Chapter 16: The Pamphlet

There was a woodcut under the words.

A woman with a teapot in one hand and a skull grinning out of the steam.

She had very big ears.

"Is that meant to be me?"

"It's got your fingers, miss," said the tea boy. "Look. They've inked them all brown."

Underneath, in smaller type, it said a lot of things about shopgirls and princes and what happens in still rooms.

I read every word.

Then I folded it and put it in my pocket.

Alistair found me in the kitchen yard half an hour later.

He had a pamphlet crushed in one fist and his face was white.

"Who printed this?"

"It doesn't say."

"I'll find out." He turned toward the gate. "And then I'm burning the press, and the shop, and the street it's on."

"No, you're not."

"Elinor, they've drawn you with a skull."

"And very big ears. I noticed."

He stared at me.

"How are you laughing?"

"I'm not, really." I took the pamphlet out of his hand and smoothed it flat on my trestle. "Listen to me."

"If you burn a printer's shop, what does tomorrow's pamphlet say?"

He didn't answer.

"It says the poisoner's prince burned a poor man out of his trade to hide her crimes."

"Then what do you want me to do?"

I picked up a cup and held it out to him.

"Stand here," I said. "Next to me. Where people can see you."

"And?"

"And pour tea for anyone who'll drink it. All day."

He looked at the cup.

He looked at the carters' gate, where people were already slowing down to stare.

Then he took his coat off, hung it on the gate hook and rolled up his sleeves.

"How many cups?" he said.

"As many as they want."

"And I'm not to cook the leaf."

"If you cook the leaf, I'll tell the whole city you can't brew."

"That would be worse than the pamphlet."

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