Food Taster

"Are you even listening to me?" asked the advisor sounding frustrated.

"What," I jumped realizing he was talking to me.

"I have been talking to you, trying to discuss why you are here and whether you have any excuses for what you did but you have been ignoring me."

"Oh, um, sorry I hadn't noticed you were talking."

This is no good I have to find out for sure whether he was Valek. Now how can I put this subtly? "Are you Valek?" Oh well, if you can't think of anything subtle may as well be blunt.

"Why would you care?"

"Just thought you might be. If you are, it seems a bit weird you doing this interview. I would have thought the Commander's head of security would have more important things to do."

"Eight people were killed during that incident last year. I want to know what happened and who you were working with"

"I'll take that as a yes then. Anyway the eye witness testimony from that incident as you called it was inaccurate and unreliable. You can't prove I was involved let alone anyone else."

"Well you were there so why don't you give me an accurate description of what happened and are you really trying to pretend you weren't involved."

"I never said that."

"You are definitely one of the more interesting prisoners I have met."

"Well to be honest as your going to kill me anyway I don't see why I shouldn't have my say." This is far more fun than I thought it would be. He probably thinks I am crazy but I don't really mind.

"Huh, that's another thing I had to talk to you about. The Commander's food taster has recently died. Unfortunately the job has to be offered to next in line for the noose. That would be you."

Now things were really getting interesting. If I kept the letter and accepted the job I would be able to live and protect the kids myself. However I was under no illusions if I gave him the letter I would outlive my usefulness. Everyone knew Valek arranged who was the food taster and would get rid of any he didn't have any interest in.

"You have stopped listening again and gone quiet."

"Thinking… I'll take it"

"I haven't even told you anything about it yet."

"No need, I am very good at making decisions."

"If you're sure, it is traditional to drink a toast to the new food taster," said Valek walking to one of his cabinets behind him and with his back to me pouring two drinks. He then turned around and handed me a drink saying "To our new food taster. May you last longer than your predecessor"

"Lovely, just out of interest, how long did the last food taster last."

"You're actually meant to drink some instead of asking questions."

"Ah you don't want to tell me." I took a small sip of the drink which tasted sweet and peachy. "It's a bit sweet, could do with less honey in it."

Valek looked up at the ceiling as a look of frustration crossed his face. It disappeared in a millisecond and he was back to the normal facial expression that gave nothing away. "Are you going to criticize everything?"

"It makes sense to me as I don't know all the poisons there might be something I don't recognize but the description I give may ring alarm bells for you?"

"I knew I was going to regret hiring you. Can we continue with the lesson or do you wish to add any more comments."

"This is a lesson?"

"I am trying to teach you different methods of tasting what is in the drink."

"Your not doing a very good job are you?"

"You're the one who keeps interrupting. Why couldn't I have a normal person who just does what they are told?"

"That would be boring. Consider it a challenge." Ha, he almost smiled then.

"Just take another sip and roll the liquid around your tongue before swallowing"

I did that and this time tasted oranges. "Orange, who mixes over sweetened peaches with oranges?"

"Now gargle it," he said ignoring my comment.

"I did that and tasted… "Rank! Rotten oranges, that is disgusting." I said spitting it back into the glass."

"That drink contains a poison called butterfly dust. The only way to detect it in a drink is to gargle it."

"Won't the Commander think I am a bit strange if I gargle all his drinks?"

"Trust me; the Commander will think you are strange anyway. Anyway that's not the point. Butterfly's Dust will kill you within 48 hours if you don't receive the antidote. Therefore you will have to come to me to receive anti dote every morning. It is also the reason why you should ask questions before accepting a job."