Ruger smiled at Vito, understanding what he meant. He was not talking about digging him out, but saying they should not have brought him along when they left, should not have kept helping him.
Layden had already begun tending the campfire and brewing tea. Ruger watched him finish the tea and move on to his next preparations. He seemed to be using an ingredient they had discussed during yesterday's idle chatter to make a new dish, one of his own creations using ingredients gathered in the Nightmare World.
Remembering yesterday's description, Ruger was already looking forward to it.
Put simply, it was a way of cooking that used the ingredient itself as the pot. The thing was shaped like a funnel, and tying off its bottom made it a perfectly serviceable container. Though it had already been picked, heating it over a fire seemed to bring it back to life. It squeezed inward and writhed constantly, as if chewing, and even actively sucked up the broth to circulate it through its body, changing its own color. Of course, with Layden's seasoning, it would also make itself more delicious.
So it served as a pot for stewing meat, placed directly over the fire with various seasonings added. Layden reckoned that, by the end, it would become translucent, enclosing the blended meat as everything cooked together.
Ruger sat beside the campfire, waiting for his share of the tea.
Seeing how unconcerned the two of them looked, Vito gave another bitter smile.
He wiped the corner of his mouth, staggered over to the campfire, and sat down. Feeling the warmth of the flames, he said quietly, "I don't know how powerful those people are, or what they're doing. I don't even understand the full picture of what I've gotten involved in..."
"But I