Gordon's work ethic is legendary. The governor once joked that if Gordon put
up his feet for an afternoon that he would give him a silver coin for
learning the "art of resting". Was this incentive enough? No. There are also
rumors the governor will declare any holiday taken by Gordon a public
holiday for the entire town, with all expenses paid for from the governor's
pocket.
What are we to make of these outlandish claims? Namely, that Gordon
never stops working (or talking too, even in his sleep). Secondly, the
governor's silver is quite safe from Gordon and the town's lack of public
funds is quite safe from being exposed.
No one from the old palace ever united public opinion (excluding the old
king and General Cesares) quite like chef Gordon, whose signature recipes
have been copied from coast to coast.
But professional success doesn't
necessarily translate to personal popularity. Outside of the kitchen Gordon
is generally considered a foul-mouthed, sullen, and irritating perfectionist
that has earned him the title "the mad chef".
Not many people get to know the real Gordon underneath his rough
exterior—except perhaps Howard, whom he once rescued from an imperial
prison.
Always at the top of any list ranking the kingdom's greatest chefs,
and purveyor of 25 separate restaurants, Gordon somehow found time in his
busy schedule to donate huge amounts of silver to the poor and look after
the royal kitchen. If anyone can be called the pontiff of the cooking world,
it's Gordon.
Yet the same professional is also the fastest to lose his
temper. In the kitchen he might be found at any point to be yelling curse
words. "Get out of here, Jack! You call these steamed clams? I oughtta kick
you out of the kitchen myself. Now get!"
Gordon is also a man of righteous fury. Luckily, he is also pretty good with
a spatula in a tight spot. Somehow Gordon didn't think twice about
organizing a prison break for his friend Howard. His friend could only look
at the unfolding drama and wonder: what manner of chef is this?
Gordon
brandished the spatula aggressively in the face of the prison guards. "Get
back, scumbags!" he shouted. It was hard to get close to the flailing chef.
Little by little, Gordon and his rescuee inched to the exit.
It was hard to
imagine a stranger sight than a middle-aged chef in an apron waving a
spatula with a helpless friend under his other arm. Even stranger still is
Gordon received barely a scratch for his jailbreak. The strangest part yet?
His friend remained asleep through most of escape, wrapped up in a carpet...