When Batman went to get food, he kept staring at where Alfred was, hoping his butler would look at him. But Alfred, who had cared for him so meticulously at the manor, now acted as though he did not know him, eating while chatting animatedly with the demons.
Several burly old miner demons were sitting with the overseers as well, and they were deep in conversation. Before long, Schiller and the overseer he had met earlier joined them. A table of seven or eight demons and two humans somehow made enough noise for an entire banquet.
There was nothing special about the food in the bowl—boiled Vines, along with two strange pieces of roasted Beast meat. It did not taste good, but it was edible. Batman shoveled down his food while watching the other table.
With a clatter, someone set their utensils on the table. Batman turned and found Merkel twisting his head around as well, staring straight at the opposite side. Before Batman could speak, Merkel sighed and said:
"I mined all morning and never figured out how Mr. Pennyworth got mixed in with them. Mr. Wayne, did you see it?"
"Call me Batman." Batman turned his head, glanced around, lowered his voice slightly, and said, "How did you and Alfred get here? Where's Zatanna?"
"Miss Zatanna opened a portal, and then, well, she fainted from exhaustion. Mr. Alfred took her upstairs in the manor to rest. The two of us entered the portal, and then we came here."
"You weren't brought back by that giant sandworm?" Batman asked.
Merkel shook his head and said, "We landed not far from here, in an Underground Cave. It looked like there were people here, so Alfred brought me over."
"Were you here to find Schiller and me?"
"At first, I think