"Liz Williams - The Poison Master" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Liz)

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THE POISON MASTER


On the planet of Latent Emanation, humans are the lowest class, at the mercy of their mysterious alien
rulers, the Lords of Night. But Alivet Dee, an alchemist, canтАЩt help but question the LordsтАЩ rule ever since
her twin sister was taken to serve in their palace. Alivet saves every penny to pay her sisterтАЩs unbonding
fee, but her plan is destroyed when one of her potions kills a wealthy clientтАФand Alivet finds herself
wanted for murder. Her only hope is the darkly attractive man who may have engineered her downfall
but who still offers her a last chance of salvation.

A Poison Master from the planet Hathes, Arieth Mahedi Ghairen needs an alchemist of AlivetтАЩs expertise
to find the one drug that can take down the LordsтАФand free the universe from their rule. Sequestered in
GhairenтАЩs fortress laboratory, lied to by both her new ally and his daughterтАЩs enigmatic governess, Alivet
doesnтАЩt know whom to trust or where to turn for answers. But driven to undo her sisterтАЩs fate, Alivet
races to hone her skills in timeтАФeven as time runs outтАж
DEADLY ENCOUNTER
__________


The windows were fifty feet high, bisected into arches that created the effect of an enormous cathedral.
Through the glass, Alivet could see the expanse of the city below: a sprawl of alleys and rookeries
reaching as far as the fens. Latent EmanationтАЩs sun had already boiled away over the edge of the world,
and the city was hazy in the damp evening air. Alivet knew that if she stepped across to the window and
looked down, she would see the building curving like a carapace below her: a maze of fume bars and
restaurants, dance halls and penitentials.

The complex was popular, though mercifully not with the Lords themselves. Alivet noted all manner of
patrons from elsewhere in the fens: Hepsborough genuflexives waving their dining implements in animated
conversation; Moderated Wives beneath a group veil and a single person reading an illegal political
newspaper. AlivetтАЩs eyes widened; very few people dared to openly criticize the Lords and their
Unpriests, and to sit reading such material in plain view seemed utter folly.

Alivet knew that she should avert her gaze and have nothing to do with this dangerous individual, but her
curiosity was piqued and she stared. She saw two long pale hands at the edges of the paper. Then, as if
realizing that he was being watched, the person lowered the paper and smiled up at her.

Alivet saw a narrow, handsome face, not quite human: ivory as a polished skull beneath sleek blue-black
hair. His eyes, deep set in hollows of bone, were as dark as garnets. His smile was mocking, beguiling,
holding all manner of promisesтАж
Also by Liz Williams

The Ghost Sister

Empire of Bones
Contents

Part I: Preparation