The Poison Oracle

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed

in this book are either fictitious or used fictitiously.

The Poison Oracle copyright © 1974 by Peter Dickinson (peterdickinson.com). All rights reserved. First published in the UK by Hodder and Stoughton, London. First Small Beer Press edition published in 2013.

“Peter Dickinson in conversation with Sara Paretsky” © 2013 by Peter Dickinson and Sara Paretsky. All rights reserved.

Small Beer Press

150 Pleasant Street #306

Easthampton, MA 01027

www.smallbeerpress.com

www.weightlessbooks.com

info@smallbeerpress.com

Distributed to the trade by Consortium.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dickinson, Peter, 1927-

The poison oracle / Peter Dickinson. -- Small Beer Press edition, First edition.

pages ; cm.

ISBN 978-1-61873-065-7 (alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-61873-066-4 (ebook)

I. Title.

PR6054.I35P6 2013

823’.914--dc23

2013018819

First edition 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

Text set in Minion.

Cover image “Chimpanizee” © 2010 by Mark Alastair (mark-alastair.co.uk)

Paper edition printed on 50# Natures Natural 30% PCR Recycled Paper by the Maple Press in the USA.