“YOURS IS A NOBLE CALLING,” Prosatio Silban said. “Pray, what is its secret?”
The waiter from the acclaimed restaurant Tide & Time had just finished his breakfast of poached fidget-hen eggs, salt-cod-and-potato hash, and stone-rye toast. He took a last sip of hot yava, swallowed, set down his cup, and smiled.
“It is like this,” he said. “To do what I do requires a strong and encyclopedic memory, rapt attention to detail, and a sincere desire for the customer’s dining experience to be as pleasant and perfect as possible. Pride in one’s vocation is also necessary. However, that must arise from the first three qualities – and only from there, lest one forget one’s unique place in the Flickering Gods’ grand scheme.”
“Do you mean to say that, to be humble, you must think less of yourself?” the coop-errant asked.
“Not at all,” the waiter replied. “A wise man once described humility instead as ‘thinking of yourself, less.’ I suppose that could apply to all of life, but for a professional server, it is an absolute essential.”
Prosatio Silban returned his customer’s smile. “Here,” he said, raising the yava-pot he was holding. “Let me pour for you another.”
(If you’re new to these tales, here are the preface and introduction. And if you want another 85 stories in one easy-to-read package, here’s the e-book!)