Chapter 18

WEDNESDAY 9:30 A. M. CST Elfrealm Lake's Edge

As Elnore sat to the formal breakfast set before him, Tao Lin glided into the solarium. Rising, Elnore greeted her with, "Welcome, my Lady Tao. I trust you rested well?"

"Honored host, I thank you and yes, I rested deeper than I remember in ages," Lin responded with a shy smile. "I even woke hungry, which is a surprise for me."

"Ah, interesting. What would you normally have as a breakfast meal back in your homeland?" Elnore asked.

"It would depend on what part of the country you were in. In Beijing, you would partake of Beijing Dou Zhi. It's a kind of bean milk but it is made out of mung bean. Beijingers love the stuff. In Shaanxi and Henan Province you would be served Xi'an Hu La Tang soup. It is a very hot and spicy vegetable soup. Anywhere else in the country, you could find varieties of Dim Sum dumplings and some form of Lanzhou Beef Noodle soup. All these dishes would of course, be served with tea and possibly a Shandong rice battercake," replied a now brightly beaming Tao Lin.

As Lin had been recounting the dishes of her former nation, Elnore had gently pulled the flavors, textures and presentation for these dishes from her memories. Waving his hand at the table, all the aforementioned dishes appeared on the table and elicited a gasp of surprise from Lin, as her smile went into overdrive.

"My Lord, you did not have to go to all this trouble for such as I," she got out while battling with her drooling mouth.

"Don't be silly, My Lady. Please, enjoy these in full," Elnore responded with a lopsided grin, then added, "Though I'm afraid the tea is herbal. I'll never understand the human need for caffeine, I fear."

As Lin savored the first bite, Elnore tossed out, "Be sure you save room for dessert. We have a direct connection to a very special bakery in Chicago and I believe you will like their pastries."

The struggle on Lin's face was obvious, as she battled her enjoyment of these dishes from her former homeland and matched that against her need remind this Lord that she was only a servant at heart. Finally she lowered her implement and swallowing the morsel, she bowed from the waist and said, "My Lord, you do me too much honor and even though I am enjoying everything, it is all not necessary to retain my heart. That was given freely when we first met."

"Oh, not at all, My Lady. Let me see if I can put your value into perspective for you. How many people would you say occupy the world right now?"

"Roughly seven billion, My Lord."

"Correct, My Lady, and out of those billions how many would you guess are trainable magic users?"

"I have no idea, My Lord. Actually, I had no idea that anyone could do real magic," Lin responded with a hint of suspicion where this dialogue was headed.

"Well, that's where we differ, My Lady, because I do have a very accurate idea," Elnore stated with a twinkle in his eye. "As of this morning, I am aware of ten individuals that can be trained in the magical arts. Would you care to hazard a guess how many of those reside in the Chicago area?"