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Bleys and Brand were sitting and chatting with each other in the dining hall when Fiona swished in, followed by two servants bearing covered trays. Fiona directed the servants as to which brother to set their trays down in front of, and they did so.
“Meals fresh from Chaos,” Fiona said, seating herself near Bleys.
Bleys grinned eagerly and removed the cover from his tray. His smile instantly vanished.
“Is there a problem?” Fiona asked.
“The bowl is half empty,” he said. “And it doesn't look quite right.”
“Yes, well, you ordered something with a base made from imaginary numbers. You should have expected it to start to deteriorate the moment it hit Amber. I had them add a few fractals for additional flavor and to try to keep the food together longer, but I suppose that didn't work as well as I'd expected. But what really matters is how it tastes.”
Bleys took a bite and stared thoughtfully into the distance. “The taste actually isn't too far off from what I wanted,” he said eventually. “Maybe a fractal-based soup would be better next time.” He dug into his meal.
Fiona smiled at him and then turned her attention to Brand, who had removed the cover from his own tray and was investigating what was beneath. “How does your food look?” she asked.
“It seems fine,” he said.
“Then go ahead and eat up,” Fiona said. “I can already see the effects of the pattern on your food, as well.”
Brand stabbed his fork into the pile of abstractions and took a bite. He then made a face and swallowed. “I told you disapproval and sorrow as flavors,” he said. “I can clearly taste disappointment instead. I can't eat this.” He pushed his plate away.
Bleys reached out with his spoon, scooped up some of Brand's meal, and popped it into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully and then nodded. “Definitely disappointment,” he said. “But don't worry, Fiona; I won't let it go to waste.” He began to alternate bites between the two rapidly deteriorating meals.
Fiona sighed. “I'll go out and try again, then,” she said, standing. She turned and headed for the door.
“Bring back another fractal for me,” Bleys called after her as he continued to eat.
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“I'm glad that yours was easy, Gerard,” Fiona said as a servant set the plate before her brother. “However, I have to admit that it doesn't exactly look appealing.”
“Nonsense,” Gerard said. He removed the lid and inhaled deeply. “Ah, perfect.”
Fiona grimaced. “Cardamom trout fritters and tuna spam cake?”
“Correct,” Gerard said.
“When I thought you'd want strange food, I was thinking it would be more along the lines of what Bleys and Brand wanted,” Fiona said.
“What did they order?” Gerard asked.
“Now that I think of it, I suppose I can pass you off onto Flora,” Fiona said, ignoring Gerard's question. “I hear that Eric and Random weren't having any cravings. It's no fair if she's left with just one charge.”
“I see,” Gerard said between bites. “Also, I'm now craving something else.”
“Oh?” Fiona said.
“If possible, could you go out into shadow and find me some broiled apple slices served in powdered beef? But not from any ordinary cow. I mean from one of those three-headed cows that taste faintly like mushrooms.”
Fiona shook her head in disbelief. “Where do you find these dishes?” she asked.
Gerard shrugged. “I like food,” he said. “My travels into shadow have given me plenty of opportunity to try strange and unique dishes. I suppose this has left me with more of a gourmet palate than the rest of you.”
“”I wouldn't exactly call it 'gourmet,'” Fiona said. “However, I suppose I now understand where you get it.” She stood. “Enjoy your meal.”
“Oh, I will,” Gerard said, and he hungrily tucked in.