“Arrrrrgh!” shouted Jem and Germain, enthusiastically mimicking the men, who were all making similar noises. Oggy sprang awake, mouth a perfect “O” of horror, and Jenny, with perfect timing, stuck her thumb into it. He reflexively closed his mouth and started to suck, though still round-eyed with amazement.

A lot of grunting, maneuvering, muttered directions, cries of alarm as the stone slipped, laughing and chattering among the spectators as it was caught, and, with a final gasp of effort, the stone was turned flat and dropped into place.

Jamie was bent over, hands on his knees, panting. He straightened slowly, red in the face, sweat running down his neck, and looked at me.

“I hope ye like this house, Sassenach,” he said, and took a deep gulp of air, “because I’m never building ye another.”

Gradually, everyone sorted themselves, and we reassembled at the edge of the new hearth for the final blessing. To my surprise—and to theirs—Jamie beckoned Roger and Ian and made them stand on either side of him where he stood before the hearth.

“Bless to me, O God,” he said, “the moon that is above me.

“Bless to me, O God, the earth that is beneath me,

Bless to me, O God, my wife and my children,

And bless, O God, myself who have care of them;

“Bless to me my wife and my children,

And bless, O God, myself who have care of them.

Bless, O God, the thing on which mine eye doth rest.

Bless, O God, the thing on which my hope doth rest,

Bless, O God, my reason and my purpose.

Bless, O bless Thou them, Thou God of life;

Bless, O God, my reason and my purpose,

Bless, O bless Thou them, Thou God of life.

“Bless to me the bed-companion of my love.

Bless to me the handling of my hands.

Bless, O bless Thou to me, O God, the fencing of my defense.

And bless, O bless to me the angeling of my rest;

Bless, O bless Thou to me, O God, the fencing of my defense.

And bless, O bless to me the angeling of my rest.”

With a nod of his head, he indicated that we should join him, and we did.

“Bless Thou, O God, the dwelling,

And each who rests herein this night;

Bless Thou, O God, my dear ones

In every place wherein they sleep;

In the night that is to-night,

And every single night;

In the day that is to-day,

And every single day.”

Amid murmured instructions, everyone picked up a stick of wood and brought it to the hearth, where Brianna laid it and carefully pressed handfuls of kindling under her construction.

I took my own deep breath, and, taking the twist of straw she handed me, I thrust it into the firepot from my surgery, then knelt on the new green stone and lit the fire.