Near noon, the wind picked up again outside. This time, even the strong gusts could not scatter the dark clouds, and soon a torrential downpour arrived. But the fiercer the storm outside became, the warmer and more comfortable the house felt.
The dessert prep work was nearly finished: the white chocolate shells had been put in the freezer to keep cool, the sauces and wafers were ready, and the chestnut paste had been whipped. All that remained was to assemble everything before they left that evening.
Then they began preparing lunch together. Main Universe Batman and Barry went into the woods to chop more firewood, while Greed took out the farm-raised chicken he had brought from Marvel and stewed it with chestnuts, potatoes, and chilies. The entire house filled with the rich aroma of meat.
While Greed was making the stew, Pride cut open another pumpkin. He found that it really did keep as well as everyone had said—despite having been tossed into the yard, and despite the earlier cut surface having darkened somewhat, once he shaved off a thin layer, the flesh inside was still fresh and tender, showing no signs of spoilage at all.
He cooked millet and rice into porridge, scooped out the pumpkin flesh and added it in, then mashed it in the pot until the pumpkin dissolved completely into the congee. Simmered slowly until thick and creamy, it needed no sugar at all; it carried a faint, sweet fragrance on its own.
Next, he cut the pumpkin into triangular pieces, topped them with fish fillets, shrimp, and green peppers, drizzled them with white sauce and hot sauce, sprinkled Mozzarella cheese over them, and baked them in the oven. This was a Gotham specialty snack often found at the Dockside Restaurant: the large pieces of pumpkin