Responses
For just a moment, Gianna thought disaster had struck... ice cubes probably from the tap, put into bottled water.... Arrrrgghhh! An excess of calcium, a dash of fluoride, perhaps a soupçon of leeched heavy metals from some plumbing in Stillwater. Plumbing, in places that had probably been around for a very long time. Gaaaaaaaaag!
Then came a sense of calm, the ice wasn't just the usual cloudy looking cubes of water from the tap, or store bought. Those little flats floating crystal clear in their own water had been carefully made in the past few minutes. Mandy had poured very cold bottled water, in this case a natural spring water form the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas, into shallow silicon trays and put in the blast chiller at the time of ordering. The rapid freezing, like with food treated this way, resulted in such small individual crystals; such that the material being chilled retained an undamaged natural structure and taste. This had resulted in thin sheets of clear ice.
By the time the carafe arrived at the table, the cold water had absorbed the further chill of the ice sheets, resulting in a delicate ewer filled with translucid water, just off of ice cold. The only opacity coming from the thin shroud of condensation on the outside of the delicate crystal-glass carafe. Gianna smiled in thanks at Mandy; the effort was something very much appreciated, "Wonderful, thank you Mandy." Mandy positively beamed with pleasure, and made a small nod of acknowledgement of the praise.
Now, absent any popular culture Absinthiana, Gianna was ready to evoke la fée verte from the clearest of Absinthes and waters. Three gentle circular gyrations of the swirl glass, producing the smallest of slow moving whirlpools at the center of goblet. With a steady hand, Gianna poured a thin stream of the water into the eye of the whirlpool. As the louche began, thin opalescent white threads appeared; with trails of blue and coppery flashes. The Green Lady danced her way into sight, gradually filling the entire glass with a creamy presence that had a thickness to it as the dance came to a graceful rest.
The bouquet and aromas changed to a breezy waft of floral sweetness, with touches of orange blossom and alpine fruits. A refreshing hint of anise, fennel, lemonbalm, and wormwood drifted at the edge of the senses. The sweet delicacy and wild fruitiness of the Swiss blanche required no sugar, as is common with the more bitter, verte Absinthe.
After returning Arty's salute by raising her own glass in return, Gianna answered, "In kindess and gentleness."
Gianna savored the first slow, ladylike, swallow of the refreshing kindness from the Green Lady with a small smile of pleasure and a silent prayer of thanks. Setting the Apéritif down in front of her, Gianna inclined her head in respect to Harold. Beginning in Sicilian and ending in English, softly spoken, "I miei complimenti, Harold. You have a fine cellar" Then quietly waited for Harold to reply to Artemis.
