Follow a Stranger

and which were rather big, then joined him as he came out

of his room, in sweater and slacks, a thick waterproof in his

hand.

He looked at her, one brow arched. “Where is your

raincoat?” And when she explained that she did not have

one, he went off and came back with one of his mother’s. He

pushed her into it as if she were a child, buttoning it

quickly. Then he waved her down the stairs and followed.

Mrs. Lillitos hugged them both. “Be careful, my dears,”

she said, and shut the front door behind them.

They took the jeep and drove through the blinding rain at

a speed which terrified Kate. She said nothing, but sat,

twisted into a corkscrew of fear, beside him, grinding her

teeth and clenching her fists on the side of the door.

They stopped, suddenly, as the jeep ran over something

in the road.

“We are as far as we can go,” Marc said, peering through

the darkness and the sheeting rain. Kate could see

practically nothing, but she followed him out of the jeep,

carrying one of the boxes he had brought down with him.

They stumbled over rocks for a while, then came to a

place where the road was completely blocked, and they had

to climb down from the road, On slippery, muddy grass,

Kate clinging to Marc’s firm hand to guide her.

The village of Etrusci lay at the base of a sheer cliff. The

storm had dislodged rocks from above, sending them

crashing down on the end of the village. Fortunately, only

some dozen houses were involved, but the people who had

been in them were only now being dug out of the ruins of

their homes.