Ketchup or Catsup?

I did squeeze in a few words last night during my weekly gaming group meeting. Not many. I didn’t get started on today’s writing until late, but things were really flowing and I managed to make over the day’s count! Here is one thing I wrote tonight. Enjoy.

The plate contained half a roasted turkey breast, one egg, a dish of jerky gravy and a thick slice of sourdough. [It wasn’t what he had requested but] He didn’t argue and knew quibbling would do no good. He forked the turkey breast, cut off a piece and put it in his mouth. Cold roast turkey made a descent meal. Especially when the tavernmaster’s wife had done the roasting. As he chewed the tavernmaster returned with a small clay pot. Through a notch in the pot’s lid protruded the handle of the small ladle. “How’s the steak, Genji?” the tavernmaster asked with a broad smile.

“The best I’ve had all year.”

“I’ll bet it is,” said the tavernmaster his smile only broadening. He set the clay pot beside Genji’s plate. “Now, try some of this.”

Genji set down his knife and lifted the lid on the pot. Inside was a thick, reddish-brown paste. It smelled slightly sweet and slightly spicy. Genji lifted a ladleful out of the pot but was unsure what to do with it.

“Some people like it on their eggs.”

“On their one egg?”

“However many eggs.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No! This past season we had one of the best tomato crops ever in the Valley. We had more than we knew what to do with...”

“Really? This is tomatoes?” Genji bent over the ladle and sniffed at the paste again.

The barman nodded. “...My Mel hit on this way of preserving them. The stuff seems to last practically forever.”

Still unsure, but willing to trust his tastebuds to Mel, Genji tipped the ladle and let a good bit of the paste fall onto his egg. He replaced the ladle, cut the egg in half and forked one part into his mouth. The tavernmaster looked on expectantly. After a moment of chewing gingerly, Genji nodded his approval.

“See?” The other man said triumphantly.

The benchmark word count for today is: 8335

My total word count so far is: 8972