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

I studied his face. He seemed sincerely glad to see me.
УWhereТs Margg?Ф he asked.
УI havenТt seen her.Ф Thank fate, I thought.
УThen youТll need your antidote,Ф Valek said while moving back to his cabinet.
Once I swallowed the liquid, Valek headed toward the door. When I didnТt follow, he gestured to me.
УI have to taste the CommanderТs breakfast,Ф he said, setting a quick pace.
I huffed along behind him.
УItТs time you meet the Commander and watch how food tasting should be done.Ф
We turned into the main hallway of the castle. Valek didnТt miss a step, but I stumbled and stifled a gasp. The famous tapestries from the KingТs era were torn and soiled with black paint. In BrazellТs orphanage we had been taught that each tapestry represented a province of the old kingdom. Hand-quilted with gold threads during the course of many years, the colored silk pictures told a story about the history of each province. Now in rags, they still told a very powerful tale about the CommanderТs rule.
The CommanderТs disdain for the opulence, excesses and injustices of the former ruler and his family was well known throughout Ixia. From monarchy to military, the changes in Ixia were severe. While some citizens embraced the simple but strict rules in the Code of Behavior, others rebelled by refusing to wear their uniforms, by not requesting permission to travel, and by escaping to the south.
Based on the offense, the insurgentsТ punishment matched exactly what was written in the Code. No uniform meant two days chained naked in the townТs square. It didnТt matter if the offender had a legitimate reason; the punishment was always the same. IxiaТs people discovered that there wasnТt going to be any guessing about their punishment. No bribing or good-old-boy networking either; the Commander meant business. Live by the Code or face the consequences.
I pulled my eyes away from the tapestries in time to see Valek disappear through an arched doorway decorated with lavish stonework. Splintered wooden doors hung crookedly on their hinges, but the intricate carvings of trees and exotic birds were still visible. Another victim of the takeover, and another reminder of the CommanderТs intent.
I stopped in amazement just past the broken doors. This was the castleТs throne room. Inside was a sea of desks occupied by numerous advisers and military officers from every Military District in the Territory. The room hummed with activity.
It was hard to distinguish individuals in the commotion, but I finally spotted ValekТs smooth stride as he went through an open door at the back of the room. Finding a path around the maze of desks took some time. When I arrived at the door, I heard a manТs voice complaining about cold sweet cakes.
Commander Ambrose sat behind a plain wooden desk. His office was stark in comparison to ValekТs and lacked personal decorations. The only object in the room that did not have a specific purpose was a hand-size statue of a black snow cat. The catТs eyes glinted with silver, and bright specks of the metal peppered the beastТs powerful back.
The CommanderТs black uniform was perfectly tailored and immaculate, indistinguishable from ValekТs except that the diamonds stitched on his collar were real. They twinkled in the morning light. The CommanderТs black hair was sprinkled with gray and cut so short that the strands stood straight up.
In BrazellТs classroom, we had learned that the Commander avoided public appearances and having his portrait painted. The fewer people who knew what he looked like, the less his chances were of being assassinated. Some thought he was paranoid, but I believed that since he had gained power by using assassins and covert warfare, he was merely being realistic.
This was not the Commander I had envisioned: burly, bearded and weighed down with medals and weapons. He was thin, clean shaven, with delicate features.
УCommander, this is Yelena, your new food taster,Ф Valek said, pulling me into the room.
The CommanderТs gold almond-shaped eyes met mine. His gaze had the sharpness of a sword point. It pressed against my throat and fastened me to the floor. I felt myself being drawn out and examined. When he looked over at Valek, I swayed with relief.
УFrom what BrazellТs been hollering about, I expected her to breathe fire,Ф the Commander said.
I stiffened on hearing BrazellТs name. If Brazell was complaining to the Commander, I could be back in line for the noose.
УBrazellТs a fool,Ф Valek said. УHe wanted the drama of a public hanging for his sonТs killer. I personally would have taken care of her immediately. It would have been within his rights.Ф Valek slurped the CommanderТs tea and sniffed the sweet cakes.
My chest was tight. I was having trouble drawing in air.
УBesides, itТs clearly written in the Code of Behavior that the next to be hanged gets the job offer. And Brazell was one of the authors.Ф Cutting a piece of one sweet cake from the center and the other from the side, Valek put both pieces in his mouth, chewing slowly. УHere.Ф He handed the plate to the Commander.
УBrazell does have a point,Ф the Commander said. He picked up his tea and stared at the contents. УWhen does she start? IТm getting tired of cold food.Ф
УA few more days.Ф
УGood,Ф the Commander said to Valek, then turned to me. УYou arrive with my food and taste quick. I donТt want to be looking for you. Understand?Ф
Feeling light-headed, I answered, УYes, Sir.Ф
УValek, IТm losing weight because of you. Lunch is in the war room. DonТt be late.Ф
УYes, Sir,Ф Valek said and headed for the door. I followed. We wound our way through the tangle of desks. When Valek stopped to consult with another adviser, I glanced around. A handful of the CommanderТs advisers were women, and I noticed two female Captains and one Colonel. Their new roles were one of the benefits of the takeover. The Commander assigned jobs based on skills and intelligence, not on gender.
While the monarchy preferred to see women work as maids, kitchen helpers and wives, the Commander gave them the freedom to choose what they wanted to do. Some women preferred their former occupations, while others jumped at the chance to do something else, and the younger generation had been quick to take advantage of the new opportunities.
When we finally reached ValekТs office, Margg was dusting around ValekТs piles of papers on the table. It looked to me as if she was spending more time reading the papers than straightening them. DidnТt Valek notice? I wondered what Margg did for Valek besides cleaning.
Margg turned a pleasant face to Valek, but as soon as he walked away she glared fiercely at me. Must have lost a lot of money betting against my survival, I thought. I smiled at her. She managed to control her outraged expression before Valek glanced up at us from his desk.
УYelena, you look exhausted. You make me tired just looking at you. Go rest. Come back after lunch and weТll continue with your training.Ф
I didnТt really feel tired, but rest sounded like an excellent idea. As I moved along the hallway, ValekТs comment wormed its way through my mind. My pace slowed and I dragged my feet toward my room. I was so preoccupied with the physical effort of walking that I bumped right into two of BrazellТs guards.
УLookie, Wren, I found our rat!Ф one guard exclaimed, grabbing my wrist.
Alert, I gaped at the green diamonds on the guardТs uniform.
УGood for you,Ф Wren said. УLetТs show your catch to General Brazell.Ф
УThe General isnТt fond of live rats. Especially this one.Ф
The guard shook me hard. Pain coursed up my arm to my shoulder and neck. In a panic, I searched the hallway for help. It was deserted.
УThatТs right, he prefers them skinned alive.Ф
IТd heard enough. I did what any good rat would do. I bit down on the guardТs hand until I tasted blood. Yelping and cursing in surprise, his grip lessened. I jerked my arm out of his grasp and ran.
Chapter Five
I was only a couple of steps away from BrazellТs guards when they recovered from their surprise and began to chase me. Being terrified and unburdened of weapons, I had a slight advantage. It wouldnТt last. I was already puffing with the effort.
The corridors were mysteriously empty as I ran through them. If I did find someone, I wasnТt really sure they would or could help me. Like a rat, my only hope of escape was to find a hole to hide in.
I ran without a plan, caring only about keeping ahead of the guards. The corridors blurred together until I imagined I was running in place and it was the walls that were moving. I slowed for a moment to get my bearings. Where was I?
The light in the hallway was waning. My pounding steps kicked dust up from the floor. I had headed toward an isolated part of the castle, a perfect place for a quiet murder. Quiet because I wouldnТt have enough air in my lungs to scream.
I made a quick right turn into a corridor that led off into darkness. Momentarily out of the guardsТ sight, I pushed against the first door I encountered. Groaning and creaking, it yielded slightly under my weight, and then stuck tight. A gap big enough for my body, but not my head. Hearing the guards turn down the corridor, I threw myself against the door. It moved another inch. I tumbled headfirst into a dark room, and landed on the floor.
The guards found the door. I watched in horror as they tried to muscle it open. The gap began to expand. I scanned the room. My eyes adjusted to the gloom. Empty barrels and rotten sacks of grain littered the floor. A pile of rugs was stacked against the far wall below a window.