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Arial black 12 Font Font Color Font Size Background Color white THE POISON MASTER On the planet of Latent Emanation, humans are the lowest class, at the mercy of their mysterious alien rulers, the Lords of Night. But Alivet Dee, an alchemist, can’t help but question the Lords’ rule ever since her twin sister was taken to serve in their palace. Alivet saves every penny to pay her sister’s unbonding fee, but her plan is destroyed when one of her potions kills a wealthy client—and Alivet finds herself wanted for murder. Her only hope is the darkly attractive man who may have engineered her downfall but who still offers her a last chance of salvation. A Poison Master from the planet Hathes, Arieth Mahedi Ghairen needs an alchemist of Alivet’s expertise to find the one drug that can take down the Lords—and free the universe from their rule. Sequestered in Ghairen’s fortress laboratory, lied to by both her new ally and his daughter’s enigmatic governess, Alivet doesn’t know whom to trust or where to turn for answers. But driven to undo her sister’s fate, Alivet races to hone her skills in time—even as time runs out… DEADLY ENCOUNTER __________ The windows were fifty feet high, bisected into arches that created the effect of an enormous cathedral. Through the glass, Alivet could see the expanse of the city below: a sprawl of alleys and rookeries reaching as far as the fens. Latent Emanation’s sun had already boiled away over the edge of the world, and the city was hazy in the damp evening air. Alivet knew that if she stepped across to the window and looked down, she would see the building curving like a carapace below her: a maze of fume bars and restaurants, dance halls and penitentials. The complex was popular, though mercifully not with the Lords themselves. Alivet noted all manner of patrons from elsewhere in the fens: Hepsborough genuflexives waving their dining implements in animated conversation; Moderated Wives beneath a group veil and a single person reading an illegal political newspaper. Alivet’s eyes widened; very few people dared to openly criticize the Lords and their Unpriests, and to sit reading such material in plain view seemed utter folly. Alivet knew that she should avert her gaze and have nothing to do with this dangerous individual, but her curiosity was piqued and she stared. She saw two long pale hands at the edges of the paper. Then, as if realizing that he was being watched, the person lowered the paper and smiled up at her. Alivet saw a narrow, handsome face, not quite human: ivory as a polished skull beneath sleek blue-black hair. His eyes, deep set in hollows of bone, were as dark as garnets. His smile was mocking, beguiling, holding all manner of promises… Also by Liz Williams The Ghost Sister Empire of Bones Contents Part I: Preparation 1 2 3 4 Part II: Dissolution 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Part III: Ascension 1 2 Part IV: Crystallization 1 2 3 Part V: Division 1 2 3 Part VI: Corruption 1 2 3 4 5 Part VII: Elaboration 1 2 3 Part VIII: Separation 1 2 3 Part IX: Conjunction 1 2 3 Part X: Ignition 1 2 Part XI: Resolution 1 2 Epilogue THE POISON MASTER A Bantam Spectra Book / January 2003 Published by Bantam Dell A Division of Random House, Inc. New York, New York All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003 by Liz Williams Cover illustration © 2003 by Gary Ruddell No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. For information address: Bantam Books, New York, New York. If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.” Bantam Books and the rooster colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. Spectra and the portrayal of a boxed “s” are trademarks of Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc. ISBN 0-553-58498-7 Manufactured in the United States of America Published simultaneously in Canada OPM 10 98765432 1 To my mother for the Gothics and my dad for the magic, to Joanna for Wuthering Heights, and to Charles ACKNOWLEDGMENTS to Shawna McCarthy and Anne Groell, for all their help to everyone in the Montpellier Writing Group to Tanith Lee, for her encouragement and support to Gardner Dozois, for accepting the original story for Asimov’s to Damh, for the four-faced angel to Bob and Jan, for all the tea to Storyville and Broaduniverse, listmembers extraordinaire to Jane Austen, William Burroughs, and Jack Vance
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