Page 111 of Baking and Angels

“It is my entry,” Rafferty replied, tucking the tray under his arm, willing for this part to just finish quickly already.

The woman didn’t say anything, simply plucked up one of the cookies and took a bite. She chewed twice, then paused, rolling the crumbs around in her mouth, then reached quickly for the tea.

The glasses and scarf man picked up his own cookie and started playing with it, crumbling off the edges. “This is terribly dry.”

“It is meant to pair with the tea,” Rafferty said.

“That is not an uncommon approach,” the chef said chidingly at the other judge.

“I am aware,” glasses judge shot back, “but a dessert that relies on the customer even liking tea is a risky move…”

“Oh, Heavens, that’s good,” the woman sighed, completely oblivious to the back-and-forth banter around her. A moment later, she blinked as if coming awake and aware of all the eyes staring at her. She then refocused on Rafferty. “I have to say, this is not the most elaborate or even decadent dessert I’ve had today, but it is just so… satisfying.” She turned to her fellows. “It really is satisfying. The flavor is so light and clean. I feel… almostrenewed.”

The other two men quickly ate their cookies and sipped their tea while she talked, trying to catch up to her impression. Both their eyebrowspopped up.

The other chef nodded. “Yes, yes, I see what you did there. You used the simplicity of the flavors and the more easily digestible recipe to create a specific experience.”

“But this is hardly suited for impressing a discerning audience,” glasses and scarf judge said, even while plucking up a second cookie.

“No, this shows more forethought,” the other chef insisted. “We have been sampling sugary, rich dishes all day, and even more to come. You knew that, didn’t you?”

Rafferty blinked once, realizing the question was being directed at him. He cleared his throat. “Yes, yes, I did,” he answered. “I knew that such an endeavor would be stressful on anyone’s systems, so I thought to make up something that is both easy on your stomachs and cleansing for yourpalates.”

The chef judge pointed at Rafferty rapidly. “You see, you see there, that is the sign of an accomplished chef,” the other chef declared. “Considering not just the outcome of the final creation, but the audience who would be sampling it. The cohesion of the relationship between chef and diner. Well done.” He slapped the table as if that were the final word, and no one could argue with it.

Rafferty could not understand what was happening here. He had not really tried to impress them, there was no point if Vassago was going to try to rig things against him, so he had just done what felt right. Glancing over at Eleanor, her face remained schooled into neutrality, with only the smallest flare of her nostril giving away what she truly felt.

“This is an impressive entry, Chef Rafferty, thank you for this pick-me-up,” the lady judge declared before finishing off her tea.

The other chef nodded as well, while the glasses and scarf judge looked disgruntled by the other judges’ praise. “Not to contradict or disrespect my fellow judges in any way, I’m going to need to see something more in the next round,” he dismissed, popping the rest of the cookie into his mouth instead of setting it back on the plate. “Thank you.”

Which implied that there wouldbea next round.

“If you will come this way,” the helper said, and as they filed off the other end of the stage, Rafferty saw a flat screen where the points given by the judges were tallied behind each name. Only his and Eleanor’s were blank in the two remaining entries at the bottom of the screen. It was clear that the lowest half would not make it on to the next round, indicated by the thicker black line bisecting the grid. Some of the contestants were already despairing at their loss, others congratulating one another on clearly passing, and at least three entries stared hard at the last two blank slots, waiting to see where those scores wouldland them.

Eleanor waited beside him with her arms crossed, not saying a word, as the blanks began to blink, their scores being uploaded. Then the entries shot up to the top ofthe list.

1.Rafferty Lares

2.Eleanor Rhodes

Groans and cries accompanied sighs of relief as the rest of the entrants realized what hadhappened.

Rafferty could only stare.

It didn’t make any sense. He had taken first.

“But how?” he askedout loud.

It was only when Eleanor huffed as she whipped off her blue kerchief and spun away that he came back to himself.

“Eleanor…” he called after, but she didn’t stop, and he had no idea what he would have said next anyway.

What game is Vassago playing?

Chapter 42

Enough was

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