The Count smiled mysteriously at his dinner companions. "If you knew me better, you wouldn't worry about such things. I'm a traveler who's eaten everywhere. Pasta in Italy, rice dishes in Turkey, curry in India, even exotic delicacies in China. I eat anything, just not much of it. And today, when you're criticizing my small appetite, is actually one of my hungry days. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning."
"What?!" The guests gasped in unison. "You haven't eaten in twenty-four hours?"
"That's right," the Count said casually. "I had to make a detour to gather some information, so I arrived late and didn't want to stop for food."
"Did you at least eat in your carriage?" Albert de Morcerf asked, incredulous.
"No, I slept. That's what I usually do when I'm tired but don't feel like entertaining myself, or when I'm hungry but don't feel like eating."
"Wait, you can just sleep whenever you want?" Morrel leaned forward with interest.
"Yes."
"You have some kind of technique?"
