Page 21 of The Dinner Party

“Is it?” he replies vaguely. “Well, no mind. Just step on it for a moment so you’ll be a little taller, and I can take your photo.”

This is extremely bizarre, but you’re not about to quit after spending two hours driving here. You step on the scale, hoping this whole ordeal will be over soon.

“She is 124 point six pounds!” Heinrich announces.

“Excuse me?” you start to say, but then Mr. Wentworth snaps your photo, and it’s all over.

Mr. Wentworth looks down at the digital display on the camera, smiling to himself. “Wonderful picture. We’ll get this printed right away.”

“Um, great,” you say.

“Now,” he says, “let me show you our dining room.”

Turn to Chapter 37 (page 90)

36

“I’m sorry,” you say. “I don’t feel comfortable having my photo taken for an ID card. I hope you understand.”

“That is very disappointing,” Mr. Wentworth says. “We always get photos.”

“But I’m only here for the night. Why do I need an ID card?”

“Sloan.” Avery pinches your arm. “Stop being such a drama queen. Just let them take your photo.”

At this point, it feels like you might have made a big deal over nothing, and it would be better just to give in. But you’ve made the decision not to allow your photo to be taken, and you intend to stick to it.

“Do not worry,” Heinrich van Houten says to Mr. Wentworth in a low voice. “Her photos are all over the social media.”

Well, that’s true. But what does that have to do with an ID badge?

“All right,” Mr. Wentworth sighs. “I’m disappointed, but if you don’t want me to take your photo, we won’t do it.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“Now,” he says, “let me show you our dining room.”

Turn to Chapter 37 (page 90)

37

Mr. Wentworth leads you down a long hallway to what turns out to be the largest dining room you have ever seen. It looks like something out of the Gilded Age, from the antique chairs and dining table to the grand chandelier dangling from the ceiling.

“This,” he says, “is where we will be dining tonight.”

You can’t help but notice the framed photos mounted on the walls. It takes you a moment to realize that the photos are all of various animals. But most of them are not animals you’ve ever seen before. You struggle to recognize even one of them.

“These are some of the animals sampled in the past by the Adventurous Eaters Club,” Mr. Wentworth tells you proudly. We always get a picture of them for the wall before their sacrifice.”

“I see…”

“That’s a spotted genet.” Mr. Wentworth points to a picture of something that looks like a cross between a raccoon and a leopard. “And that over there is a Cuvier’s dwarf crocodile.” He smiles fondly. “It took forever to get that little devil tender enough to eat.”

Your gaze lingers on a photo of a creature that looks a little bit like an ape, but with white fur. You’ve never seen anything like it before. “What is that?”

“I’m so glad you asked, Sloan.” He is now practically beaming. “That is an abominable snowman.”

“An… abominable snowman?”