Armin takes his own share of the food, making himself comfortable. His voice is only very slightly forced as he launches into the phrase he has been preparing in his mind, quickly losing that edge when he settles into the lie. "I was just telling Marco about the first time we had these. We all got so sick."

There are probably some bushes along that route that still haven't recovered. Turns out combining some underfed kids with a huge, fatty meal of meat and beans does tend to lead to some intestinal distress.