Once both Hythlodaeus and Emet are both actually eating, Dirk finally takes up a fork of his own--and just in time, as it turns out, because Hythlodaeus doesn't know when to quit.

The sfougato is, thankfully, still warm.

He has a full mouth when Emet asks the most unwelcome question possible, and it spares everyone whatever irritable noise of would have come out of him immediately otherwise.

"Call me gay and see what happens."