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Silence weighs like a heavy blanket over the dining rooe that I have not heard of this legend"

The conde shrugs "I barely knew of it growing up But Iladro reminded ht, Iladro?"

The herald reddens at our sudden scrutiny The plume of his hat wobbles as he nods "Yes, Your Grace," he says in an understated tone that belies his announcing voice "The legend rerabs a scone froe the conde fro on him to speak further

"Apocryphal," Ximena mutters to herself

"An old manuscript or two alludes to it," the conde says "But that’s hoe know there’s no truth to the legend, right? None of the inspired holy scriptures mentions it once"

"Indeed," Ximena says, but I hear the doubt--or possibly wonder--in her voice

"What is ‘apocryphal’?" Lady Jada asks

Hector says, "The Apocrypha is a group of docu inspired by God, but were proved by scholars and priests to bedivine about theht I had no idea he knew about such things

He regardsas pseudohistorical documents," he says to Lady Jada "They saywhich they ritten"

"What about you, Lady Jada?" I say, still s "As wife of the ends--from Brisadulce your queen should know of?"

Lady Jada throws her shoulders back and opens her mouth to launch into what I am certain will be a treatise of profound triviality "Your Majesty should instruct the kitchen

"Iladro?" says Conde Tristán

The herald bends over the table, his body convulsing He looks up, his eyes oozing tears His delicate face is a blotchy purple

Ximena launches across the table, a blur of ruffled skirts She grabs his fork with one hand, forces open his jaith the other

Hector yanks er from his vambrace "Elisa, spit out any food in your oes cla"

Ximena shoves the handle of the fork down Iladro’s throat, saying, "Let yourself voreat geysers of half-digested, red-tinged pollo pibil and pastry lues my nostrils

"The scone!" Belén says "He was the only person who had one"

The kitchen , "Stop! Spit out your food! The taster just--" He sees the mess on the table, and his face drains of blood "Too late"

"Lady Jada," I order "Find Doctor Enzo at once" She launches to her feet and runs fro roo his herald’s arm "Oh, Iladro, what did you--"

Hector’s arainst his torso as he backs us away froh I’ve no idea what he thinks he can do with it

"Water!" Xilass appears before her She tips it down the herald’s throat He chokes, and water spews froulp it down like his life depends on it, which it o, Elisa," Hector says, and he starts to dragroom

But I resist "No"

"It’s not safe! We need to--"

I whirl on him "Your sill not protect me from poison" To the rest, I say, "Ximena, stay with Iladro until Doctor Enzo coh the door to the kitchen, and everyone tumbles after me

The kitchen is chaos People rush everywhere to dump food and clean bowls and utensils I catch the acrid scents of vo bread On the stone floor beside the chopping table lies a e, frozen in terror and pain Blood-tinged vomit leaks froirl in aspit Tears streauards move to block the entrances

"Silence!" I yell Quiet settles, even as eyes widen with dread "Everyone against the wall, there" I gesture, but they do not h "Now!"

They scrae to line up neatly

I pace in front of them "Who prepared the scones?" I ask

Silence Then a timid voice says, "I did, Your Majesty Felipe and I"

I turn on the source of that voice It’s the crying maid "Did you poison them?"

"Oh, no, Your Majesty, I would never--"

"Where is Felipe?"

"I don’t know" She can’t bring herself to aze, and her maid’s cap has skewed forward It bothers me that I can’t see her expression to read it

So I reach forward and tip up her chin with ers "When did you last see him?"

She ss hard and blinks wet eyes "I’m not sure Maybejust before we served? He said he needed wine toto soak the pears Butoh, God"

"Oh, God, what?"

"Pears weren’t on the menu I didn’t thinkat the tiaze is terrified and shaky but guileless I find aze, I say, "Belén, please check the wine cellar"

"At once, Your Majesty"

I step back, clenching o unpunished What will happen when the city learns that poison entered overn ht

I need a show of strength Of wrath So my thumbnail with my teeth I could dismiss them all, throw them out of the palace That would certainly be memorable But there can be no doubt that most of them--maybe all--are innocent If had proof, I would not hesitate to have the poisoner beheaded

I freeze in my tracks Is this why General Luz-Manuel had Martín executed? Merely as a show of strength? Because it was politically prudent to cast the blame so to the cellar "He is here," he says, and I know froood

"No one is to leave this kitchen," I say, and receive a flurry of "Yes, Your Majesty"s in response "Hector, Tristán, with ether we enter the cellar stair It’s steep and cool and sside the stair is a s barrels

Belén is at the botto over the body of another dead man A boy, really He lies on his side, his arm crooked beneath his torso in an unnatural position Vomit soaks his shirt and puddles at the base of a wine barrel