Early in the morning, in the spacious office, the Warden squeezed onto a pine chair and wielded his knife and fork, voraciously devouring the lavish breakfast on his plate.
The main course was delicious, juicy beef ribs and white bread with fig jam. Small dishes beside them held salted quail eggs, pigeon meat, and other side dishes, all giving off a rich aroma.
It took a full half hour to finish the meal. Only then did the Warden let out a satisfied burp, lean back in his chair, pour himself a large glass of wine that had been left to breathe in a wide-mouthed bottle before the meal, and drain it in one gulp.
Seeing that it was already time for his inspection, the Warden finally rose at his leisure, preparing to condescend to inspect his domain, treating it as a bit of post-meal exercise.
Keys, lantern, wooden whistle, handbell, and clothes...
Now middle-aged and feeling that his memory was no longer quite enough, the Warden gathered everything he needed as usual, one item at a time. Finally, facing the dressing mirror, he fastened the buttons on his clothes one by one and tidied his appearance.
But because he had eaten too much, the last two buttons remained impossible to fasten under the fumbling of several clumsy fingers as thick as carrots.
After struggling for a while, the Warden finally gave up. With a belly that looked eight months pregnant, he squeezed out from behind the somewhat cramped desk step by step.
Accompanied by the clinking of his key ring, the middle-aged man waddled out the door like a fat penguin, holding the stair rail as he climbed the steps one by one.
Whenever the Warden passed a cell, he would inspect it as usual. Only after confirming that nothing