"Gosh, thanks!" says Damocles. "Hot dog!" The cup-bearer has mysteriously disappeared, but Damocles, who’s somewhat partial to women, has one of the new Egyptian slave-girls do the honors for him. Soon he’s eating chunks of roast boar, knocking back goblets of honey-mead, and making satirical wisecracks that have the whole court in stitches. There’s a bit of nervousness in their laughter, but Damocles writes it off to the oddity of the situation.