Madame Ludec stepped over Baueaz to Warden Z’bari, neither of them able to do anything more than move their eyes.

“I’m sorry, my friends,” she said, plucking the key from the warden’s belt. “It took me so very long to synthesize that botulism toxin with what I have at hand, I simply had to use it. You were both doomed when you touched my doorknob.”

The heavy key clicked in the lock, while Ludec carefully turned the knob with a handkerchief, which she dropped onto the ground in front of Z’bari’s wide eyes.

“The good news is, if your men can find you inside of the hour, there’s an antitoxin that will allow you to live, paralyzed of course, for a bit more. Nothing personal, of course, my dears: you have your job, and I have mine.”

Ludec collected a small set of vials and poultices hidden behind one of her needlework pieces on the wall. “And don’t worry–I intend to catch this ‘mad poisoner’ of yours and show them the folly of their ways. There is no one yet alive that is the match for Madame Rajki Ludec, and if it be her time to die, it will be in the service of the noble poisoner’s art.”

With practiced hands, Madame Ludec locked the door behind her and threw the visitor’s cloak over her. With a gruff voice, she told the first guard to escort Conjurer Baueaz outside, and that Warden Z’bari was staying behind to interrogate the prisoner.

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