Mark of the Fool

Chapter 181: Kitchen Nightmares

Things had started off well.

The dessert hed planned to make was called a spit cake, which sounded disgusting, but wasnt actuallymade of spit. People only got the disgusting kind of spit cake if they really made their baker mad.

No, the kind of spit cake hed be making was one of the more challenging recipes hed learned about since coming to Generasi; very labour intensive, but supposedly very tasty.

Theresa was the kind of person that liked roasted meat cooked on a spit. Sometimes, shed just pull up a chair and watch Mr. Lu rotate a big hunk of venison over an open fire, especially if the meat was from one of her kills.

So when Alex had found out he could make a cake in the same way, hed gotten super excited.

He recalled the recipe:

When making a spit cake, the first thing the adventurous needs is a mould, this will be what your batter adheres to when you are turning the cake over the spit!

Hed already made the mould a couple of days earlier. It was made of wood shaped like a hollow cone with one narrow end and one wide end to insert the spit through. Hed wrapped it in parchment paper, and when it was time to cook the cake, he would heat the mould by fitting it onto a spit that was set up in front of an open fire.

The next thing hed needed to do was to make the batter, which called for a lot of eggs, butter, sugar or honey, flour, rum and an anise-flavoured liqueur. The batter was so delicious that hed kept sampling it way more than he should have while he was making it. He could do so because Generasi didnt have McHarris badly disguised rotten eggs problem.

Alex had left the batter to settle in the top of their pantrywhich was ringed in a spell-array to keep things cooluntil he was ready to actually cook it this morning.

After the mould was hot, hed then have to scoop up the batter in a ladle and slowly drizzle it over the hot mould while turning the spit; most of the batter was supposed to stick to the mould and bake onto it layer by layer.

Hed remembered the recipe:

The batter will be runny at first and drip while it cooks, solidifying until the final layer of the cake has a coral-like appearance. Make sure you place a tray beneath your spit to catch the drips, waste not want not! This tasty cake will be dry and crisp, especially if iced with caramelized sugar. Serve it with sweet wine for a complete experience!

Alexs belly had rumbled just thinking about it, and hed hoped that Theresa would enjoy it. There were just two problems with the recipe, though. One was that it called for at least two people: one to keep the spit turning evenly, and one to pour the batter. Luckily, many Wizards Hands made light work.

The other problem was the amount of time the cake was supposed to take to make.

Five hours, if he included the time to heat up the mould, and the clean up.

So, hed gotten up at the crack of dawnwashed, ate a quick breakfastand quietly left the apartment, carrying the big bowl of batter on a forcedisk. Hardly anyone else was stirring in the insula, and he didnt have to worry about waking anybody at home.

Theresa had already left for an informal morning meditation with her Life Enforcement teacher, Professor Kabbot-Xin. Selina was staying with the family of one of her school friends for a weekend sleepover. Even Brutus was out: Khalik was taking care of him for the day and hed also told Alex he could use his apartment to get ready for his date. In return, Alex had promised to take care of Najyah when the prince wanted to spend time in the dryad wood with Sinope, or if she came to spend time with him at his apartment, which the mischievous Najyah would probably enjoy sabotaging.

So, that had given Alex the time he needed in the insula kitchen, which hed booked beforehand.

Or at least, he could have sworn hed booked it.

Which is why it had been so strange to see light already streaming from it when he arrived.

Uh, hello? hed called uncertainly.

Oh, were you the one that booked the kitchen? A light voice had called from inside. "Sorry, I didnt see anyone down here so I thought maybe you werent coming!

A woman with a short, blonde haircut had poked her head out of the messy kitchen. Sorry, I really needed the kitchen: its my darling little Brocks sixth birthday, and he really wants a chocolate cake!

Oh, Alex had paused, looking over the absolute mess shed made in the kitchen. Uh, I need the-

Oh, isnt he just the cutest?

To his horror, shed pulled out a large locket and flipped it open, revealing a charcoal image of the young Brock tucked inside. She had then tried to shove it in his face with the same energy as one of the clawed monsters trying to gut him.

Look, Im sure your sons excited, Alex had said, fearlessly calling on his training to dodge the small drawing. But I booked the kitchen and I really need it. Im making this-

Ooooh, Ill be in and out quickly. Its just a simple chocolate cake, Ill be out of your hair in no time.

what recipe is it?

Hmm?

Which cookbook are you usin-

Hed frozen.

There, on the counter was a cookbook named Zhous Favourites: Labours of Love and Time.

Horror had filled him. Hed learned about that cookbook after coming to Generasi: a horrifying, forbidden tome crafted by a baker who was half-genius and half-madman. Some of the schools bakers hed chatted with had talked about it in hushed tones, as if speaking too loudly would summon its author. The cookbook was filled with all kinds of heavenly sounding recipes, but the problem was that the time part in that title was not to be underestimated. The baker seemed to look at time as some neverending, abstract concept.

If he remembered correctly, the recipe for Zhous chocolate cake took one hundred and fifty hours to make if it was done right. Alex took in her supplies at a glance. Judging from what was there, she was about to start making the mousse. That meant she was hours away from finishing it.

Um, I hate to do this, hed said. But I think itll take awhile for you to finish, and I booked this time slot in advance. I really need to get started. Look, I need the counter but then Im going to be using the spit and fireplace, so when I get to that step if you really want you-

Her frown had deepened with every word. I dont think I really like your tone, young man.

Pardon?

My little Brock really needs his cake, are you really going to take a childs cake away from him?

Im not going to, like I said if you really need the kitchen-

Wait, Ive got it. Her eyes had lit up. If you really need the kitchen- Condescension lay in her voice when she repeated his words. "Then you can help me with my cake, Ill be done faster, then you can have it aaaaall to yourself. We both win!

Alex had blinked, stunned into utter shock. Wait, are you telling me you want me to help you make your cake before I make mine? In the kitchen that I booked?

Well, youre off for the summer, arent you? Do you really have that much to do? When youre older, you have more responsibilities, you know. You should help me. My husband and I are very busy with our studies-

Where is he?

Asleep, not that its any of your business, shed continued. But I have responsibilities, so you should help me make a young boy happy-

Lady, hed interrupted her. Youre not supposed to be here. Im not helping you make a one hundred and fifty hour cake, and let me tell you, I have responsibilities. Now, we can work something ou-

Are you talking back to me? Her voice raised three octaves. Didnt your mother teach you any manners! I was here first, and my child really needs a cake and-

Shut the hell up.

Excuse me?

Youre done, he said, briefly considering calling Claygon over to give her a couple of blows. Dont ever say a word about my mother again. His voice had gone flat, all courtesy was gone.

And no, I dont think I will excuse you. Talking about peoples mothers? Youre a grown woman, whats wrong with you? You know what? The hell with this.

Where are you going? shed snapped.

To wake up the superintendent, so she can toss you out of the kitchen I booked.

You do that! Im good friends with her and shell take my side!

The superintendent had in no way taken the indignant womans side.

It had taken a long timeand a lot of yelling and threatsbut she had finally managed to toss the arrogant woman out of the kitchen and promised to send a report about her behaviour to the Housing Department.

At last, Alex had the kitchen, but the ordeal had taken more than two hours of arguing, plus hed had to clean up the mess the angry mother had left behind. Still, since he was familiar with her chocolate cake recipe, he knew she would still have been there if he hadnt said anything.

Once hed gotten set up, hed scrambled to try and catch up to get the cake done in time. Hed quickly gotten everything underway, and had been pouring the batter over the mould while his Wizards Hands had turned the spit. Delicious smells filled the kitchen, but he was getting nervous. Time was passing, and he couldnt afford to lose the time he needed to get ready.

In his distractedness, hed ordered his Wizards Hands to turn the spit too fast; the cake layer hadnt set as firmly on the spit as hed thought.

Batter had flown off, splattering everywhere.

His mind finally returned to the present, after chronicling the disasters that had brought him to the present moment. Now, here he was standing covered in batter, with most of the cake on surfaces other than the mould, and with only a small amount of batter left to use.

Cursing in all kinds of languages, he quickly scrambled to grab rags and clean up the mess. Considering his options, he decided to use what little batter there was left to finish the cake since he didnt have time to start anything else. With less batter to cook, he managed to finish the cake only a little behind schedule, butin the endit turned outsmall and kind of pathetic.

He sighed. Itd have to do.

Casting Lesser Heat to keep it warm, he boxed it up, set it in the basket beneath his forceball and jogged back to the washing area to de-cake himself.

The sun had long risen and he needed to get ready.

Do I look good? Alex asked, turning and examining himself in front of the mirror again. His fancy clothes from the patrizias ball had been destroyed so hedbought an identical forest-green doublet and wine-coloured hose from the same tailor hed gotten the first set from.

He wasnt exactly setting out to set the fashion world on fire, so hed picked what he knew would work.

For the thousandth time, yes! Khalik roared at him. If you dont get out of my apartment, I swear I will pick you up and throw you from the balcony! Now go to your girlfriend!

Yes, my prince.

Damn right.

Alex had finally calmed down when hed reached the outside of the insula. Claygon was standing guard out there, gazing off into the distance with his shark-toothed face.

Sorry, buddy, youll have to wait here, Alex apologized. This is one time where I think bringing you with me would be kind ofwell, not too romantic. And were just going to be on campus.

If Claygon was offended, he gave no sign.

Hey, were you waiting long?

Alex turned and gasped.

Theresa had cleaned up well again.

The huntress rushed toward him, her black dress billowing around her. A white collar of fur covered her shoulders and beneath it, a light cape fell to the middle of her back. The skirt had long splits up the sides, revealing stark white leggings and long boots extending above the knee.

NoI uhjust got here he said.

Thats a...'new' outfit. Well, it's not, but you look really good, she said, idly reaching up and fixing an errant strand of his hair.

Yeah, you took the words right out of my mouth.

She chuckled. Complimenting yourself, Alex?

He shook off his mind-fog. No, Im not even joking. You look absolutely fantastic.

She blushed. you too. shall we?

Yeah, lets go.

He offered her his hand, and she slipped hers into his.

The young couple strolled along the path from the insula in the late afternoon sun. Below his forceball, the small spit cake was hidden awayalong with two more surprises.

Its okay, were okay. Things started off badly this morning and the cakes a little small, but were on our first date now. Things are going to get better.

Then he noticed them: dark clouds on the horizon.

No way, he thought. It was clear earlier. Clear. No way its going to rain. No way Im that unlucky.

Then he remembered The Mark of the Fool stamped mockingly on his shoulder.

Okay, maybe Im that unlucky, but Theresa cant be, can she?

Then he also remembered the night that hed wanted to tell her how he felt about her and how a horde of monsters had tried to kill everyone. For an instant, he glanced back at the insula shrinking in the distance. Maybe hed call Claygon after-

No. They were on campus. Safest place in the city. Well, except for the potion explosions. And the demon summoning.

He shook his head. No, no. Theyd be fine.

He used his meditation techniques to calm his mind butas if mocking him like the jesters face on his shoulderthe sky continued to darken.