Back home, Evelyn Ford dealt with the multi-colored snake. She placed the mushrooms she had dug up in the courtyard for Ronan Kendrick to wash. Once clean, he sliced them and laid them out to dry under the scorching sun. When they became dried mushrooms, they could be used for stews and stir-fries.
For the next several days, Evelyn Ford, like everyone else, became nocturnal—sleeping during the day and diligently venturing out to the periphery at night to dig for mushrooms.
It was no longer possible to grow vegetables in the sandy soil; even the Four Seasons Green was starting to wither across large patches. Evelyn Ford cut down the dried grass and brought it back, putting the waste to good use by weaving it into mats.
