`` it 's late , '' he said , cutting across her thoughts in the way he usually did . a slap across my cheek , hard enough to rock me back on my heels . `` i wish we had a monkey that we could make taste our food to see if it was poisonous . he had n't intended to ask the question . that your production line produces more than another ... well , it 's not important if the total production of the shop goes down , now is it ? 