Chapter Two

I snapped her folder closed and walked to the door. I could feel Yelena's gaze on my back. When the door opened the guards snapped to attention.

"She has taken the job. Remove her chains."

One guard moved towards her. He spun her around and removed her manacles and chains. Her wrists were sticky with blood. Sickened I turned away and went to the cabinet behind my desk. Yelena swayed.

I walked over to the cabinet behind my desk. It was my cabinet of tricks. I smiled to myself. It contained my poisons and White Freight.

Guilt filled my stomach. Damn Valek! It was standard procedure to poison the food taster with White Freight, so why did I feel guilty about poisoning Yelena? She was just another criminal.

When she turned back to me I was pouring two drinks. I watched her as she examined the contents of the cabinet. Before she refocused on me, I slipped some White Freight into her drink. I returned the bottle and locked the cabinet door.

"While we are waiting for Margg, I thought maybe you could use a drink." I handed her the tall, pewter goblet with the dose of White Freight in it. I raised my own goblet and made a toast.

"To Yelena, our newest food taster. My you last longer than your predecessor." Unless anyone poisoned the Commander's food, she fails the test or she commits treason, Yelena will last longer than the other tasters because I needed her, therefore I would not kill her unless it was unavoidable.

She hesitated. The goblet stopped short of her lips. Smart girl.

"Relax," I said "it's a standard toast." For a food taster I thought. Again I felt the small stab of guilt about poisoning her. Cut it out Valek, Right now! She's a food taster and technically she didn't ask directly if it was poisoned.

She took a long swig. Before she could say anything, I asked her to identify the ingredients of the drink. She took a smaller sip and replied, "Peaches sweetened with honey."

She was good. Most food tasters didn't pick that up the first time.

"Good. Now take another sip. This time roll the liquid around on your tongue before swallowing."

She did as I asked.

"Oranges?" She asked.

This girl was amazing! She was also very talented in this line of work.

"That's right. Now gargle it." She gave me an inquisitive look.

"Gargle?"

I just nodded. She gargled the rest of her drink and almost spat it out.

"Rotten oranges!"

I could feel the skin crinkling around my eyes as I laughed. She was gauging my reaction and observing my features.

I handed her my drink, knowing it wouldn't have the 'rotten orange' taste since there was no White Freight in it and asked her to repeat the experiment.

Hesitantly she took a sip. She gargled it and a relieved look spread across her face.

"Better?" I asked as I took back the empty cup, knowing full well it was.

"Yes." She was not a talkative girl.

I sat down behind my desk and opened her folder once more. I picked up my quill and began writing.

Yelena Ixia

Food Taster in training.

Butterfly's Dust Test: Identified peaches and honey on first try.

After given instructions to roll the liquid and then gargle it, she successfully identified all the ingredients. Except of course Butterfly's Dust which she said tasted, like rotten oranges.

Overall: Very Talented

Success

"You just had your first lesson in food tasting. Your drink was laced with a poison called Butterfly's Dust. Mine wasn't. The only way to detect Butterfly's Dust in a liquid is to gargle it. That rotten-orange flavour you tasted was the poison."

She rose to her feet with a terrified look on her face. "Is it lethal?"

"A big enough dose will kill you in two days. The symptoms don't arrive until the second day, but by then it's too late." Haha it is so not lethal. I loved lying to the new taster about this to see their reactions, but I hated doing it to Yelena. No Valek stop right there! It has to be done.

"Did I have a lethal dose?" She held her breath.

"Of course. Anything less and you wouldn't have tasted the poison." Poor girl, it must feel horrible to think you have been poisoned.

She started to gag like any smart person would. At least she didn't vomit all over my desk.

I looked up from the stack of papers. I studied her face. "I warned you the training would be dangerous. But I would hardly give you a poison that your body had to fight while you suffered from malnutrition. There is an antidote to Butterfly's Dust."

I showed her a small vile which contained the 'antidote'.

I still had that irritating feeling of guilt in my gut. The 'antidote' was a fascinating thing. It was really just another dose of White Freight, the poison. If you had a regular dose, once a day, it would prolong the symptoms. Which was why it fascinated me so much. Anyway, it wouldn't kill you but it would produce stomach cramps worthy of a day in bed. However the conviction alone could in fact kill them.

She collapsed back into the chair and sighed. I hadn't offered her the antidote though and she realised this to.

"In answer to the question you didn't ask but should've have is this –"I raised the small vial and shook it "- is how we keep the Commander's food taster from escaping."

She stared at me trying to understand the implication.

"Yelena, you confessed to murder. We would be fools to let you serve the Commander without some guarantees. Guards watch the Commander at all times and it is doubtful you would be able to reach him with a weapon. For other forms of retaliation, we use Butterfly's Dust." I picked up the vial of 'antidote' and twirled it in the sunlight, admiring it. "You need a daily dose of this to stay alive. The antidote keeps the poison from killing you. As long as you show up each morning in my office, I will give you the antidote. Miss one morning you'll be dead by the next. Commit a crime or act of treason and you'll be sent back to the dungeon until the poison takes you. I would avoid that fate if I were you. The poison causes severe stomach cramps and uncontrollable vomiting."

My eyes slid past Yelena's shoulder and she turned to see Margg walk into the room. I introduced her to Yelena. Margg strode out the door expecting Yelena to follow.

She glanced at the vial on my desk.

"Come to my office tomorrow morning. Margg will direct you."

She paused at the door on her way out. Then she quickly hurried after Margg, who probably hadn't waited for her.

I sat thinking about White Freight. I shouldn't have felt guilty about giving it to Yelena. It was standard procedure.

White Freight was my secret. There was no poison called Butterfly's Dust and not even the Commander knew it. He believed that the White freight I used was the Butterfly's Dust, like I wanted everyone to.

Realising that I was late for lunch again, I hurried out of my office leaving all the thoughts of Yelena and 'Butterfly's Dust' behind me.

When I got to the Commander's office his disappointed gaze pierced me. He detested cold food.

I tasted his cold food in silence. However when I mentioned Yelena any annoyance of my lateness disappeared. He was always eager when I informed him of the next food taster. He liked hot food and with me tasting for him, he rarely got it.

"So she has taken the offer. Which isn't surprising. Most prisoners wouldn't pass up an offer for a second chance of life. Even if it does mean they have to taste for poisons."

I nodded. "Margg is getting her some uniforms and showing her to her room. I will start her training tomorrow." Margg would be taking care of Yelena's basic needs, and by that I meant very basic.

"Good." He smiled at me deep in thought. "Dinner is in the war room. Don't be late." He dismissed me.

I nodded again. "Yes sir." I knew that I would still probably be late.

I left his office and headed back to my own. I had some work that I needed to finish before dinner. I needed to fit Yelena's lessons in my busy schedule.