The buffet at the Eternal Banquet is endless. There are times when the place is empty, like when I arrived, but that rarely lasts more than about fifteen minutes. The kitchen seems to be staffed, aside from me, on a shift basis and that, too, is occasionally empty although it soon fills up with an army of servers and cooks to refresh the dishes at least every two hours.
I'm still the only person washing up. I have yet to clear as much of the dishes and cutlery in one of my colleague's shifts as is dirtied in the same period. The mountain seems to grow although it never takes over the kitchen space. I'm sure I'm due a break but there never seems to be time to take it.
I swear, as soon as I get a good chance, I'm handing in my notice.
I'll just do this bit first.
As I pick a plate to wash, I hear a customer shouting, "I smell... I smell that Plumtree bitch!"
The name sounds familiar. I probably know this Plumtree. Maybe she's that zombie giant. She was a bitch, after all.
There's crashing from the front of house and the shouting continues. "Where is that insufferable wretch? Show her to me!"
I ear murmuring voices that that suggests the servers and possibly the host on duty are attempting to calm the customer. It must be louder than murmuring in person if I can hear it through here with the kitchen army at work.
"Where is she?" gets so loud I should cover my ears but my hands are in the hot, soapy water.
I turn to look at the speaker with everyone else.
The only thing average about her is her height. She shines in bright red scales and her shape is best described as "barrel-chested". She looks physically powerful, as if she could break a person's head with one hand. She sounds like she wouldn't need to touch you to do it, her voice a force of nature. I don't think volume control is available.
"Plumtree!" she shouts at me.
She means me?
"You snake, you! What are you doing working here?"
I don't have a chance to answer.
"Did you find the Wizard's Wife?"
"'Wizard's Wife'?" I echo.
She looks concerned. "When I met you and your elf two months ago, you were looking for the Wizard's Wife!"
I have no idea what the elf thing is, again, but it's the length of time that throws me. "Two months?" I don't remember that far back, do I? Not unless it's been weeks since the tree and it was only a matter of days in the land before that, although I have no idea how long I was with... what was his name? Young Andrew.
"Actually! More than two months ago! Well remembered!" She slaps me on the shoulder. I drop the dish I'm washing. Thankfully it lands in the water and doesn't break. I still don't remember her.