Book One – Chapter 19

Bubs set the gleaming case on the workbench beside the surgery door, then waddled back to the pot. This time, he climbed onto the suicidal stunting stool – again much too close to Yu – and looked inside. Next, his gaze lowered to the constellation of splatters on the floor, all around the pot and workbench. And then Bubs looked at Yu.

Yu’s feathers rose in a slow, creeping bristle. With Bubs on the stool, they were almost at eye level, but there was nothing level about their eyes. Everything about mianid eyes was unnatural. There was no white to them. They were a cluster of polished stones, too large for any creature’s skull, even a borman’s; two black bulging orbs that reflected nothing. Yu never in his life wanted to touch them; the mere thought disgusted him. And yet some intrusive shard of violence inside him wanted to peck one, if only to see Bubs blink, just once.

Unblinking, Bubs asked, “Why is all the food on the floor?”

“What? Oh, well, I mean, I did what you said,” Yu managed. “I mean, I brought out the food. From the pot. And I brought the empty bowls back.”

That was all he had been told to do. That was all Bubs had demanded of him. And Yu had done it. He had done exactly that, and tirelessly so, without complaint. He had served every single one of them.

“And in between, you toss half of it to the floor?”

“You say it like I did that on purpose! I did like you said! I worked for hours! I tried! Look, I also brought drinks! You didn’t ask me to, but I did more work, all this extra stuff, just for the guests!”

Yu cringed at the way his voice cracked itself into splinters. There should be strength in it. Pride. He had stepped up when Bubs was busy. And atop that, he had taken initiative. He had gone beyond the letter of the task. With the drinks, he had done more than asked for. Far more than expected. Fra more than needed. For all that, Bubs ought to be grateful. He ought to acknowledge the effort, and the strain. He ought to commend him.

But no.
There was no Well done, or Thank you for keeping the kitchen running all night without any help.
No Good thinking, with the drinks.
No God, those guys can eat, but you did it!
No What a first day, huh?
Nothing.