Carter and Domenico worked for a good long while, making steady progress on the rest of the tiles, before stopping to take a break. The two sat on a ceiling beam and let their legs dangle down. Domenico lit a cigarette and breathed a puff of smoke into the air.

“So, Presidente,” he said, wiping his sweaty brow with the back of his hand, “what do you think of our little town out here in the Abruzzi, eh?”

“I like it very much,” said Carter truthfully. “I’m looking forward to seeing some more of the area this afternoon, when I take a ride with Giorgio and Antonella.”

“Eh, what’s to see?” joked Domenico. “Mountains, valleys, people.You can see it all right here in Castelalto.”

“Yes, but I was hoping to get a cone of gelato today,” noted Carter.

“Ah, you have me there,” sighed Domenico. “We don’t have a single gelateria in town. It’s one of a lot of things we don’t have in town, as a matter of fact. Castelalto, as you’ve probably already guessed, is not the most exciting place in the world.”

The words had no sooner left Domenico’s lips when Carter suddenly sensed a strange vibration rising up through the foundation of the house. It began as a mild shudder, but quickly grew in intensity, until it shook the entire house with such force that some of the loosened tiles on the roof cracked and fell off by themselves. Fearing that they would fall, as well, Carter and Domenico each instinctively grabbed the other by the shoulder, and the two hung on for dear life. As quickly as the event began, it peaked and died away, like the reverberation of a passing train.

When calm had returned and all had once more grown still, a blanch-faced Domenico tossed away his cigarette and made the sign of the cross.

“Whoa, what was that?” said Carter, whose own face had gone pale.

“Terremoto,” said Domenico nervously. “An earthquake. A little one, thank God.”

Just then there came another low rumble, echoing in the distance like the sound of an approaching thunderstorm. Like the tremor, it lasted but a few moments, then died away.

“Terremoto?” said Carter, not at all anxious for a repeat performance.

Domenico looked out with puzzlement at the surrounding mountains and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“No,” he finally said, shaking his head. “That was something different, but I don’t know what. But whatever it was, I think that’s enough work for today, eh?”

“D’accordo,” said Carter, not needing to be told twice, and the two scrambled down from the roof.

“Va a casa,” Domenico told him when they were back down on the ground at the foot of the ladder. “Get back home.”

Without another word, Carter hurried away.