We decide to leave Lakoswa-boggle-gobble-whatchamallik in the capable, burnt, branded and ugly hands of Rasthrum the vampire-survivor. Certainly, he can handle the City Of A Hundred Haunts better than the Coven did. He, in turn, offers me a bout of Craige Rooster blood, but now that my curse has officially been lifted, I graciously refuse. He also tells us we can come to Lakoswa-boggle-gobble-whatchamallik as and when we so desire, and that no one shall give us any trouble. He gives each of us a silver amulet - which Es chews on, thinking it to be another toffee - and apparently we can put the amulet in our mouth (not eat it, Es) for a few seconds while wishing for ourselves to be in Lakoswanion (about time I start saying it right, right?) and something or else will happen and we will find ourselves here, no hassle, no charges. Saayu the Nerth-doll takes us to Mr. Cellomann's Sweet Sweetshop, and we pass the awning announcing the name of the shop like the bosses we now are, past the jelly-men (this time See pelts after the orange jelly man, grinding the poor guy's wrist off with his canines) and the caramel raft and the custard pool and the Vanilla-Milkshake-Man Machine, and find the wackster sitting with his grasshopper-legs crossed, relishing chocolate-coated strawberries - he tries to dart, seeing us, his face whitening even through all the clown-foundation that he has on - but Rasthrum grabs Mr. Cellomann by his wacky collar . . . and the rest is history.

Except the fact that we tasted nearly every single item in the shop after that and made our tummies swell to the size of the planet Saturn. (Not literally, but you know.)

Suddenly then, it is time for us to leave.

Rasthrum escorts us back to the lake, and after that we're on our own. Es seems to want to touch and taste ever single thing she sees - I wonder how long it is before she turns into a cannibal - and Mr. Om seems to be rowing much better, now that he is content and has two hands to dispose. We pass the UFOs (Ubiquitous Faceless Orangutans, remember? I'm so proud of my naming skills) and I think I even spot the lizard-heads. They don't worry me, however. Nothing does.

Hence, as you can probably imagine, the return journey is pleasant.