Er...nothing," he told Justin. "Just a little something in the throat. This soup is delicious; do finish it."
Justin smiled and finished his soup. He then praised the Burgundy, a wine that was a particular favourite of Daniel's though tonight it tasted like warm vinegar as far as he could tell. In fact, it tasted so horrible that he had to try very hard not to spit it out. But he drank it.
They talked as they ate and Daniel told Justin about old Colbert's wine. Justin seemed delighted and was looking forward to tasting it. He asked Daniel to bring some to the Happimart office the next day for a tasting of some of the new wines Happmart had recently bought. Justin like to try all the new wines before they went on sale, and it was a good way that jDaniel loved to show off in front of the other tasters. It was expected.
"Why, of course," Daniel answered. But he was beginning to be afraid. The veal which Justin was now finding so tasty was just a salty piece of soft stuff in his mouth. He might just as well be eating the insides of a cushion. But he dare not tell Justin. The thought of attempting a wine tasting - an occasion he would normally look forward to - now filled him with fear. He would need time to do something. He had to act quickly.
"But wouldnj't it be better, Justin, if we had the wine tasting at a later date?" he suggested.
"Daniel, my boy, why ever would you want to do that? Don't you want to show off your abilities to your employers!" The way Justin emphasised the word employers sounded almost threatening. Justin was not used to his arrangements being disturbed. If Daniel had a reason to change his plans it had better be good.