“I hope that councilwoman fancies you as much as Flora says she does,” said Innes, confusing Joel, who didn’t have a clue.

Nonetheless it weighed an absolute ton, and they sweated and panted loading it onto the island’s only flatbed truck, which belonged to Anndra the builder, who fortunately had four stout children, so hadn’t needed much persuading; it was a dang sight easier than having to fly them all to Inbhir Nis to see the Christmas lights. Now all they needed was a Santa. Politely, nobody mentioned to Anndra that with his rotund belly and fine beard, he was almost certainly the best specimen they had.

Isla came out with hot toddies for everyone, partly because it was freezing, partly because everyone else was insane with curiosity as to what they were up to and it had fallen to her to try to wheedle it out of them.

“No chance,” said Konstantin, rushing up to her. “Stay there!” he commanded, then came up behind her and put his hands over her eyes. “Don’t look! Hold the tray still! You can’t see!!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Isla, but she stood stock-still nonetheless. It was the oddest sensation, feeling his long smooth hands in front of her eyes, sensing his tall presence behind her. She found herself trembling slightly. It was the cold, had to be.

Of course he wouldn’t be thinking anything of it—he was only playing. On the other hand, he stiffened too, she was sure of it; for just a second, she thought she felt him quiver, and in an uncharacteristically tremulous voice he said, “Come on, everyone, take your drinks! But don’t let her see it!”

“I want to see it!”

“You can see it when it’s ready.”

“That’s very unfair when I’ve made all the hot toddies!”

“I don’t care! Turn around.”

Reluctantly, she turned around, his arms making sure she didn’t stumble, and looked up at him. Her tray was empty now; he held the last two glasses and handed one back to her.

“Can you come and find me when I can see it?” she found herself asking him.

“Immediately,” he said, without hesitation.

And just for a second, under the freezing dark starlight and the moon halfway through its travels to the east, they looked at each other, her small head tilted upward toward him. And Konstantin felt something quite unusual; it was, he thought, not unlike the feeling you got when you saw a little bird or a kitten—something very fragile, very innocent, that you had to be very careful not to touch or disturb.

It was the oddest thing; he’d barely given his sink mate a second thought. But now he saw her eyes wide open, looking up at him, a frightfully appealing look around her face.

“Oi!” shouted Hamish, and she broke free.

He watched her, thoughtfully, as she took the tray back up to the hotel. She kept her promise not to turn around.

THEY HAD TAKEN the wings off the sculpture, but it was still a monster as they strapped it down with guy ropes, and finally, Innes started very carefully backing out of the driveway of the Rock, the others jumping around the outside, making sure it didn’t wobble too much, then, very carefully, Innes did a four-hundred-point turn and headed off, trundling down the headland away from the lit-up hotel and on toward the village.