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Therefore, we need a person not skilled in the art of evasion, but who is intelligent enough to bring soe to the exercise"

Valek stood to continue his lecture "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 iination I briefly considered the encies I was about to assign one of your soldiers when I thought of Yelena"

Valek gestured toward ers to emphasize his words "She’ll have an incentive to perform well, and an incentive to return"

"Incentives?" A frown creased the Coes 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"

It was to me The daily antidote to Butterfly’s Dust kept , they would be searching for a corpse

"And if I refuse?" I asked Valek

"I’ll recruit one of the soldiers But I’ll be disappointed I thought you would appreciate the challenge"

"Maybe I don’t…"

"Enough" The Commander’s voice was curt "It’s preposterous, Valek"

"That’s the whole point A soldier would uess our fugitive, but the people I’ve assigned to the exercise aren’t that quick I’ 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 anytihed It was the most emotion I’d witnessed from him "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 hilanced at the tray inthe food, he ordered uised ruse to be rid of e

On my way to the kitchen, I itive for Valek My first reaction had been negative; I didn’t need anysearchers, combined with the chance to earn some money, the exercise started to look like an excellent opportunity By the time I reached the kitchen, I hoped Valek would win Especially since I would be outside the castle for a day, and any skills I learned froht prove useful in the future

"So toward ht

"No Just need some hot tea"