Phil nods very sagely. He thinks about Hawk telling him about the farm life Radar comes from, how young he was in the Army. A chord resolves in his head; a complete thought, a confirmed insight. And with its resolution, a leading line begins to layer itself on top: I think I know where to take this.

"Right. That's all true. There's a couple of other tips, though."

He holds up one talon. "First, you drink a lotta water with it. That dilutes the alcohol so you don't get as drunk as fast. And alcohol tends to dehydrate you, so it keeps you more healthy too." And a second talon: "Second, you wanna have plenty of food with it. The food absorbs the alcohol instead of going straight into your intestines, so that paces out how fast you get drunk, too. Food and water. Got it?"