Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind [204]
Some people looked like they didn’t want to, but only for a minute. Then they all drank. The Queen drank, after she saw that everyone else had, then sat back down with a funny look on her face. She leaned to a server, whispering. Rachel started to get worried; the Queen was frowning. When the Queen frowned, people got their heads chopped off.
The tall cook came out, smiling. The Queen motioned to him with her finger hooked, to lean closer. There was sweat on his forehead. Rachel guessed it was because the kitchen was so hot. She was sitting behind the Princess, who sat at the left arm of the Queen, so she could hear them talking.
“This does not taste the same,” she said in her mean voice. She didn’t always talk in her mean voice, but when she did, people got scared.
“Ah, well, Your Majesty, you see, in truth, uh, well, it’s not, you see. Not the same, that is.” Her eyebrows lifted and he talked faster. “You see, uh, in truth, well, I knew this was a very important dinner. Yes, I knew, you see, that you wouldn’t want anything to go wrong. You see. Wouldn’t want anyone to fail to be enlightened, to fail to see your brilliance, about all this, uh, business, so, you see, well,” he leaned a little closer and lowered his voice to speak confidentially, “so I took the liberty of making the drink of enlightenment stronger. Much stronger, actually, you see. So no one would fail to see the rightness of what you say. I assure you, Your Majesty, it is so strong, no one will fail to be enlightened.”
He leaned even closer, lowered his voice even more. “In fact, Your Majesty, it is so strong that anyone who fails to be enlightened, and opposes you after drinking it, well, they could only be a traitor.”
“Really,” the Queen whispered in surprise. “Well, I thought it was stronger.”
“Very perceptive, Your Majesty, very perceptive. You have a very refined palate. I knew I wouldn’t be able to fool you.”
“Indeed. But are you sure it isn’t too powerful? I can feel the enlightenment sweeping through me already.”
“Your Majesty,” his eyes shifted among the guests. “Where your mandate is concerned, I feared to make it any weaker.” His eyebrows lifted up. “Lest any traitor go unfound.”
She smiled at last, and nodded. “You are a wise and loyal cook. From now on, I put you, exclusively, in charge of the drink of enlightenment.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
He bowed a bunch of times and left. Rachel was glad he didn’t get in trouble.
“Lords and ladies, a special treat. Tonight, I had the cook prepare the drink of enlightenment extra strong, so none loyal to their queen could fail to see the wisdom of Father Rahl’s ways.”
The people all smiled and nodded how pleased they were about this. Some told how they could already feel the special insights the drink was giving them.
“A special treat, lords and ladies, for your entertainment.” She snapped her fingers. “Bring in the fool.”
Guards brought in a man, and made him stand in the center of the room, directly in front of the Queen, all the tables around him. He was big and strong-looking, but he was bound with chains. The Queen leaned forward.
“We here have all agreed that an alliance with our ally, Darken Rahl, will bring great benefits to all our people, that we all will profit, together. That the little people, the workers, the farmers, will benefit the most. That they will be freed from the oppression of those who would only exploit them for profit, for gold, for greed. That from now on, we all will be working for the common good, not individual goals.” The Queen frowned. “Please tell all these ignorant lords and ladies”—she swept her hand around the room—”how it is that you are smarter than