The first pale light of dawn crept across the eastern sky.

In the kitchen — a blend of Eastern and Western styles — soft sounds had been keeping their quiet rhythm for the past two hours. The rich, savory scent of meat poridge drifted through the air, thick and warm and impossible to ignore.

The housekeeper ladled the porridge into a thermal container, smiling as she worked. "From now on, Mr. Hale can follow this same method. People recovering from surgery need ...