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The theory behind the puzzle was that secrecy would prevent so a rebellion in support of the chosen heir, since the heir was unknown The added risk that the inheritor ht be even worse than the Coe in the chosen General probably wouldn’t affect day-to-day life in Ixia We didn’t knoho had been originally selected, so the switch would have no bearing until the Commander died

I approached Commander Ae I performed a quick taste of his dinner; he thanked nored me

On my way back to the baths, I wondered if the information I had just overheard would fetch a decent price fro’s contact I quenched my curiosity; I had no desire to coet out ofValek, I had no doubt that he would discover any clandestineFor that reason alone, I had to prove that, nobelieved, I was not a spy Just theeyes focused onsoak in the bath eased ht it prudent to avoid Valek for a while I stopped in the kitchen for a late dinner After helping myself to the leftover roast meat and a hunk of bread, I carried my plate to where Rand worked He had an array of bowls, pots and ingredients es riht out where he had run his wet hands through it

I found a stool and a clean corner on Rand’s table and ate my dinner

"Did the Commander send you?" Rand asked

"No Why?"

"I finally received the Criollo recipe froht be wondering about it"

"He hasn’t said anything to me"

Two large shipments of Criollo, sans the recipe, had arrived for the Commander since Brazell had left the castle Each time, the Commander had responded with a "thank you" and another request for the formula As the quantity received had been plentiful, the Coiven Rand some Criollo to play with Rand hadn’t disappointed He had melted it, mixed it into hot drinks, invented new desserts, chipped it and remolded it into flowers and other edible decorations for cakes and pies

I watched Rand stir a itated ?" I asked

"Horrible I have repeatedly followed this recipe, and all I’ve gotten is this awful-tasting e to knock off the pasty residue "It won’t even solidify" He handed me a sheet of once-white paper smeared with brown stains and flour "Maybe you can see what I’redients It looked like a nor, on the other hand, was beco my forte I took a scoop of his batter and slid it onto ly sweet flavor invaded ue like Criollo, but it lacked the nutty, slightly bitter taste that balanced the sweetness