>Jac smiles then turns back to Kendall and says, "Yes, it sounds
>delightful. We are in your hands."
>
>Kendall bows and as he withdraws a pair of young men arrive bearing
>dinner rolls, glasses and water.
>
>The restaurant is dimly lighted, but you can see that there are real
>paintings hanging on the walls, and that the furnishings are expensive.
>There is soft music playing in the background and the conversations
>around the room are very  quiet. Mira can't see any silencers, but it
>wouldn't surprise her if the tables were protected from anyone
>overhearing with quiet fields.

>Jac chats with Mira about his planet. He tells her about the black
>sanded beaches on the Doublet Islands where brightly colored fish swim
>in the clear blue waters, and the ski slopes on Mount Antonio where
>water pools are heated with steam rising from deep inside the mountain
>dot the land while deep snow covers the ground only a few feet away.

Mira picks daintily at a roll while she listens to him talk. She doesn't 
disguise her interest and asks questions about things that particularly 
catch her interest.

>The sommelier arrives pushing a cart with a bottle of wine in a silver
>bucket filled with ice and serves a small glass to Jac who tastes it and
>nods. He then serves glasses to both Mira and Jac. The wine is very pale
>and cold, and it has a crisp, dry taste.

"Hmmm," Mira says after taking a sip, "Very nice."

>Your meal arrives just a minute later. The fish is crispy and golden and
>is lying half on  a small pastry shaped like a crescent moon. Beside the
>fish and pastry sliced white rounds alternate with thin round slices of
>pink ham are arranged like a hand of cards resting on dark green curly
>leaves. A light green sauce has been drizzled over the fish and tart.
>The white rounds are the finocchio, blanched but still crunchy to the
>bite, and with a hint of licorice. The ham is salty and sweet. The green
>leaves are lightly blanched and also taste of licorice and anise.  The
>tart crust is flaky and has sweet minced fig and pistachio nut in it's
>center. The fish is a small white fleshed boneless fillet. Its taste is
>light, but the sauce gives it the fresh taste of a sea breeze.
>
>"This is good." Jac says after sampling the food, "I'll have to send a
>special thanks to Erma before we go."

"Good? Its wonderful! Extend mine, as well," Mira says with enthusiasm.

Mira