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They repair to the pub proper, finding a table in a corner It’s early for drinking or eating, so the roo and nursing pints of ale and two oldchess

The room is warm, both in te ashed plaster walls The bar boasts three taps and a few sparse bottles of harder stuff Rio appoints herself to provide the first round and coolden-colored ale

“I think I’ll just have tea,” Frangie says

“Tea” Rio snorts “Come on, Marr, don’t be a party pooper”

“Is this a party?” Frangie wonders aloud

Rio raises her glass to her lips, takes a drink, smacks her lips, and says, “It is now”

Frangie relents and tastes the ale, which is cool rather than cold, and very bitter, but somehow pleasant despite that

Rainy drains half her glass and says nothing

“So, here we are,” Rio says “Three heroes” The tone of irony is unainst both of theirs and says, “To warm rooms and cold beer”

“Yes I ie says

“We should eat,” Rio says She’s trying to inject soie aard and skittish, Rainy justin another world “Barkeep! What’s for chow?”

The barh GIs to know that “chow” is food He co, and stands beside their table “We’ve got shepherd’s pie with very little mutton, steak and kidney pie with more crust than meat, and fish and chips”

“Is the fish real fish?” Rio asks

“That it is,boats at least, and we still get the occasional potato from the north”

“That’s it then, fish and chips” Then, frowning, she adds, “Please,” a word she obviously knows but which now seee, a relic of ancient times