Antonella took a deep breath to compose herself.

“Yes, you are right,” she finally said, her eyes suddenly darting back and forth as she contemplated how this would be best accomplished. “First,” she said, “I must tell my parents what has happened, before they hear it from someone else.”

“What about your daughters?”

“Both of them live in the city,” she said. “I called them this morning after the quake to make sure they were all right. I’ll call them again later, when we know more about their father.”

“What can I do in the meantime?” said Carter.

“You can start spreading the word,” she told him.

“Where should I begin?”

Despite the circumstances, Antonella’s face broke into a thin, rueful smile. “You remember Demetrio,” she said, “the man you and Giorgio drank wine with yesterday?”

“Yes,” said Carter.

“Go to his house first, and tell his wife, Ernestina,” she said with a mildly sardonic air. “Start there, and by the time you get home, the whole village will certainly know.”

Later, after the police had come and gone, and the news about Giorgio had spread all through Castelalto, people began coming to the door. The women rushed straight in and gathered around to console Antonella, who had stationed herself on the living room couch, with her mother and father beside her. It was not long before her two daughters, Giulia and Daniela, arrived with their husbands, Michele and Nunzio.The two couples had met up in Pescara and made the drive to Castelalto together. After being introduced to the four, Carter excused himself and went outside to wait with the men of the village, who had gathered outside. All were talking among themselves in somber voices, trying to decide what they should do. No one, it seemed, had seen Giorgio go off that morning. He might have gone anywhere, but it was agreed that the likeliest place to look for him was near the area of the landslide. Night was already falling, however, and few if any of the men were equipped for hiking during the day, never mind in the dark. They would have to wait until morning to organize themselves and ascend the mountain to assist in the search for their friend. And so it was decided that everyone able to make the climb would meet on the piazza at first light. Till then, all they could do was pray that, wherever he had lost himself, Giorgio would survive the night.