Starfist: FlashFire Read Online Free PDF

that day Chang-Sturdevant laughed outright with good humor. “Marcus, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If it positively, absolutely must be destroyed overnight, call in the Marines.”
     
    CHAPTER THREE
    You had to give Einna Orafem credit for having guts. Sure, she stayed in the kitchen for the next several days, and went to and from work through the back door in order to avoid the Marines in the common room, but the following Sixth Day, when Big Barb told her there was a party that required special care, Einna again braved the common room to personally describe the evening’s specials to Big Barb’s favored party. Fortunately, it was early enough in the evening that none of the Marines were too drunk, so her passage through the common room was marked by only a few catcalls and whistles.
    “Good evening, sir and madam,” Einna said when she reached the table and stood erect, head high, one hand laid across the other’s up-turned palm. Talulah, one of the girls on serving duty, hovered behind her shoulder. “I am Einna Orafem, the chef . . . here.” She couldn’t quite bring herself to say “Big Barb’s,” the very name was a come-down from the haute cuisine restaurants in which she had expected to practice her culinary artistry. “Proprietress Banak has requested that I make your dining this evening a truly memorable experience.”
    Ensign Charlie Bass leaned back in his chair and looked, mouth agape, at Einna. He closed his mouth with an audible click, swallowed, and began to say, “You already ha . . .”
    But Katie smoothly cut him off. “Thank you—Miss Orafem? I am Katrina Katanya—Katie to my friends—and this is Charlie Bass, Ensign, Confederation Marine Corps.” She placed a loving hand on Bass’s forearm. “We are delighted to meet you.”
    Einna smiled. Finally, a person of breeding. And the man with Katrina, despite his loutish display of surprise when she introduced herself, was an ensign, an officer; therefore, by very definition, a gentleman. It would be a pleasure preparing a fine repast for this lovely couple. She mentally cataloged the ingredients she had on hand—other than those oh-so-proletarian reindeer steaks the enlisted boors ordered in endless succession. Her talents were being wasted there, she knew.
    “I can offer you a fine kwangduk Wellington . . .”
    Bass interrupted her with, “North or south end?” He exchanged an understanding glance with Talulah, who feigned gagging at the mention of kwangduk.
    “I beg your pardon?”

“Pay no attention to Charlie,” Katie said soothingly. “He just returned from a deployment where he and most of his Marines were injured in a forest fire. He’s not quite himself.”
    “I am so—”
    “Hush, Charlie. Let this nice lady tell us what she can prepare for our dinner.”
    “No kwangduk. I don’t want any damn kwangduk. North or south end.”
    Katie looked apologetically at Einna. “Charlie had a bad experience with kwangduk, let’s move on to something else.”
    Einna looked down her nose at Bass. No kwangduk indeed! Obviously he’d never had kwangduk Wellington, prepared in the manner of Chochet Viet, which was a specialty of hers. Why, once the stench was leeched out of the meat with a proper marinade, it was a positively divine dish! But she managed to not show her feelings as she went on.
    “I have a fresh haunch of Xanadu roc, marinated in Schweppes before roasting, seasoned with Aardheim sage, real Earth thyme, and winter savory from New Carnavon, rubbed with Lechter garlic, and garnished with Wolozonoski’s World cloves. Also, choice Dominion veal-lamb chops, sauteed with heart of grosspalm before being braised in Katzenwasser, served awash in a crème of Greece soup base, garnished with slices of Ponderosa lemon. All are served with Boradu rice and a vegetable medley.” She cocked her head at them, decided that Bass’s expression of disbelief required it, and added, “Of course, there are also the