---
Sera followed, her step calm, her face neither open nor closed — merely her usual self. She paused by Gael, praised the scent of the meat, thanked Orna for the plate, and sat beside John without ceremony.
"Elara," John said, because saying a name is a kind of handshake.
"John," Elara said, in the tone of someone cataloging a hammer that had a nick in it.
The man gave him a nod that implied gravity. "Smith."
"Rube Door knocker," Fizz whispered into John's ear, then raised his voice as if he had not. "Welcome to The Redemption of Fur Day. Please deposit your dignity in that barrel and collect it before you leave."
Sera accepted a plate. "How many pancakes has Fizz eaten so far? He boasted about eating a hundred last night."
"Two hundred and nine," Ruel said grimly, as if counting sins.
"Two hundred and twelve," Fizz corrected. "You missed the 'stack of pancakes' in the corner when I ate in stealth mode."
