Page 66 of Darkest Desire

“Good luck,” he said and gave Sirex a doubtful look. Then he scurried down the ladder and ran off.

Sirex watched him go, wondering what in the Seven Hells he had gotten himself into.

26

PHOEBE

“Here you are, my lady. Only the finest breakfast, just as your lord and master ordered.” The servant boy offered Phoebe a steaming tray with a little bow.

“Thank you.”

Phoebe took it from him, looking down uncertainly at the contents of the tray. The large dish in the center contained a thick, curly purple tentacle about as long as her forearm. Its pale underside was studded with bright yellow and pink suction cups.

Three smaller dishes sat beside the tentacle. One was filled with greenish-brown paste that looked like guacamole that had gone bad and the other two held heaps of powder that appeared to be exotic seasonings. The first powder was bright blue and the other was silver. They reminded Phoebe of the colored sugar you can buy to sprinkle on Christmas cookies.

“What is this?” she asked, nodding at the tentacle.

“Oh, it’s a hoi’po’loi,” the servant boy said. “They live in the Sea of Tears not far from the palace. Some have been known to grow as large as the palace itself, in fact,” he added. “This one must have been a baby though—it’s so small. Which also means it will be tender,” he added, smiling helpfully.

“And these? Are they seasonings?” Phoebe asked, nodding at the three small bowls filled with paste and powder.

“They are! Shall I name them for you?” the servant asked.

“Sure—why not?” Phoebe nodded.

“All right. There’s agtro paste—it’s salty,” he said, pointing at the paste that looked like rotten guacamole. “And there’s foopa powder—that’s sweet.” He pointed at the blue powder. “And here’s some ting-tum seasoning—that one acts as a sweetener and an antidote to the poison,” he finished, pointing at the silver powder.

“Wait a minute—poison? What poison?” Phoebe demanded.

“Er, well the hoi’po’loi has a neurotoxin in it—mainly gathered around the suckers.” He indicated the bright pink and yellow suction cups on the underside of the thick tentacle. “As long as you avoid those, you should be fine. But if your lips and tongue start to feel numb and tingly or you get short of breath, just take a big bite of the ting-tum seasoning and you’ll be just fine.” He grinned broadly.

Phoebe was hungry—but not hungry enough to eat something that had poison in it. “What else did you bring me?” she asked. “I mean, besides the tentacle?”

“Oh, well I did also bring some tunna fruit.” He indicated two small, plump oblong fruits on the side of the tray. They were green with purple spots and had thick brown stems at their tops.

“Are those poisonous too?” Phoebe asked suspiciously.

“Goodness, no! They’re completely harmless,” the servant promised.

“Thank you.” Phoebe nodded. Well, she knew what she was going to be eating—and what she would be avoiding.

“Will there be anything else?” the servant asked.

Phoebe shook her head.

“No thanks—this is fine. But I never did get your name,” she added.

“Oh, I’m Humpty.” The servant bowed.

“Okay, thank you, Humpty. I’ll ask for you if I need anything else,” Phoebe told him. She rather liked the obsequious little servant—he was the only male she’d met in the whole palace who treated her with respect, rather than just assuming she was a Sex Slave.

“Yes, my lady! Please do.” Humpty smiled and bowed again.

Phoebe nodded at him.

“Well, goodbye for now.”

It occurred to her that she should probably ask for more non-poisonous food since she had no intention of eating the thick purple tentacle, but now that she thought of it, she really didn’t have much of an appetite. She didn’t like being separated from Sirex. Until the big warrior came back to the palace, she was going to be on pins and needles and her stomach would be in knots.

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