After arriving in the cold, grey city of Vldansk, a lone Englishman spends his days battling hunger, unable to stomach the greasy local 'delicacies' - that is, until he discovers Antonyin's. But his joy at having found the inviting cafe is tarnished when he is haunted by a strange, unattractive woman who comes in nightly, seeking him out. When she finally puts forward to the man a startling proposition, he is repulsed and appalled; yet it prompts an unshakeable idea to take root in his mind.
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection The Boy Who Taught the Beekeeper to Read.