For nearly an hour, Pipe Eddy and Serena played the pipe and harp in perfect harmony.

“You’re very talented,” said Serena at last, “Is there any special girl who likes you where you come from?”

“I don’t really come from anywhere,” said Pipe Eddy, “But I do feel sure that there’s a very special girl where I am now. Would you be so kind as to hold me up in front of your face?”

“My pleasure,” said Serena, and put down her harp and lifted Pipe Eddy up in front of her eyes.

“Could I go down one level?” asked Pipe Eddy.

Serena obliged him. With her generous lower lip right in front of his face, Pipe Eddy proceeded to kiss it.

“Thank you,” she said at last, “That was even nicer than your music. It’s a shame that I promised Mother I’d make an appearance at that banquet. I’d much rather stay out here with you, but I’d love to see you again soon.”

“Now that your mother has invited me to live in her garden without being eaten, I’m sure we shall see a lot of each other,” said Pipe Eddy, “I look forward to it very much.”

Inside Mrs Grimble’s castle, Alice enjoyed eating one of the Lost Boys as soon as they were invited to make their choices. Shortly after that, Serena came inside and introduced herself to Alice, and the two of them quickly made friends with each other. While the banquet was still in full swing, Alice invited Serena over to her own house to meet Robert, whom she now had no intention of eating. Serena took the opportunity to leave the banquet, and soon marvelled at the way Robert sometimes shrank temporarily almost completely out of sight, and later regrew to the approximate size of the Pied Pipe Eddy. Serena warned Alice that her mother would waste no time in eating Robert if she ever learned of his existence.

“I can understand that,” said Alice, “I almost ate him myself on several occasions, but that was when I was hungry.”

“We’re in love now,” said Robert to Serena.

“I was always in love with you,” said Alice, “I just prioritized eating over kissing when I was hungry.”

Meanwhile, Red Jean picked up one of the Lost Boys. All around the large room, giantesses were either eating Lost Boys straight away, or making conversation and getting to know their meals first. One Lost Boy even managed to secure a dance on the shoulder of a giantess, before she went on to eat him.

Red Jean’s Lost Boy looked into her eyes and spoke:

“My name is Michael. If I have to be eaten, I’d much prefer to be eaten by the sweetest looking lady here.”

“Why thank you, said Jean, and carried him out onto the front lawn of the castle’s property, “… Little darling, I’m not really going to eat you. I think you’re a very handsome boy too. I’d like to take you with me, and we’ll have many kisses.”

Red Jean and Michael left the banquet early, after Jean had concealed Michael on her person to give the impression that she had eaten him.

Late in the evening, the banquet began to wind down, and the guests soon left, one by one. Actually, it was two by two, as each of the swallowed Lost Boys had no choice but to be carried out of the castle inside the stomach of whichever giantess had eaten