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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 163 из 293But if they understood how prints worked,they might be able to make one print appear to look like another.”
“Would they be able to switch prints?”
“I don’t believe so, but I cannot be certain,” Frost said.
Mistral said, “I do not know how these prints work, exactly, but they seem to be like tracks of an animal.”
“Not a bad analogy,” Polaski said.
“Then I agree with Frost, it would be hard to change them in reality.”
“So they’re more likely to mess with what I think I’m seeing than with what I’m actually seeing?”
We all agreed on that.
“Then I need to get out of here and check my findings with a working computer outside faerie.”
“Your early questions point at one of the demi-fey on the kitchen staff,” I said.
She nodded. “But only if they can change shape so that they are as big as you. The handprint is about the size of my own hands, but matches one of the demi-fey.”
“Which one?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I won’t tell you that.”
“If you don’t tell us, we’ll simply imprison all of them.”
“All of them?” she asked.
I nodded. “Careful for you is not falsely imprisoning someone. Careful for us is imprisoning too many to make sure we get the guilty one behind bars.”
She sighed, then nodded again. “All right, Peasblossom.”
The surprise showed on my face before I could stop it.
“Why the surprise?”
“Because she and Beatrice were very close. I’ve known her a long time by human standards. I can’t imagine Peasblossom hurting Beatrice.”
“Then someone’s messing with me because I got a handprint on Beatrice’s back.” She looked up at the men. “Can I use someone as an example?”
Aisling started to step forward but I said, “Ivi.” He stepped forward with a teasing look in his eyes that I didn’t like.
Aisling stepped back with a smile.
“If you could turn around, please?” Polaski said to Ivi. The man turned without a word, giving her his back. “Could you remove the cloak, please?”
“With pleasure,” he purred suggestively. He undid the neck of his cloak, and let it fall to the floor to lie across Dr. Polaski’s feet. She was now looking at the full fall of his hair, medium and dark green with its pattern of white vines and leaves like his namesake.
She reached to move his hair back, but the moment she touched it, she froze.
“Stop it, Ivi,” I said.
“Would they be able to switch prints?”
“I don’t believe so, but I cannot be certain,” Frost said.
Mistral said, “I do not know how these prints work, exactly, but they seem to be like tracks of an animal.”
“Not a bad analogy,” Polaski said.
“Then I agree with Frost, it would be hard to change them in reality.”
“So they’re more likely to mess with what I think I’m seeing than with what I’m actually seeing?”
We all agreed on that.
“Then I need to get out of here and check my findings with a working computer outside faerie.”
“Your early questions point at one of the demi-fey on the kitchen staff,” I said.
She nodded. “But only if they can change shape so that they are as big as you. The handprint is about the size of my own hands, but matches one of the demi-fey.”
“Which one?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I won’t tell you that.”
“If you don’t tell us, we’ll simply imprison all of them.”
“All of them?” she asked.
I nodded. “Careful for you is not falsely imprisoning someone. Careful for us is imprisoning too many to make sure we get the guilty one behind bars.”
She sighed, then nodded again. “All right, Peasblossom.”
The surprise showed on my face before I could stop it.
“Why the surprise?”
“Because she and Beatrice were very close. I’ve known her a long time by human standards. I can’t imagine Peasblossom hurting Beatrice.”
“Then someone’s messing with me because I got a handprint on Beatrice’s back.” She looked up at the men. “Can I use someone as an example?”
Aisling started to step forward but I said, “Ivi.” He stepped forward with a teasing look in his eyes that I didn’t like.
Aisling stepped back with a smile.
“If you could turn around, please?” Polaski said to Ivi. The man turned without a word, giving her his back. “Could you remove the cloak, please?”
“With pleasure,” he purred suggestively. He undid the neck of his cloak, and let it fall to the floor to lie across Dr. Polaski’s feet. She was now looking at the full fall of his hair, medium and dark green with its pattern of white vines and leaves like his namesake.
She reached to move his hair back, but the moment she touched it, she froze.
“Stop it, Ivi,” I said.