The fire in the fireplace no longer burned as fiercely, and the charred marks inside the hearth were swallowed by the dim light. The candles on the enormous Chandelier hanging in the middle of the tavern flickered without a breeze. Beyond the windowpanes, the night carried a faint blue glow, reflected from nearby planets.
Pride finished his day's work and took the last work shuttle back to the tavern. The moment he pushed open the door, he found Greed still sitting behind the bar, even though he should have gone to rest long ago.
Dozens of cups, large and small, covered the bar. Some contained liquor or other drinks, while some were empty. The bottles that had originally been displayed behind the bar as decorations had also been taken down and placed along its side.
"This had better not be some mysterious welcome ceremony." Pride walked over and sat down. He casually picked up a cup, discovered that the drink inside was blue, then set it down again with a look of distaste.
Greed glanced up at him and said, "Don't think so highly of yourself. This isn't for you."
"Then what are you doing?"
"I just wanted to taste them."
"What?"
"Can't you tell? I'm tasting these alcoholic drinks one by one." Greed pointed at the cups before him, then picked up another bottle from beside him and poured it into a glass. He tipped back his head and drank it, then smacked his lips.
"Oh, damn it, that's spicy." Greed frowned and set the glass off to one side.
Pride glanced at the bottle and said, "Because that's White Tequila for mixing cocktails. It would be strange if it didn't burn. Didn't you have a Matador before? I thought that was the best-tasting tequila cocktail."
"Did I?" Greed