Page 32 of The Study of Poisons
The next day,Valek visited the Commander, hoping Yelena would still be tasting his lunch.
“Have you found a fugitive for the exercise?” the Commander asked Valek as soon as he entered.
Yelena stood by the sideboard, tasting his drink.
“Yes. I know the perfect person for the job.” Valek settled into the chair facing the Commander.
“Who?”
“Yelena.”
“What!” Yelena exclaimed.
“Explain,” the Commander ordered.
Valek smiled at their predictable responses. “My people are trained to avoid capture. Assigning one of them wouldn’t be fair to the search party. Therefore, we need a person not skilled in the art of evasion, but who is intelligent enough to bring some challenge to the exercise.”
The need to move propelled him to his feet. “The fugitive needs an incentive for a good chase yet must return to the castle. I can’t use a real prisoner. None of the servants have any imagination. I briefly considered the medic, but she’s needed here in case of emergencies. I was about to assign one of your soldiers when I thought of Yelena.”
Valek gestured toward her. “She’s smart.” He counted with his fingers to emphasize his words. “She’ll have an incentive to perform well, and an incentive to return.”
“Incentives?” A frown creased the Commander’s face.
Time for the hook. “The food taster receives no wages. But for this extra job, and others like it in the future, she can be paid. The longer she evades capture, the higher the payment. As for the incentive to return, that should be obvious.” They both believed she needed that daily antidote to Butterfly’s Dust to stay alive.
“And if I refuse?” she asked.
“I’ll recruit one of the soldiers. But I’ll be disappointed. I thought you would appreciate the challenge.” He really hoped she wouldn’t refuse.
“Maybe I don’t—”
“Enough.” The Commander’s voice was curt. “It’s preposterous, Valek.”
“That’s the whole point. A soldier would make predictable moves. She’s an unknown.”
“Youmight outguess our fugitive, but the people I’ve assigned to the exercise aren’t that quick. I’m hoping to find someone who can be trained as your assistant. I understand what you’re waiting for, but I don’t believe it’ll happen anytime soon. We need someone now.” The Commander sighed. “Valek, why do you constantly undermine my orders to instruct an assistant?”
“Because so far, I have disagreed with your choices. When the suitable candidate appears, then all efforts to train them will be fully endorsed.”
The Commander took the tray from Yelena’s hands and asked her to fetch him some hot tea. She bolted from the office in obvious relief.
“Why didn’t you mention this to me last night?” Ambrose asked him.
Valek settled back in the chair. “I knew you wouldn’t like it, and our late-night meetings are for…” He turned his palms up, trying to find the right words. “Winding down and good news. Not for arguments.”
“So, you decided to give me this news in front of Yelena?”
“Two birds…one stone,” he tried.
Ambrose gave him an icy glare.
“I wanted to see her reaction and I think if she knows you support the decision, she’ll be more inclined to accept.”
“She’ll be at risk. Brazell is still here. Once the news spreads—”
“It won’t. Only the three of us will know. Yelena’s too smart and too much of a survivor to risk Brazell finding out.”
The Commander leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Not a good sign. “And that offer to pay her?”
