N ell had grown too long for her old crib mattress, and so Harv, her big 
brother, said he would help get a new one. He was big enough, he offhandedly 
mentioned, to do that sort of thing. Nell followed him into the kitchen, which 
housed several important boxy entities with prominent doors. Some were warm, 
some cool, some had windows, some made noises. Nell had frequently seen Harv, 
or Tequila, or one of Tequila's boyfriends, removing food from them, in one 
stage or another of doneness.