The fear did not last long. When it was mealtime, they soon received the treatment fitting of their given identities.
Each person was given two fist-sized potatoes and a ladle of vegetable soup. This portion wasn't enough to fill even one stomach.
Pregnant women and children had slightly better rations, receiving an additional slice of black bread and a small piece of dried fish. A few bits of oil floated atop their vegetable soup.
Such a blatant disparity in treatment was a clear signal to the observant—this was a deliberate move to keep them hungry.
The real serfs showed no reaction. Starvation was already their norm. They had rarely ever eaten their fill since childhood. However, this was pure torment for Mike and Hatcher, clergy members who had infiltrated among them.
Though they were at the bottom rungs of the Clergy, they were still part of the ruling class. Their fathers were clergy personnel too, so they at least had the means to keep their stomachs full.
