He led her forward. The air turned warm, and a door slammed behind her, when Puck said she could open her eyes again.

She opened her eyes gently, she was unsure of why it turned warm suddenly.

She stood in a cozy, round room, the walls made of smooth red wood, the floor covered with mossy carpet. A flat rock on three stumps served as a table in the center of the room, displaying berries the size of soccer balls. A rope ladder hung on the far wall. Dozens of insects crawled on the walls or hovered in the air high above them, for the trunk extended farther than they could see. Each bug was the size of a cocker spaniel, and their rear ends glowed a luminescent yellow-green.

"Youve been renovating, Twiggs," Puck said, sitting on a bundle of furs that passed for a couch. "This place was barely a hole in the tree when I saw it last."

Twiggs looked pleased. He was their height now, and up close he smelled of cedar and moss.

"Yes, Ive grown quite fond of it," Twiggs said, walking over to the table. He picked up a knife and split a berry into thirds, arranging the pieces on wooden plates. "Still, I might have to move soon. The dryads whisper to me, tell me dark things. They say parts of the wyldwood are dying, vanishing more every day. No one knows what is causing it."

"You know whats causing it," Puck said, draping the squirrel tail over his lap. "We all do. This is nothing new."

"No." Twiggs shook his head. "Mortal disbelief has always taken a bit of the Nevernever, but not like this. This is...different. Its hard to explain. Youll see what I mean if you go any farther."

He handed them each a plate with a huge slab of red berry, half an acorn, and a pile of what looked like steamed white grubs.

Amelia sat next to Puck.
"What is... this?" She asked looking at the things on the plate. She didn't want to seem rude, so she tried to ask politely.

"It's dinner!" Twiggs replied.

"Er... ok?" She said quietly.
"Puck I'm... not sure if I can eat this..." She whispered to Puck.

"Not even the berry?" He asked. He was unable to eat the acorn portion, but other than that...

"Maybe..."

"Well, I'm sure I could find you something else to eat in the morning...there's nothing else in here, soo..."

"Ok... i'll try the berry..." She said reluctantly, but took a bite of it.