"I still can't believe--no, that's not true. I completely believe the little idiots thought exactly that. It's gratifying to see them grow up a little after they make it through the program. They know they had better say they can't talk to you with the rest of us standing around watching." He shook his head. He had a love/hate relationship with recruits, the same as he imagined his superiors had with his lot when they were coming up. It was the way of things.

"Keep talking like that, and the crabs run a risk of getting cold," he murmured.

He arranged the crab plates conveniently for their reach while she was setting the table. He pressed a hand to his stomach when it growled audibly enough to carry. "Hush, you. It's almost time."