After the long ceremonies, introductions, and toasts, the dinner finally began. Rorschach had no idea what time it was anymore, and he remembered that he still had not bought a pocket watch.
The experience of those who had come before was correct.
The dishes at this banquet were indeed nowhere near as exquisite as those at the Star Torch Restaurant, nor were they filled with the chef's finest skill and ingenuity. But as a state banquet, they were steady and proper; every flavor was restrained and palatable, except for the desserts—far too sweet!
The highest praise for a dessert should be: delicious, not sweet.
Oh, and there was one heavyweight dish:
For the first main course, servants pushed elegant little carts over and served each table a huge white balloon. Looking closely, it was swollen tight, veins bulging across its surface, steam rising from it.
Once the main course arrived, people could talk again. His Majesty the King was eating and conversing with Duplessis. "Is that a pig's bladder?" Rorschach quietly asked Kano.
"There is a tender, plump capon inside, steamed by the vapor trapped within." The Chancellor's voice answered Rorschach's question, yet when he looked over, the man was still speaking with the King.
"I recall this is a specialty from Lord Duplessis's hometown?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. It was not easy to get a taste of it when I was young."
Coming up with such a method could not have been easy either. Even using a stomach pouch would not have been this outrageous, right? Rorschach watched as the servant punctured the bladder and released the steam. When it was cut open, a whole chicken was revealed within, with two slices of black truffle laid across its back.
The servant elegantly and precisely carved off the wings, thighs, and