The simple life is fine and dandy, but Caspar does miss the comforts of modern life. At least he can rely on the Nexus for a good cup of coffee. He dwells on this while he savors the rest of his mocha.

"I'm glad you got the hang of it," Adia says. "I would have recommended bagless, too, you don't need that extra step." Far be it from her to find Amelia's learning curve laughable. As for the list of herbs, she smiles reassuringly. "Yes, that was very helpful. If there are other books you can recommend, that'd be great. I think Caspar could use a good pain balm."

Caspar blinks out of his thoughts. "What?"

She gestures to her waist. "Oh, you know. When your side was acting up on New Year's?"

There is a brief flash of guilt before Caspar forces out a small laugh. "Yeah, that. Sure. Couldn't hurt..."

Feeling awkward for bringing it up, Adia quickly finishes the rest of her mocha, then stands up. "Would you like to see inside the cabin now, Amelia? Oh, I can show you the beehives first, if you like, although nothing's really happening right now."