Poison Tree Read Free Page B

residential, so we have a fitness room and recreation areas, and you have access to all that.”
    “Almost all,” Sarik amended. “There’s a section of the grounds currently being used by a pair of orphaned Mistari cubs we took in a few days ago. I’m sure you heard about them.”
    Alysia raked her memory, but nothing relevant surfaced. “I tried to go over everything I could about Haven Number Four before accepting the position, but I must have missed it.”
    “An organization-wide memo went out when the cubs were found, calling for someone who speaks their language,” Sarik explained. “I assumed you’d have seen it.”
    “I probably did, but I didn’t know any tigers yet,” Alysia answered, “so I wouldn’t have given it much thought.” SingleEarth had thirty-seven Havens in the continental United States, plus one in Alaska and many in other countries. Memos along the lines of “I need an expert in …” or “Does anyone speak …” shot along the network constantly. “Are there any other important guests I should know about?”
    “You met Diana Smoke when you interviewed,” Lynzi answered, “but she was only here until we filled your position and will probably head out once she’s sure you’re settled. Herresponsibilities don’t let her stay anywhere long. Where do you want this trunk?”
    “Just put it anywhere for now,” Alysia answered as she set her bags on the couch. The one-bedroom apartment wasn’t a palace, but it was a huge step up from the studio she had previously rented. It was also fully furnished and rent-free because mediators were expected to live onsite.
    At the sudden intrusion of classical music, each of them glanced toward their phones—except Alysia, who had surrendered her company-provided phone at Central and was still waiting for #4 to provide the smartphone upgrade they had promised.
    Lynzi’s first words after “Hello” were “Yes, I’m with Alysia.” Alysia’s ears were not good enough to pick up the reply, but obviously the conversation was not intended to remain a mystery for long. “Keep her there. I’ll bring Alysia right down. Thanks.” Lynzi hung up and, shaking her head, said, “That was Mary, from the admin building. I’ll show you the way. Sarik, do you mind bringing the rest of Alysia’s stuff up?”
    “No problem,” Sarik answered. She asked Alysia, “Do you want me to lock up after, or just leave the keys inside?” Alysia didn’t need to speak; her reaction must have shown on her face. “I’ll lock up,” Sarik said. “If I can’t find you, I’ll leave the keys at the front office.”
    “I imagine it’s a bit of culture shock, coming here from Central,” Lynzi remarked as they left the apartment.
    “A bit,” Alysia admitted.
    “After we see what Mary needs, I’ll give you a tour of theplace and introduce you to some of our residents,” Lynzi assured her.
    Can she possibly be as nice as she seems?
Alysia wondered. There were not many Tristes in SingleEarth. Her experience with them so far had shown most of them to be powerful beyond comprehension, and arrogant enough to match. Yet Lynzi seemed to be happy playing tour guide.
    The lobby of the administration building was utterly nondescript; it could have been any office waiting room. Chairs and couches offered comfortable places to sit and wait while reading one of the popular magazines on the coffee table. The back wall had pamphlets for advocacy and support groups. Some were well-known domestic violence hotlines and shelters, like American Humane. Others described symptoms of “rare” diseases that tended to actually mean the patient had blood that wasn’t entirely human. The pamphlets didn’t say anything about magic or the paranormal but suggested appropriate people to contact about relevant symptoms.
    The woman there waiting for them, flipping through a pamphlet on psychorizia, was dressed in a snappy skirt suit and jacket and was—as far as Alysia