Lily ladles stew into bowls and hands one to Ruby. "This morning's crop is beets, and the afternoon is whiskerpeaches. You can sleep in the barn again tonight, but after that I'll want you out of here for at least a few days. I don't like having long-term guests."

She accepts the bowl with a smile and nods vigorously. "Makes sense! We'll try to see if Hazel has those tests they mentioned ready today so we have a better idea what's safe for us."

The first bite of stew earns an enthusiastic "mmmmmmmmmm!"

"Well, here's hoping they can help you, or at least find out for sure if you have a soul. I hate to think of you without one."

More nodding as she swallows another bite. "Scary thought! We've got so much to do still!"

"For all I know Hazel has some bizarre trick to gain you one. Steal it from somebody who just became a demon, maybe. But I wouldn't even begin to know whether that's possible, myself."

"Awwww! That'd be awful! I'd rather try to just hold onto theirs and put it back in 'em! The other girls wouldn't let us pass up something like that, though, not if it kept us safer."

Lily shrugs. "I mean, I don't like demons much either, but by the point where they give up their souls I think most people will just turn around and give it up again if you put it back."

"Yeah, and that's sad! I wish we could actually fix them. But we can't."

Sad spoonful of stew. Mmmmm. Still tastes good. Distract herself with the stew so she doesn't reveal that she's hoping the weird constellation thingies will turn out to allow them to fix the demons, because they can't share about the constellation thingies until they're sure they're safe enough to reveal spooky powers. Still sad, though. Also yum.

The stew is indeed delicious. Lily is content to eat it quietly.

The stew cheers her up pretty well. "Mmmm. What's your favorite color?"

"Can't say that I have one, really. Why?"

"'Cause you're cool, and pretty, and nice, and if we make you something we want it to be your favorite color! Or at least something you'll really enjoy looking at when you use it."

Om nom stew!

"Aww." She smiles. "Well, when I build I usually like to build in natural wood. If that helps."

"It does! Got a favorite wood for looks, practical stuff aside?"

"Hmm..." She thinks about it for a second. "I like something with a strong grain—some kinds of maple are like that, I think."

"Okay!" She smiles cheerfully and keeps eating her delicious bowl of stew.

"Don't feel the need to make me expensive presents, mind you," she adds. "I'm not the type to be flattered by gifts. But if you happen to want to sell me an iceless icebox with pretty woodgrain, I won't mind."

"S'not about flattery, s'bout wanting to do what we can to make people we care about happier, just because we can."

She shrugs, and eats more stew.

"Fair enough. Don't let me stop you, then."

And they can eat in companionable silence until it's time to clear the dishes and go pick beets. Ruby finishes first, and then gets up. "I've got the dishes, this time."

"Sure," Lily says agreeably. "There's enough stew left that we can have it again for lunch. Always nice. Meet me behind the orange grove when you're done with the dishes; I'll get a headstart on the beets there."

She clears and cleans off the dishes just like they've seen Lily do, and then heads back behind the orange grove to meet her.

Behold, beets!

Beets!

"Beets!"

She grins cheerfully and watches Lily demonstrate how to pick the beets, and then into baskets they go!

The beets are relatively quick, not as fast as the potatoes but definitely faster than the turnips.

"If you want to see Hazel today," says Lily after the beets have been basketed, "I could send you up the trail with a big sack of vegetables now so you can have lunch with them when you get there. Maybe some oranges for Palla if you want to stop by her along the way, bring Hazel some fish too. What do you think?"