The White Assassin Read Online Free PDF Page A

the settee. Suddenly he pounced on it, crushing it violently with his ink-blackened fist before it had a chance to flee.
    With a flick of his wrist he flung the crippled spider to the ground, its broken legs twitching on the Oriental rug. He stared at it intently until the thing finally stopped moving. He found all creatures’ deaths quite fascinating.
    Thicket had dragged Stono off by his ear to the plantation’s murky pond to get clean, or at least to get the stink off him, finally giving Carn some breathing room.
    His stomach knotted, he had been unable to eat the last two days’ rations. He was now achingly hungry. He was watching a pair of grub worms squirming in the grass, seriously considering them, when he noticed a rat watching him, utterly transfixed—a female.
    Their eyes locked. She was brown like the rest, but her coat was dark, like his. She was dainty, fine-boned. Gazing at him, she batted her eyes, tilting her head coyly. She edged nearer, flashing a surprisingly elegant smile.
    “She’s flirting with me,” said Carn to himself, as though the world had ended. “Of all the times—she fancies me for a mate!”
    Carn tried to ignore her, but she kept taking petite steps closer. “Oh, for Saints’ sake,” he muttered. In normal circumstances, Carn would never rebuff the advances of such a pretty girl, but given hissituation, not to mention the fact that she was a swamp rat, their union was plainly not in the cards.
    Never did he think he’d be thankful to see Thicket proudly marching back to him with a clean, or at least less offensive, Stono on her arm. “See?” she said. “Don’t Stono look fine?”
    “Real fine,” said Carn, turning his back on the still advancing female.
    Breaking into a toothy grin, Stono pointed over Carn’s shoulder. “Thicket, look there,” he said spiritedly.
    Thicket’s gaze locked on Carn. “Well, look at that,” she said slyly. “Looks like you got a new friend, Corn!” She and Stono laughed like hyenas. Thicket mischievously kicked Carn in the rump, knocking him down directly at the feet of the female.
    Exasperated, Carn wiped the mud from his snout. “Just wonderful,” he grumbled under his breath. He slowly rose to his feet, realizing he couldn’t get out of talking to this rat. He noticed she was cleaner than the rest of the swamp rats. Her chocolate coat was shiny and dense, no patches of the mange or other ailments that ran rampant through the horde.
    Thicket butted in between them. She pulled the female over to the side and whispered in her ear. The two giggled wildly. She promptly grabbed the female by the wrist and yanked her over to Carn.
    “Corn, this be Oleander,” said Thicket, pushing the female in front of him, “my cousin.”
    “Hey there, Corn,” said Oleander.
    “Hey,” he mumbled coldly. He folded his arms and stared at the ground, not wanting to give her any suggestion he was interested.
    “I hear you be a snake killer,” said Oleander.
    “So what if I am?” he snapped.
    “He be an ornery one,” said Oleander to Thicket.
    “They all be ornery!” said Thicket. The girls laughed madly, jumping up and down.
    Carn rolled his eyes. This was a complication he did not need—not now.
    Stono grunted at Thicket. “Leave ’em be, Thicket. Corn don’t need help from you!”
    Thicket grimaced at Stono, but surprisingly did as he asked. “Fine, then,” she said curtly.
    Abruptly Stono grabbed Thicket around her waist and threw her over his shoulder, his improved hygiene making him boisterous. “Put me down, ya big oaf!” she protested. Stono ignored her, carrying her off toward a willow as she banged on his back and burst into more laughter.
    Carn and Oleander stood in awkward silence. Before he could speak, Oleander grabbed him brusquely by the neck. He tried to wrench away from her tight grip, but she was strong like Thicket. He knew the swamp rats were primitive, but this type of forwardness was downright