"Maria V. Snyder - Poison 1 - Poison Study" - читать интересную книгу автора (Snyder Maria V)

execution.
Winded from the effort of marching with my feet chained, I was led into a spacious office. Maps of the
Territory of Ixia and the lands beyond covered the walls. Piles of books on the floor made walking a
straight line difficult. Candles in various stages of use littered the room, singe marks evident on several
papers that had gotten too close to the candleтАЩs flame. A large wooden table, strewn with documents and
ringed by half a dozen chairs, occupied the center of the room. At the back of the office a man sat at a
desk. Behind him a square window gaped open, permitting a breeze to blow through his shoulder-length
hair.

I shuddered, causing the chains to clatter. From the whispered conversations between prison cells, I had
determined that condemned prisoners were taken to an official to confess their crimes before being
hanged.

Wearing black pants and a black shirt with two red diamonds stitched on the collar, the man at the desk
wore the uniform of an adviser to the Commander. His pallid face held no expression. As his
sapphire-blue eyes scanned me, they widened in surprise.

Suddenly conscious of my appearance, I glanced down at my tattered red prison gown and dirty bare
feet roughened with yellow calluses. Dirt-streaked skin showed through the rips in the thin fabric. My
long black hair hung in greasy clumps. Sweat-soaked, I swayed under the weight of the chains.

тАЬA woman? The next prisoner to be executed is a woman?тАЭ His voice was icy. My body trembled on
hearing the word executed aloud. The calm IтАЩd established earlier fled me. I would have sunk sobbing to
the floor if the guards werenтАЩt with me. The guards tormented anyone who showed any weakness.

The man tugged at the black ringlets of his hair. тАЬI should have taken the time to reread your dossier.тАЭ He
shooed the guards away. тАЬYouтАЩre dismissed.тАЭ

When they were gone, he motioned me to the chair in front of his desk. The chains clanged as I perched
on the edge.

He opened a folder on his desk and scanned the pages. тАЬYelena, today may be your lucky day,тАЭ he said.

I swallowed a sarcastic reply. An important lesson I had mastered during my dungeon stay was never to
talk back. I bowed my head instead, avoiding eye contact.

The man was quiet for a while. тАЬWell-behaved and respectful. YouтАЩre starting to look like a good
candidate.тАЭ

Despite the clutter of the room, the desk was neat. In addition to my folder and some writing implements,
the only other items on the desk were two small, black statues glittering with streaks of silverтАФa set of
panthers carved to lifelike perfection.

тАЬYouтАЩve been tried and found guilty of murdering General BrazellтАЩs only son, Reyad.тАЭ He paused,
stroking his temple with his fingers. тАЬThat explains why BrazellтАЩs here this week, and why he has been
unusually interested in the execution schedule.тАЭ The man spoke more to himself than to me.

Upon hearing BrazellтАЩs name, fear coiled in my stomach. I steadied myself with a reminder that I was
soon to be out of his reach forever.