Cursebreakers by Madeleine Nakamura

Author:Madeleine Nakamura
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781939096135
Publisher: Red Hen Press
Published: 2023-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

When I went to Kirchoff’s office the next day to find out when the next meeting might be, I made sure to remember the kitchen knife in my bag. If he was going to murder me, he probably wouldn’t do it in the middle of the Pharmakeia, but I’d seen stranger decisions made in the past few days.

The musty smell in the room had not improved, and the one human skeleton standing in the corner had taken on an accusatory stare. As I spoke with Kirchoff, I entertained various fancies about how he might have gotten it. Taken from the Chirurgeonate? Stolen from one of the graves in the great Vesperide Gardens? An unlucky student, maybe?

We sat opposite each other over the worst-tasting cup of tea I’d ever had, something black and smoky and tepid. “I’m so glad you’re keen,” he said, examining me without any effort to conceal his evaluation. He was suspicious, but no more than was warranted of any new accomplice. I’d been convincing enough to escape immediate detection, even with Gennady’s outburst. Perhaps, I reflected, because of Gennady’s outburst.

“It’s a fascinating undertaking,” I said, trying to borrow a hint of Tenniel’s lazy amusement. “Of course I’m interested in seeing the outcomes.”

“I must commend you,” he said. “You managed to leave poor Rosabelle intact, although the procedure failed. That’s no small achievement.”

He was testing me.

“I went to check up on her, actually,” I said, in case he already knew that somehow. “She’s quite timid, isn’t she?”

“I poached her from Gailhardt,” he said with a sniff. “Unfortunately, she seems to have taken after her mentor. I got to her too late. She’s unsuited to thanatology, to tell you the truth.”

“Well,” I said. I could see Rosabelle’s face clearly—her hurt, her fear. “It was only a first try.”

He smiled. “Such is the march of progress.”

“I’m eager to go again,” I said, a fabulously impossible lie. “I have some ideas on how to improve.”

He raised his eyebrows. “We’ll be meeting again this Primidy,” he said, watching the shapes bobbing in the tanks on the far wall. “In the same location, at the same hour. I’m hoping to have the Vigil comprise all of the test subjects this time.”

“Why?”

His shrug was impatient. “As I said, I’m running out of quadriviates.”

I’ve always wished I could advise more quadriviates; it’s one of the more rewarding facets of academia at the Pharmakeia. Given my frequent indisposition, however, I rarely take one on. Kirchoff was doing his active best to ruin the minds of a new generation. I gave him a gleamingly sharp smile, imagining all the things that might happen to him once Prefect Velleia had her victory. “I’ll bring Lieutenant Richter,” I said.

“Richter,” he said thoughtfully. “Your pet. Even for a member of the Clementia, he seems impulsive. Unreliable.”

“My enchantment will fix that soon,” I said, thinking, pet? He couldn’t have said anything fouler if he’d tried.

“If you’re bringing him on Primidy, ensure he behaves himself,” he said.

“I’ll do my best,” I said, as if it were a joke, and stood up to leave with my skin crawling.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.