Ben distributed the food and the family started eating. Tom and Simon started arguing over who had more, until Ben shouted at them that if they kept going they could both go to bed without dinner, and they stopped.

Elijah looked up nervously and ate slowly. He offered them both his bread since they seemed clearly more hungry than he was.

"Hey hey hey!" Ben intervened. He took the bread and handed it back to Elijah. Someone had to look out for him, because he didn't seem to do so himself. "That's yours. They have their own."

Elijah looked up at Ben meekly. "B-b-b-but.. they seem.. hungrier.. Sh-sh-shouldn't they..they.. have more?" He said incredibly nervous.

Ben laughed and shook his head. "Yer not lookin' at hunger, son, but at greed." He looked at Tom and Simon. "Stop it. Final warning." The boys looked down.

Elijah looked from Ben to the other two boys then down. "O.. okay' He said quietly and nibbled the bread though he was less hungry than he had been when he started.

Tom started talking about what he had learned in school, irritated by Simon, who kept interrupting to talk about how he was also learning things, although he didn't go to school yet.

Elijah watched them talk. He was in school too, but he hated it there. He kept himself quiet as he ate. Finally he spoke again. "What.. is your.. favorite thing to learn?"

"History," said Tom, "And you?"
"I can also do history!" Simon piped up.

Elijah nodded slightly. "I like that class too.. and arithmetic.."