At lunchtime in Felt Presence, the pumpkins began trading seeds.

The ceramic pumpkin searched all six pockets of his mustard waistcoat.

He found four acorns, a loose thread and a small brown button.

“Rare variety,” he said.

The skeletons planted it in a pincushion and watered it with one drop from a thimble.

Nothing happened.

They turned away politely.

When they looked back, the button had put down a single loop of thread.

By afternoon, a second button had appeared beside it.

The skeletons brought a larger pincushion. Nobody wanted to stunt the cardigan.