Tristan was still somewhat uncomfortable, but he was glad that the guy dropped it. "Oh they're very good, indeed," he said. Indeed, they were and he ate eagerly. Then he paused, intent on changing the topic. "So what happened to that rooster from your story?" he asked.

"I'm glad you like ye meal, sir." Llew said, grinning out of absolute pride, knowing he answered genuinely. "Rooster? Oh -" He started laughing, slightly embarrassed now. "You know I don't know. My father never told me.

"Oh... well that's a shame," he said. "Though I suppose that means you can finish the story yourself." Now there was the alienist talking.

"You mean make it up?" Llew's disgust at the idea was too obvious. "I couldn't do that. Stories like that should be true, ain't they? The truth makes them interesting. If you suspected for a moment I was lying to ye, you'd walk outta that door."

"And right you should too!" Came the all too familiar screech. "Besides, the good gent don' t lie."

Oops. That was a bad thing to say, apparently. "I meant no offense. I didn't know that the story was real." he quickly said.

Well, neither did he believe it was.

"I don't understand why nobody believes a rooster can make friends with a duck." Llew said. "I know of a lot of strange friendships." and he lowered his voice to a whisper and said: "Look at me and her then."

"My friends can't believe I'm still work here." The screech came.

"How'd you hear that?" Demanded Llew.

Then two men came in and sat at the bar.

"Excuse me, sir." Llew said to Tristan. "How can I help you boys?" The men gave their orders as Llew was already pouring them Guinesses. "Oh wait. Did you want Guinesses then? You do? Really?" Disappoinment was written all over Llew's face as he was hoping to drink them himself.

"I was listening at the door." Said the screech, making the new customers jump slightly.

"Oi! Who's that then?"

"I'm the cook. You hungry, gents?" Llew put a list of menu items on the bar for them and returned to Tristan to give them some time to figure things out.

"I..." began Tristan, but the barman was called away. Tristan quickly ate some of his meal to speed up his stay. All of this was very surreal. Had he accidentally medicated himself? He frowned as he thought through the actions of the day and the possibility of having accidentally mixed something in his water. Nope. But best start now. He downed some of the ale.

"I don't have a lot of experience with roosters... nor with ducks..." he said awkwardly when the barman returned.

"Oh..er, what?" Llew said, having forgotten what the two men were discussing. "What do you do then, sir?"

The guys at the other end of the bar decided on adding nothing to their order and just drank their ale.

"I'm an alienist and a doctor," he said. "I've not been in the countryside much..." He had met a patient who thought he was a duck though. Perhaps he should have brought in a rooster to comfort the poor soul. "So I wouldn't know what they're like..."

"Well I like the name and it don't scare away the customers." Llew told the man. "That's all I know and care about. Want another, sir?" Then the words the man told him a few minutes ago came to him. "Wait. You say you're a doctor? Where's yer office what I can go to if I need yer help?"