“You guys have some issues,” he said, deadpan.

“You have no idea,” grumbled Giancarlo.

With that Carter got to his feet and wiped the dirt from his hands.

“Now what do we do?” he asked.

“Since we can’t call for help, I suppose we’ll have to carry him out. Do you think we can manage it?”

“Sure,” said Carter with a shrug. Then he gave Giorgio a sideways look. “That is, if you still want to.”

Gazing down at Giorgio and seeing the look of true affection in his brother’s eyes, Giancarlo realized he could no longer stay angry at him. After all, what would have been the use of it?

“Why not?” he finally said with a smile. “I guess it’s time for all of us to go home.”

Later, when Giancarlo and Carter finally descended out of the mist, bearing Giorgio on the stretcher they had fashioned from their walking sticks and tarp, someone on the piazza caught sight of them, and a jubilant cry went up all over Castelalto. Within moments people from all over the village came rushing out to help. Giancarlo and Carter, their faces white with fatigue, were only too glad to hand over the stretcher when at last the joyous throng reached them. Their arms resting across each other’s shoulders, they staggered behind like battle-weary soldiers while the other men carried Giorgio back to the piazza, where an ambulance was already waiting.The rest of the crowd pressed in around the two and escorted them home, cheering for them the whole way, like they were conquering heroes.

It was a chaotic scene when they reached the piazza, everything happening in a whirl, as if in a dream. By then word had reached Antonella and her daughters, and the three came running from the house, wild with relief and joy. The tears streaming from their eyes, they rushed to Giorgio’s side as the rescue workers transferred him to a real stretcher and prepared to put him into the ambulance. Antonella, who had stayed cool and collected through it all, was now so happy and yet so distraught at the pitiable sight of her injured husband that all she could do was sob uncontrollably, while Giulia and Daniela cried, “Papa! Papa!”

Giancarlo stood with Carter in the midst of the crowd, watching with a smile the reunion of his brother and wife and their beautiful children. It was not until they were putting Giorgio into the ambulance that Antonella finally turned Giancarlo’s way and gazed at him for a fleeting moment with eyes full of gratitude. For now there was nothing more that needed to be said between the two, so Giancarlo simply smiled and nodded in reply. Then Antonella climbed in with Giorgio, the doors closed behind her, and soon the ambulance took them away.