed me. УTry it,Ф was all I could manage.
I watched the CommanderТs face as he bit into one of the squares. His eyes widened and his eyebrows arched in surprise. His tongue dashed along his lips and teeth as he tried to suck all the remaining flavor from them. He grabbed another piece.
УItТs sweet. Different. But I donТt taste anything unbelievable about it,Ф Valek said, wiping the brown flakes from his hands.
It was my turn to exchange looks with the Commander. Unlike Valek, he had an appetite for fine cuisine. He recognized excellence when he tasted it.

УIТll bet that little rat wonТt last an hour,Ф MarggТs muffled voice said through the kitchen door. I had been about to enter when I had heard her.
УIТll give fifty to one to anyone stupid enough to think the ratТll last the day. And one hundred to one to the sucker who thinks she wonТt be caught.Ф After Margg called the odds, the room erupted with sounds of betting.
I listened with growing horror. Margg couldnТt be talking about me. Why would Valek tell Margg about the exercise? ItТd be all over the castle by tomorrow. Brazell would find out.
УIТll bet a monthТs wages that Yelena stays free all day,Ф RandТs voice boomed out. The rest of the kitchen staff grew quiet.
My emotions seesawed from betrayal to pride. They were betting on me, and I couldnТt believe Rand had bet a monthТs wages. He had more confidence in me than I did in myself. I tended to agree with Margg on this one.
MarggТs laughter echoed on the tiled walls. УYouТve been in the kitchen too long, Rand. The heatТs cooked your brain to mush. I think youТre starting to like the little rat. Better lock up your knives when sheТs here or she mayЕФ
УAll right, thatТs enough,Ф Rand said. УDinnerТs over. Everyone out of my kitchen.Ф
I moved down the hallway and out of sight. Since I had promised Rand I would taste his cake, I looped back to the kitchen after everyone had gone. Rand was sitting at one of the tables chopping nuts. There was a slice of his raspberry-and-cream cake on the table.
He pushed the plate to me. I tasted it.
УMuch better. The cake is incredibly moist. WhatТs different?Ф I asked.
УI added pudding to the batter.Ф
Rand was unusually quiet. He didnТt mention the betting. I wasnТt going to ask.
He finished chopping the nuts. After cleaning up, he said, УI better get some sleep. WeТre going to the festival tomorrow night. Are you coming?Ф
УWhoТs going?Ф I stalled. I hated to miss out on the first night of the festival. Hated to let Brazell ruin the only fun IТd have. Although, if Margg was going as well, IТd stay with my original decision.
УPorter, Sammy, Liza and maybe Dilana.Ф RandТs tired eyes lit up ever so slightly when he said DilanaТs name. УWhy?Ф
УWhen are you leaving?Ф Again my heart was ready to overrule the logical and safe choice.
УAfter dinner. ItТs the only time everyone is free. The Commander always orders an easy meal for the first night of festival so the kitchen staff can leave early. If you want to come, just meet us here tomorrow.Ф
Rand headed to his rooms, which were adjacent to the kitchen, and I went back to ValekТs suite.
The dark apartment was empty. Locking the door, I groped around and found some flint. As I lit the lanterns, I passed by ValekТs desk and noticed a paper lying on top. Glancing around to make sure Valek wasnТt hiding in the shadows, I looked at the sheet. Names had been written on it, and then scratched out. My name had been circled. Underneath was the comment that I would make a perfect fugitive for the exercise.
This was probably how Margg had known. I remembered seeing her reading papers in ValekТs office before. Depending on how long these papers had been here, she could have known for a while. That woman was going to get me killed. If I survived long enough, IТd have to face her. Unfortunately, it would have to wait until after I played fugitive for Valek.
As for my escape plan, I searched through ValekТs piles of books. I remembered seeing some appropriate titles, and I was rewarded by finding two on the techniques of pursuit, and one on the best ways to elude capture. Nobody said I couldnТt do a little research. Borrowing ValekТs texts, I took a lantern and retired to my room.
I studied the books until my vision blurred with fatigue. Changing into my new nightclothes, I extinguished the lantern and collapsed into bed.
I was jolted awake by the frightening awareness that someone was in my room. Instant, sweat-soaked fear gripped me. A black shape loomed over me. Yanked out of bed, I slammed into the wall. One, two, three gasps passed. Nothing more happened. The assault had stopped, but I remained pinned.
My eyes adjusted to the dark. I recognized my attackerТs face. УValek?Ф
Chapter Eleven
V alekТs face, inches from mine, resembled a statue, silent, cold and devoid of emotion. My door had been left ajar, and even the faint glow of lantern light slipping through the gap at the threshold couldnТt lend his blue eyes any warmth.
УValek, whatТs wrong?Ф
Without warning, he released me. Too late I realized that he had held me suspended above the floor. I landed in a heap at his feet. Wordless, Valek left my room. I staggered upright, feeling as if I had too many arms and legs, and managed to catch up to him in the living room. He stood in front of his desk.
УIf this is about the booksЕФ I said to his back, guessing that he was angry with me for borrowing his manuals.
He turned. УBooks? You think this is about books?Ф His voice held amazement for a brief moment before it turned sharp and cutting. УIТve been a fool. All this time I admired your survival instincts and intelligence. But nowЕФ He paused, and then looked around the room as if searching for the right words.
УI overheard some servants discussing you as the fugitive. They were placing wagers. How could you be so stupid, so indiscreet? I considered killing you now to save myself the trouble of hunting for your dead body later.Ф
УI didnТt tell a soul.Ф I allowed anger to color my voice. УHow can you think I would jeopardize my own life?Ф
УWhy should I believe you? The only other person who knew was the Commander.Ф
УWell, Valek, youТre the spymaster. CouldnТt someone have overheard the conversation? Who else has access to this room? You left your notes in full view on your desk.Ф Before he could leap to another wrong conclusion, I hurried on. УThey were conspicuous. If I noticed them with just a quick glance, then they begged for inspection to someone seeking information.Ф
УWhat are you saying? Who are you accusing?Ф
A ridge of flesh grew above ValekТs nose as his eyebrows pinched together. Alarm flashed across his face before being doused by his stone guise. His fleeting expression told me a great deal. Either Valek had been so convinced that I had gossiped to the servants that he hadnТt considered other options, or he couldnТt accept the possibility of a breach in his security. For once I had thrown him off balance, if only for a second. Someday I would dearly love to see him in an ungainly heap at my feet.
УI have my suspicions,Ф I said. УBut IТll accuse nobody without proof. ItТs unfair, and who would believe me?Ф
УNo one.Ф Valek snatched a gray rock from his desk and hurled it toward me.
Stunned, I froze as the stone whizzed past and exploded on the wall behind me. Gray debris pelted my shoulder and rained to the floor.
УExcept me.Ф He sank into a chair. УEither IТm addicted to risk or youТre starting to make sense and we have a leak. An informer, a gossip, a mole. Whoever he is, we need to find him.Ф
УOr her.Ф
Valek frowned. УDo we play it safe and find another fugitive? Or cancel the exercise? Or continue as planned and make you both fugitive and bait? Enticing our spy to reveal himself.Ф He grimaced. УOr herself.Ф
УYou donТt think Brazell will come after me?Ф
УNo. ItТs too soon. I donТt expect Brazell to try to kill you before his factory is up and running. Once he gets what he wants, then itТs going to get interesting around here.Ф