The Chocolatier's Wife (94 page)

She
smiled
and closed
her
eyes,
concentrating
on
listening
to
them. They
d
e
scribed
their
attacker.
“Lavoussier,
definitely,” she
muttered. “Lavoussier was
the
one.
He
cast
a
spell.
From
what
they
say
it
seems
to have been pre-made, all he had to do was let
it
fly.”

“So
he
didn’t
want
to
fight
the
sprites
as
he
searched.
A
bit
more
of
a
coward than
I
would have
thought.”

She
sighed.
“Well,
they
can
be
more
than
just
annoying
when
they
wish to be,
and
right now,
they certainly wish to be.”

It
was
true.
He
nodded
so
she
knew
that
even
he
could
feel
it,
as
they
flew around
the
place.
They
darted
around
him,
but
they
did
not
clatter
through pans or
cupboards. They were more
concentrated, more
determined.

“Thi
s
i
s
thei
r
home
.
Someon
e
ha
s
violate
d
it
,
attacke
d
the
m
i
n
it. Someon
e
mean
s
il
l
t
o
you
,
t
o
me
,
an
d
i
t
anger
s
them.”

“An
y
threa
t
t
o
yo
u
anger
s
me
,
a
s
well
,
s
o
th
e
sprite
s
an
d
I
ar
e
i
n
complet
e
agre
e
ment.
”

Sh
e
smile
d
a
t
him
,
an
d
the
n
gre
w
thoughtful
,
he
r
attentio
n
driftin
g
bac
k
t
o
th
e
sprites
.
“Wait,
”
sh
e
said
.
“Jus
t
wait
.
Th
e
chanc
e
wil
l
come. Yes
,
I
wil
l
kee
p
watch
,
d
o
no
t
worry.
”

“No
w
tha
t
th
e
Ligh
t
Day
s
ar
e
over
,
Frann
y
wil
l
g
o
t
o
tria
l
tomorrow.
”
H
e
too
k
som
e
liquo
r
an
d
bega
n
makin
g
the
m
al
l
som
e
chocolat
e
t
o
drink. “Th
e
gibbe
t
wil
l
b
e
u
p
again
;
ther
e
wil
l
b
e
n
o
reaso
n
t
o
hal
t
things.
”

“Bu
t
surel
y
it’
s
no
t
i
n
Lavoussier’
s
bes
t
interest
s
t
o
allo
w
he
r
t
o
be hanged?
”

“H
e
can’
t
reall
y
sto
p
it
,
now
.
She’
s
confessed
,
th
e
lawye
r
sen
t
a
note t
o
tel
l
m
e
tha
t
th
e
ne
w
Bisho
p
i
s
applyin
g
t
o
th
e
Governo
r
t
o
star
t
th
e
trial
.
Whateve
r
favor
s
Lavoussie
r
use
d
t
o
kee
p
contro
l
o
f
th
e
situatio
n
ar
e
runnin
g
dry.”

“Ho
w
lon
g
ha
s
h
e
bee
n
Admira
l
here?
”

H
e
stirre
d
th
e
chocolat
e
thoughtfully
.
“H
e
wa
s
her
e
a
littl
e
ove
r
a
yea
r
befor
e
I
returne
d
fro
m
th
e
sea
.
I
d
o
kno
w
tha
t
th
e
Bisho
p
an
d
the Governo
r
bot
h
requeste
d
hi
m
personally
. I
though
t
tha
t
i
t
wa
s
someho
w
give
n
t
o
hi
m
a
s
a
reward
,
Lavoussie
r
mad
e
n
o
secre
t
tha
t
h
e
wa
s
quit
e
bitte
r
abou
t
ho
w
th
e
Pandora’
s
priz
e
mone
y
wa
s
distributed
.
H
e
said tha
t
I’
d
beate
n
hi
m
t
o
th
e
priz
e
throug
h
dishonorabl
e
means
.
Before
,
i
n
th
e
Hall
s
o
f
th
e
variou
s
Admiraltie
s
sprea
d
al
l
ove
r
th
e
world
,
I
wa
s
an annoyin
g
bu
t
harmles
s
Merchan
t
Captai
n
wh
o
coul
d
sometime
s
b
e
o
f
use
.
Afte
r
ward
s
I
wa
s
a
n
upstart
,
a
dishonorabl
e
creti
n
wh
o
woul
d
d
o
anything t
o
chea
t
a
Nava
l
Captai
n
ou
t
o
f
hi
s
rightfu
l
prize.”

“Well
,
tha
t
mus
t
no
t
hav
e
bee
n
ver
y
pleasant.
”
Sh
e
watche
d
a
s
he poure
d
th
e
chocolat
e
int
o
tw
o
delicat
e
cup
s
an
d
on
e
saucer
.

“Nay
,
twa
s
not,
”
h
e
sighed
.
“
I
alway
s
wondere
d
ho
w
th
e
devi
l
h
e
manage
d
t
o
ge
t
himsel
f
assigne
d
t
o
m
y
hom
e
port.
”