Red Suoh and the Eldritch Library

Chapter 12

With a jolt the train came to a stop at Shibuya Station. As the doors opened with a quiet whoosh, Red stepped out into the modern facilities of the Tokyo train system. Even at night the station was crowded with the hustle and bustle of people coming and going from the well-known business district of Tokyo. As they moved towards the east exit of the station, they moved through the milling crowds of people headed towards their trains, their various exits or towards the Tokyu department store. The tile floor had yellow lines that helped guide people through the station. Large rectangular lighted signs hung from the ceiling detailing the current time as well as the arrival and departures times of the various train lines. As they moved towards the exit they passed rows of computer terminals where travelers could purchase their travel tickets.

After leaving the department store that acted as the east gate for the train station, they found themselves surrounded by the bright glow of the lights from the business ward of Tokyo. Looking around Red found herself amazed at the buildings rising up around her and the hustle and bustle of this section of Tokyo. Everywhere she looked, there were bill boards and lighted marquees screaming for her attention loudly enough to make her eyes water and her head hurt.

"We will take in some of the sights after we eat." Doctor Shin said as he gestured in a large circular motion with his right hand.

"Sounds fun." Red said.

"Sounds a little dangerous." Akira frowned.

"We'll cross the street here, and then it is only about a five to ten minute walk to the building where the restaurant is." Doctor Shin said as he pointed away from the station.

After crossing a couple of busy streets and a brief walk they came to the base of a modest skyscraper with the name Cross Towers written in English above the entrance with an extra-large 'W'. It was a fairly tall square structure made of concrete, steel and glass. On two sides the concrete rose up unbroken by windows as if it was a white stripe going up the middle of the tower. The main lobby was decorated in a series of light beiges with a floor of light brown rectangular tile. A short walk took them to the elevators marked with a series of white numbered dots going from zero to thirty two on a corner wall next to the stainless steel doors. Doctor Shin carefully pressed the up button for the lift and stepped back with his hands folded behind his back and waited as he quietly rocked back and forth on his feet while he whistled between his teeth.

The elevator arrived with a quiet chime and the doors slid open to a wood paneled lift. After stepping in Red watched Doctor Shin push the button for number 32, the top floor of the building. Partway up, the elevator doors opened on a lobby similar to the one on the first floor but with wood paneling partway up the walls and focused spot lights carefully set to create a subtle but relaxed and elegant mood. A man wearing a very nice suit with a white silk scarf escorted a petite woman with her hair coiled up on her head in an elaborate coif who wore a black dress with a strand of large pearls around her neck and a mink stole draped across her shoulders. Being careful to not bump against the three of them, the woman looked down with a disdainful sniff at Red who was now dressed in black pants with blue kung fu style slippers and a blue Chinese style blouse that had gold and green Chinese style dragons on both the front and the back.

HH

With a slow deliberate look at the elevator buttons where only the number thirty two was lit she turned to her companion and loudly whispered. "Really, I don't see why they think anyone will let them into La Rochelle. Obviously they are not rich, well-mannered or dressed correctly to be allowed into such a fine establishment. Not to mention that eye tells me that she is obviously some sort of a ruffian tomboy. " She drawled with obvious pleasure as she tried to draw blood with her words.

With a slow deliberate look the man carefully eyed them up and down with a slight sneer. "Of course dear, besides it is a waste to bring a child to a restaurant like this. Her pallet can't possibly appreciate this fine of cuisine." He finished as they turned their backs on them with perfect timing to step out of the elevator as it came to a stop and the doors re-opened.

"Why those dirty, no good sons of . . . "

"Red!" Akira admonished. "Just because they are rude, that doesn't mean you have to use language like that."

"Sorry." Red said "But they just made me really mad."

"People like that need to be ignored like the ants beneath our feet. They are not worth your time to respond to or step on. Remember that." Akira instructed as she exited the elevator.

"Kay." Red replied in a sulky tone with suppressed anger in her voice.

Moving down a hallway lit with carefully set lights that softly illuminated fine art hung in metal and glass frames on the walls, they came to a small reception area with a padded bench placed next to a glass cabinet. On the right under a mirrored window that said 'La Rochelle Cuisine Francaise" stood a double legged brass podium that looked a bit like a music stand where a large fancy menu was set for the patron's perusal. To the left stood a marble column with a beautiful flower arrangement on top and in front of it was a wooden easel with a list of today's specials. The doors were set back from the lobby with a gorgeous Turkish type rug set in front of them. The grey metal frosted glass doors swung inwards with large glass brass trimmed pointed ovals inset in the center of the glass itself. The wavy handles were made of brass and the doors had brass kick plates. One of the doors was just swinging shut behind the snobbish couple that had preceded them down the corridor.

Stepping forward, Doctor Shin reached out and opened the right hand door and waved Red and Akira through with an exaggerated flourish and a broad grin. As they entered into the main lobby area, they saw a large dining area with several tables carefully set with silver plates, crystal and a variety of western eating utensils placed with care on clean white linen and superbly arranged center flower settings. The lights were bright enough to see what you were eating, but low enough to set a relaxed mood that allowed you to take in the view of the city through the various windows. Most of the tables were filled with a variety of finely dressed patrons engaged in conversation, wine and partaking of various stages of their meals. The smell of excellent properly cooked food assailed the senses until it had Red's mouth salivating with expectation.

"What do you mean we have to wait?" A shrill voice said with fake shock.

"I am sorry madam, but as you can see most of the tables are taken and we have reservations coming shortly to fill the others." A well-dressed maitre d' tried to explain to the woman in the fur stole.

With a quick motion the man she was with shushed her and guided her towards a chair for their wait.

"May I help you?" The maitre d' asked when he turned towards their party.

"Yes, reservations for Doctor Shin, I believe that we have the Sakai room."

"But of course. The Iron Chef is expecting you and will be taking care of your party himself." The maitre d' said with a smile. "It is an honor to have you with us. Is this the little girl you told us to expect?" He continued as he bowed to their party and then crouched down to shake Red's hand.

"Well! I never!" The woman in the fox stole said as she started to storm out the door. "I will never eat here again! Such rudeness! Who do they think they are to favor such commoners over a scion of a noble house!" She continued loudly as her male companion was forced to scurry after her.

As Red watched them start to leave, she pulled down one eyelid with the index finger of her right hand and let out a loud "Nyaaaa!" at their retreating backs.

With a loud cough that barely concealed his bark of laughter, the maitre d' signaled them to follow him. With sure quick movements, he weaved them in and out of the various tables. As they moved through the dining area, they could see glimpses of the city lights out of the curtained windows gleaming like bright stars in the night sky. Stepping through a doorway, they found themselves in a large room with a single table.

The room had rich deep blue carpet with matching velvet chairs. On two sides of the room were the corner windows of the Cross Tower. The windows were framed with blue patterned white linen draperies and dim lit crystal lamps center set on the lintel of each window. The lighting was low enough to be easy on the eyes and allow patrons to see the city lights, but bright enough to see each other and their food. The table was set with gold plates, gold ware utensils and fine lead crystal glasses. In the center of each plate stood a folded black cloth napkin made from high quality fabric. The table's centerpiece was a tall faceted cut crystal vase of carefully arranged blue roses sprinkled with white baby's breath and accentuated with green fronds that curled in and out of the flowers.

"Oh Wow!" Red breathed in a whisper normally reserved for libraries.

"This is beautiful." Akira sighed.

"If the ladies and the gentleman would care to be seated, the chef will be with you shortly." The maitre d' said with a short bow.

"Thank you." Doctor Shin replied with his own bow.

As Red headed for the table, the maitre d' held one of the chairs for her and helped scoot her in. He then did the same for Akira on the opposite side of the table and Doctor Shin sat himself at the head of the table. From where she sat, Red could look either to her left or straight ahead to see the view of the city. She found herself happily gazing out the windows at the view and thinking how beautiful the city was.

"How did you get reservations here?" Akira asked.

"A friend." Doctor Shin replied cryptically.

"Must be some friend." Red said with a broad smile.

"Don't worry; you will meet him in a few minutes. He loves someone who enjoys food the way that you do."

"Kay." Red said as she turned back to the view.

As she quietly sat and enjoyed her surroundings and the beautiful view, Red heard the quiet approach of a waiter as he brought an ice bucket with a couple of bottles of wine in it followed by a waitress who placed a tray set up with tea fixings onto a side table. After fussing with the cork, the waiter quietly poured a dark red wine out into fine gold rimmed crystal goblets and set one down in front of each one of them, including her. After a short bow, the waiter turned and left the room as the waitress started to set out several dark blue glazed ceramic cups down and filled them with a deliciously fragrant tea. Stepping back to the side table, she returned with a gold tray covered with a large white doily that held an array of fruits, cheeses and crackers. With a bow she turned and also left the room.

"Oh boy!" Red exclaimed as she took a little of everything off the tray and started sampling various combinations of crackers, fruits and cheese. After a couple of samples she reached out and took a long sip of the wine. "Wow, this is good stuff, but the wine is rather strong."

"Wine!" Akira exclaimed as she jerked her head around in time to see the young red head take another deep sip. "You shouldn't be drinking that, you are way too young!"

"Leave her be, it will help her relax a little and will help alleviate some of the pain and stiffness she must be feeling after her little scrap today." Doctor Shin scolded. "Just take it easy on the wine though, OK?"

"Sure thing Doc." Red smirked as she carefully set the wine glass down and picked up her tea. "I prefer tea anyways and this tea is really good."

"Just enjoy yourself tonight. You may never have another chance to eat like you will this night for a very long time." Doctor Shin said with a smile.

"Kay!" Red said with a bright smile and then took a small sip of the wine as she gave a slow wink at Akira.

"Well, I never!" Akira harrumphed and took a deep sip of her own wine as she gave Red a stern glare.

"Shin!" exclaimed a man as he entered the room wearing a double breasted white chefs uniform emblazoned with a gold star emblem while wearing a white scarf tied around his neck. Hanging down on his chest he wore a set of red eyeglasses on a chain looped around his neck where he could easily find them when he needed them.

"Sakai!" Doctor Shin said as he rose to his feet and stepped around the table to give the chef a robust embrace. "It is wonderful to see you."

"And you as well my friend." Sakai replied with a smile. "Introduce me to your guests."

"Sure. This is my friend Akira and over here is a wonderful young lady that we call Red. She has the biggest appetite I have ever seen and she makes the best Okanomiyaki I have ever tasted. Red, Akira let me introduce my good friend Iron Chef Sakai."

"The Sakai . . ." Akira said in a slightly awed tone as she rose to her feet.

"What's an Iron Chef?" Red asked as she scratched the back of her head. "Is this beautiful place yours?" She continued as she gestured around the room.

"What's an Iron Chef?" Sakai repeated with a puzzled expression on his face. "Yes, this is my restaurant. I am pleased that you think it is beautiful."

"She was brought to the hospital with severe injuries and woke up with amnesia. She probably has no idea what or who an Iron Chef is. She doesn't even remember her real name so she currently goes by the name 'Red'." Doctor Shin explained.

"Ahhh." Sakai replied as he moved over to bend down and place one hand on her shoulder. "I am an Iron Chef. My specialty is French cuisine. I am one of only a few people that are so named and we are considered to be some of the best chefs in the world. We appear on a television program called Iron Chef where we compete in a place known as kitchen stadium to see whose food is the best and will 'reign supreme'. People have come from all over the world to challenge us and compete. Does that answer your question?"

"So you are one of the best chefs in the world and you are cooking for me tonight?" Red asked with shining blue eyes as she held her closed fists together under her chin.

"Yes, yes I am." Sakai replied as he took a hero's stance with his fists on his hips.

"Oh Boy! I was already excited but now I am really, really excited. So, if I wanted to learn ta cook great food would you be willing ta teach me?"

"Since appearing on Iron Chef, I only teach those who can defeat one of my chefs." Sakai said with a smile. "I have a chef who used to specialize in Okanomiyaki. Would you be willing to put your recipe up against his for a chance to learn?" Sakai said with a kind smile.

"You bet! I will take on any challenge. Bring it on." Red exclaimed as she took a stance and pumped her fist in the air.

"Very well, we will do so after you have eaten." Sakai said as he stood up and set his hands on his hips with a smile and a laugh playing around his mouth.

"Sounds good ta me!"

"Very well, take your seats and we will continue your meal."

Stepping over to a small table by the door Sakai picked up a small glass bell with gold edges and gently rang it. After a couple of moments their waiter came in with a tray where he set it on a small stand. On the tray were 3 plates with 4 small individual items that looked like small hors d'oeuvres.

"Now that you have enjoyed our cheese and fruit tray, I would like to start you off with what is called an 'amuse bouche', or an amusing bite. The idea is to create a bite that is set to whet the appetite with a nearly perfect taste sensation. Tonight I present you with four of my favorites. To the left we have a pesto, goat cheese and sun dried tomato quiche. Next to that is truffle custard with crab and caviar. Additionally we have a stuffed marrow bone followed by foi gras with fig and peach compote. Please enjoy."

"This is almost too beautiful to eat." Akira stated with a slow smile.

"Speak for yerself lady." Red replied as she helped herself to one of the truffles. "Mmmm…. This is so good."

"You have outdone yourself my friend." Doctor Shin said after a bite of his food.

"You are too kind." Sakai said with a short bow.

"So, how do the two of you know each other?" Akira asked and then took another bite of food.

"Ahhh, it was an unfortunate accident that brought us together." Sakai replied. "I was on a skiing holiday when I took a bad fall. The paramedics were afraid I had broken my leg so they transported me to the hospital where I met my new friend Shin. We took an instant liking to one another and quickly became friends. Luckily, I hadn't broken my leg but the tendons and muscles were severely sprained so it did take some time to recover."

"Sounds like we have somethin' in common then." Red said between bites. "Doctor Shin and me have gotten along real well since I woke up in the hospital."

"That would be 'Doctor Shin and I', not 'Doctor Shin and me.' Please use proper grammar young lady." Akira chided.

"Yeesh, get off my case lady. I was just pointing out that the doc and 'I' are best buds now just like doc and Sakai." Red said with a scowl. "Sides, I'll talk any ways I wants ta. Got that?"

"Well of all the impertinence." Akira huffed and then angrily took a bite of her food.

"You know Red, your right about the similar circumstances between you and Sakai. I hope we continue to be friends for many years."

"Thanks Doc that means an awful lot ta me." Red sheepishly replied with a lopsided grin. After a moment's pause she quickly rose to her feet walked up to Sakai and extended her right hand. "Hi, my name is Red. Want ta be friends?"

Sakai smiled broadly, leaned over at the waist and then extended his right hand to shake hers while tousling her hair with his left hand. "Hi, I'm Sakai and yes I would love to be friends little one. After all people who have survived butchers like Shin need to stick together; why just looking at your eye tells me that you have suffered terribly under his kind care." Sakai continued with an evil glint in his eyes as he looked in Doctor Shin's direction.

"Hey! That was uncalled for! I'm so hurt! O woe is me! " Shin cried out with mock outrage as he placed one hand over his heart and faked being in great pain with deliberate exaggeration.

Sakai and Red turned as one, looked at Doctor Shin and simultaneously raised their right eyebrows as if in disbelief at the scene before them. After a moment of watching Shin's deliberately over exaggerated acting they both dissolved into giggles that quickly became gales of laughter which first infected Shin and then finally broke Akira down into amused chuckles as Red retook her seat.

After his laughter came to an end Sakai wiped a tear from his right eye with his forefinger, let out a large sigh and smiled. "Thanks, I really needed that laugh. I have been under a terrible stress recently. Ahh, but first we must have your salads."

With the ring of the bell servers came in to clear their plates.

"Umm Red, don't you think you have all the marrow out of that bone? You're not a dog that needs to chew on it like a prized possession." Doctor Shin pointed out as he watched Red try to lick out the very last of any misplaced marrow out of the bone while fending off the server who wanted to take it away with her left hand.

"Ewww! Gross!" Akira commented with a disgusted face.

"Sorry Doc, that was just really tasty and I wanted to make sure nothin' got wasted."

As the servers set plates of salad in front of them along with a glass of white wine, Sakai smiled and spoke with a voice much like a television announcer. "Behold, before you we have a fine shrimp salad made with potatoes, greens, romaine lettuce, haricots vert, green peppers, tomatoes tossed with vinaigrette and adorned with boiled eggs, kalamata olives and fine capers. Please enjoy." He finished with a flourish of his hand and a stylish bow.

Taking a large portion that had a bite of everything on her fork; Red shoveled the salad into her mouth and started to chew. "Mmm, thish ish good eatshh." She said with her mouth full.

"Oh come on, at least don't talk with your mouth full. That is very bad manners. You should show some decorum and manners when you are blessed with these surroundings and this exquisite meal." Akira primly pronounced.

"Red, I am afraid that I have agree with Akira on that one. If you really want to be a chef you also need to understand proper etiquette and this is a good time to start if you really want to learn. Now, Sakai, what seems to be troubling you?"

"Ahhh, Shin my old friend, I have a partner that has got us into a very bad situation. He believed himself to be a martial artist of some renown. As a result of his pride he got himself tricked into a battle dining contest and lost his share of the restaurant to a Chardin. Then to make matters worse, this Chardin tricked me into agreeing to a rematch with any champion of my own choosing to regain my partner's share of the restaurant or give up the restaurant to him if I lose. I have been unable to find a champion and the contest is in one week. I guess I will have to let this place go." Sakai reported with a sad face.

"Ahhh, ya ain't got no worries. I will fight for ya. And I don't lose." Red proudly said as she struck herself over her heart with a closed fist.

"That is a very kind offer, but after much research I have learned that Chardins never lose in their form of martial eating expertise. They learn from child hood to master this strange art."

"What is battle dining anyway?" Shin asked before taking a bite of his salad.

"It is basically a speed eating contest but anything goes, you may steal or move your opponent's food, throw plates, utensils, etc.; the first one to finish their food and leave a set of sparkling clean dinner ware is the winner. The basic premise is that the spectators must never see the contestants eat. They are supposed to eat with such speed that the food appears to disappear rather than be seen to be consumed. The Chardins have grossly large mouths that are rumored to be able to hold an entire water melon and tongues so long that they can eat food off their head with their tongues alone. The prospect makes me positively ill." Sakai said with a visible shudder.

At his words Red felt like lighting blasted through her brain as she remembered a blond man with a horribly huge mouth engulf her head and upper torso as if she were a tasty tidbit to be carefully savored. To make matters worse he had terrible breath. A chill of disgust ran down her spine at the memory so instead of examining it, she deliberately pushed it aside for later review where it immediately began to fade away and disapear.

"So no one has beaten anyone from this family in their so called form of martial arts?" Akira asked.

"Alas there is rumored to have been only one person but I have learned that a tragic accident struck her down and she recently died. Her name was Ranma Saotome and she supposedly did so through a forbidden technique of an obscure branch of the family known as the 'Parley du Foie Gras'. I only learned this with much research after getting myself into this mess." Sakai sadly replied. "So without a champion, I am doomed."

"I already told ya I can beat him for ya." Red reiterated.

"Well she can eat faster than anyone I have ever seen and food often appears to disappear off her plate." Doctor Shin thoughtfully said with one hand on his chin.

"Here, I'll show ya." Red said as she put some cheese, bread and crackers on her plate.

With a flourish she spun two forks in each hand spread her arms wide for dramatic pause, then her hands blurred so fast that they appeared to become invisible and the food vanished from her plate as if by magic leaving a sparkling clean plate behind.

"Tadaa!" Red announced as she once again twirled her forks and then set them down on either side of the plate.

Sakai stared wide eyed at the sight he had just witnessed. For a few moments all he could do was stare from the young redhead to the plate and back again with his mouth wide open in shock. "B. how? You have such a petite mouth, yet you eat like a battle trained Chardin. How?"

"Martial arts appear to be the thing I'm best at." Red proudly stated. "I have found I got skills that I have only begun ta explore."

"Is that what happened to your eye?"

"Yeah, but you should see the other guy. I never lose." Red declared with pride.

"Little one, I would be proud to let you be my champion. Win or lose at least I now have a chance. Please help me." Sakai said with a deep bow.

"It would be my pleasure. When and where?"

"Next week; Saturday at seven p.m." Sakai replied. "I will send a limo if you let me know where you live."

"I'll have ta call ya. I don't know where I am going to be stay'n till tomorrow."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Cause they haven't decided what orphanage hell hole they are going ta deposit me inta yet." Red growled as she gave Akira a dirty look.

"Hell hole? Now listen here young. . " Akira heatedly started.

"Ahhh, I take it that you are not happy about that." Sakai interupted with a sympathetic voice.

"Ya got that right. It kinda sucks that I don't got any say in it." Red replied with a sigh in her voice. "I mean, I already don't know who I am, where I am from or if I have any family anywhere. I was happy at the hospital. I knew everyone, they gave me lots of pretty good food and I had a place to exercise and work out. Now I don't know where I'm going or what is going ta happen ta me."

"I see; but if you look at it as a grand adventure then maybe you can look at things differently. The reality of life is that the only thing we truly have any control over is how we choose to react to what happens to us or around us."

"What if ya choose to do nothing?" Red asked as she looked up at Sakai through her bangs.

"That too is a choice. The act of not acting is an act in and of itself."

"Ya make a lot of sense; I will have to think about what ya have said." Red said with a half-smile.

"But of course. You should never take anyone's word for anything. You should always think and study about things and decide for yourself if you wish to be wise. Now let us have the bouillabaisse." Sakai concluded and then rang the bell for the wait staff.

With quick but careful movements the staff removed the salad plates, set out bowls and ladled a steaming fragrant soup out into large bowls. With a deep bow, they turned and left the room.

After picking up her soup spoon Red scooped up some of the broth and noisily slurped the contents down. "Hot! Hot! Hot! But really good." She exclaimed while trying to cool her tongue off by waving at it with her left hand.

"Mmm, you have outdone yourself Sakai. This is excellent." Doctor Shin complimented after taking a careful sip of his own dish.

"Such rich flavors; this is the best soup I have ever tasted." Akira confessed with a smile.

"Thank you, I am glad you appreciate our efforts." Sakai said with a bow.

"Is this the type of food you can teach me to make for myself?" Red asked in between bites.

"Yes it is, but in French cooking we will start with the mother sauces. From there you can make many, many things so long as you know the techniques involved." Sakai replied.

"So cooking is like a martial arts kata. You start with basic techniques such as punches, blocks, kicks and footwork that is then used in different combinations to create an infinite variety of new moves and techniques." Red said thoughtfully.

"Ummm, while I had never thought of cooking as a martial art, you are essentially right." Sakai said with a surprised look on his face and then after a thoughtful pause he continued in a new direction. "The next course is steak Diane with a side of asparagus covered in hollandaise sauce along with some herb crusted baby potatoes."

While Sakai was describing their meal, the servers removed the dirty dishes, filled new glasses with red wine and set out the main course. After bussing the tables and delivering the new food they gave a bow to the seated guests and exited the room.

"Now then, young one, if you wish to be a chef you should take the time to taste the food in front of you. Savor its taste, memorize its flavors and learn to identify the individual components that combine to make your food taste good. If it tastes bad, then you need to be able to identify what is wrong with the ingredients by taste alone. There is nothing wrong with eating quickly as you do, but your first few bites should be eaten slowly so you may savor the food and learn about how good food is done." Sakai lectured.

"Kay." Red replied and then quickly cut off a bite of steak and put it in her mouth where she slowly and exaggeratedly chewed it. "Mmmm. This tastes good. The sauce really has a silky feel in my mouth and the steak is so tender it almost seems to melt like butter."

"Now take a moment and tell me what ingredients you think you can taste." Sakai instructed.

After a deliberate show of thought where Red held her chin with one hand while her other arm was folded across her chest as she tilted her head from one side to the other as she chewed she replied. "Beef, mushrooms, cream, salt, pepper, mustard, and garlic for sure; also maybe some onions and some sort of alcohol I think."

"Very good, you only missed a few things. There are also shallots and Worcestershire sauce plus some parsley. The alcohol is a fine Cognac. I am impressed by your pallet. With such a developed sense of taste I can teach you fairly quickly how to cook well and recreate dishes you like as well as how to improve on them and create your own recipes."

"So I will not only know how to cook from a recipe, but I will know how to make my own recipes on the fly?"

"That is correct; a real chef knows how ingredients combine to create new and unique flavors. They have a base knowledge that allows them to improve on existing recipes and develop their own."

"Cool." Red said with a broad smile that had a fork hanging out of one corner of her mouth.

"Yes. Yes it is." Sakai replied with a smile at her antics.

With a slower speed than usual Red attacked her main course with abandon and just stopped short of licking the plate. With a contented sigh she turned and looked out at the view of Tokyo as she tried to patiently wait for the other to finish. Much to her surprise she found the gleam of the lights to be soothing but their light prevented her from seeing the stars and left her missing their shining presence from the sky overhead.

"I hope the stars will be visible from where ever I will be staying." She thought out loud.

"So you like the stars?" Dr. Shin queried.

"Yes, I believe they have been a great comfort ta me. The thought a' watching them fills me with a sense of peace." Red replied with a half-smile.

"Then I hope you will have a view of them." Dr. Shin said as he polished off his food.

Shortly after her two dining companions had put down their utensils, Sakai clapped his hands to summon their final course.

Shortly thereafter three different waiters entered and set a plate in front of each of the diners, gave a deep bow and then left. The waiter that placed the tray in front of Red smiled at the excitement the small girl was giving off by quickly clapping her hand together under her chin as he placed a second plate in front of her with a series of extra goodies on it.

"Yay!" She exclaimed out loud as she bounced up and down in her seat. "I love dessert!"

With a quiet smile Sakai clasped his hands behind his back and announced. "Before every one of you is a dessert sampler. On the plate before you, you will find a crème' brule', a French apple tart and a chocolate éclair. Please enjoy. Because of her monstrous appetite, the young lady has these additional treats; a pear tort, a dark chocolate cream truffle, a honey glazed cream filled layered pastry and a piece of milk chocolate pie. Please enjoy."

While her excitement told her to dive right in and devour the tasty treats, she looked up and watched as Dr. Shin and Akira took their time and savored their food. With a strong show of will power, she picked up her spoon and carefully broke the glaze on the crème;' brule', scooped up some of the custard and hard sugar onto her spoon and took a careful bite. The explosion of flavors danced across her tongue and brought a large smile to her face. Digging in, she started to eat the wonderful treat at what seemed like a slow pace to her, but was still much faster than most people could have eaten.

With deliberate abandon she proceeded to enjoy each of the desserts in front of her until they were all gone. Leaning back in her chair she rubbed her stomach with a broad grin and finished off a large glass of water. After returning the glass to the table she let out a large ear splitting belch that brought startled gasps and shocked words of surprise from the main dining area.

"Red!" Akira exclaimed with embarrassment as the heat of her blood flooded her cheeks.

"Young lady, that was most inelegant but heart felt." Dr. Shin laughingly said with a grin.

"Thank you for the compliment." Sakai said with a smile and a bow as he clicked his heels together. "It is nice to know that we have completely satiated you. As you know Dr. Shin, in some cultures it is rude if you don't compliment the chef with such acclaim."

"Why yes, so it is!" Dr. Shin laughingly barked.

"Don't encourage her!" Akira snapped.

"Don't be such a stick in the mud." Dr. Shin said with a smile. "This is supposed to be a night on the town for her. She can learn mind numbing manners as she gets older. Sakai, I thank you for the meal. It was delicious."

"I am glad you enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to serve you." Sakai replied with a smile and a short bow. "Now, I believe our young guest has an Okanomiyaki challenge to meet. Please follow me to the kitchen."

"Sounds good ta me, I never back down from a challenge." Red smirked as she followed Sakai out of the room named for him after one last look at the beauty of the dining area and the view of the cities lights.