Mucum walked around the room, peering into corners and prodding the moss bed. “Still, they can’t help bein’ ugly….”

There was a polite cough. “Yow be wanting some vittles,” said a voice from right behind him. Mucum turned, his face flaming red with embarrassment. The figure that held a tray bearing food was a smaller, very obviously female version of Joe, wearing a loose camisole that floated over her pearl-white skin.

“Th-thanks!” Mucum stuttered.

“Oi be Flo! And yow be that boy from far above what I held in moi arms!”

Mucum didn’t know where to put himself. Her smile was stronger than any punch. Bald, yes. But ugly? Two pairs of fluttering eyelashes were having a strange effect on him. “Ta … much appreciated.”

“It be moi pleasure! Oi says, Pa, can’t have the tide sweepin’ them fine young boys away! It was moi that washed yow … all over!” She stared at Mucum.

Mucum went even redder, as if his face was a firework about to explode.

“How old be yow?”

“Err …” Mucum’s normal self-confidence had suddenly vanished. What a stupid twig, forgetting your own age. “Oh! Fourteen.”

It was as if all of Flo’s birthdays had come at once. “Why, that be moi age, too. We be a right young pair!”

“Yeah …,” said Mucum. Same age, but she was at least a foot taller. The conversation was messing with his head.

Flo finally pointed to the tray. “Soup and shroom-bread. Moight not be what yow used to, but the warter is the freshest, deepest-root-seekinest stuff yow’ll ever slip between yow lips!”

Mucum wished the girl would stop looking at him but was distracted by a salty, rather enticing smell.

“Yow lot from up top be somewhat little. Yow needs to get some good grub down. Then yow might grows a bit, and catch moi up, warghhh?”

Mucum had never been called little before, but as the towering girl finally bent over to put down the tray, he felt like he was back in nursery school.

“I be leavin’ yow to it!” Flo bowed over and backed away, her eyes still filled with curiosity at the sight of these two tiny Dendrans — one in particular. A blink of her two hypnotizing eyes and she was gone.

“I think she likes you,” said Ark, stating the obvious.

“Suppose it beats hangin’ out in the sewers.” Mucum wasn’t going to admit to anything. He perched on the edge of the bed and grabbed one of the hot, steaming bowls. “Though I dunno what these lumps are!” He plucked one out of the broth with his spoon and studied it. “Eyeballs? Or worse …” Mucum’s lips turned down in disgust. “They could be goat’s —”

“Got it!” said Ark. “Mussels! That’s the answer!”

“Yup!” said Mucum, bending his free arm to flex a bicep. “Can’t help bein’ a handsome hunk! “