recipe my mom used to make when I was a kid called ‘cheeseburger soup,’” Penny explained. “She honestly put just about everything in it—the meat, the cheese, tomatoes and lettuce—even pickles. And she served it with a squirt of ketchup and mustard on top.” She grinned and took another spoonful herself. “Tastes just like she used to make—reminds me of home.”
“It’s really good,” V’rex said, smiling. “Your mother must be an excellent cook.”
“She is.” Penny sighed and looked down at her stew. “I wonder…wonder if I’ll ever see her again.”
V’rex reached across the table and squeezed her hand gently.
“You’ll see her, little girl,” he rumbled. “I promise you that.”
Penny cast a glance at the ceiling and was glad to see the red light over the table was dark.
“Thanks, V’rex,” she said, carefully removing her hand. “Um, what about you? What do you want to turn your veggie stew into?”
If he was offended by her tacit refusal of his touch, the big Hybrid didn’t show it.
“Hmmm.” He looked thoughtful as he twirled the flavor stick she’d given him between his long fingers. Finally he nodded to himself, closed his eyes, and pressed the tip of the stick against his tongue. Then he stirred it through his stew carefully and took a bite.
“Did it work?” Penny asked anxiously as he closed his eyes and chewed, a blissful expression on his face.
“It did.” V’rex opened his eyes and pushed his bowl towards her. “Try it.”
Penny took a bite and was surprised at the complex flavors swirling on her tongue.
“Hmm, Sweet and sour…salty with hints of umami, like really dark soy sauce…and the slightest hint of seaweed,” she murmured at last. “Tastes kind of like sweet and sour fish and chips sushi,” she decided and smiled at him. “Delicious! What is it?”
“Mandras pie. One of the better charity kitchens used to serve it when I was a slum kid,” V’rex told her. “It was really warm and filling, especially on a cold night. And sometimes, if there weren’t too many of us, they’d let us stay the night after we ate, and sleep in the ashes of the furnace.”
“In the ashes?” Penny asked doubtfully.
V’rex nodded.
“Sure. It was always good to have a warm, safe place to sleep where you didn’t have to worry about freezing or getting knifed in the middle of the night.” He shrugged. “I guess I associate Mandras pie with all that—with warmth and safety and comfort—the same things you associate with your mother’s cheesbrugger soup.”
“Cheeseburger,” Penny corrected him, smiling a little. But she couldn’t help thinking that the little slice of his childhood he’d revealed had sounded awfully sad. “It must have been hard for you to be on your own like that, after you lost your mom,” she remarked carefully, not sure how much he wanted to talk about it.
V’rex shrugged.
“I got by. That time on the streets toughened me up—taught me that life doesn’t owe you anything—it’s what you bring to it that counts.”
“And…that’s when you learned how to pick pockets?” Penny asked.
“Yup.” He nodded. “Believe it or not, I was a cute kid—and really small for my age until I was around sixteen cycles, when I shot up. But back then, I was so little and adorable, nobody suspected me.” He made a face. “It’s different now, of course, since I’m not little or cute, but I think I can still pull it off.”
“Show me,” Penny said. The blue toga she was wearing had three pockets—one on each hip and a third over her right breast, just below where the toga tied. She broke her used flavor stick in half and put half of it into the right hip pocket of her toga, leaving the other half by her bowl. Then she arched her eyebrows at V’rex. “Well? Can you get it?”
He gave her a lazy grin.
“Sure, sweetheart—I can get it. I’ll even show you how I do it. Come on—stand up.”
Penny stood up from the table and the big Hybrid did the same.
“Okay, now,” he said, his deep voice taking on a lecturing tone as they stepped to one side of the table. “There are several ways to pick a pocket. To start with, pretend we’re strangers, walking past each other on a crowded street.”
“Okay.” Penny took a few steps back and walked towards him as V’rex walked towards her as well.
I don’t see how he’s going to manage though, she thought. Since my left side is towards him and the stick is in my right