"I'm not sure there's even a place," says Matilda. "It might just be the idea of a place."

She looks down at her list. "Okay, now I'll try bringing some of this back."

The plate works. So does a second, identical plate, a moment later. And a small pile of flour on top. And a bowl, helpfully upside-down, on top of that. Because it's convenient, she completes the stack with a slice of bread, a donut, and finally a very large raspberry, which she is interested to note appears in its non-nibbled state.