Slowly the pale milky daylight of the North Sea filled the dungeon. Derek pushed at the dying embers again, but it was no use. He thought of removing his shirt and burning it but that was not enough to reignite the log. Derek’s teeth were chattering.

A sound. He had heard a distinct sound. He rose to his feet, and moved away from the door. Someone was outside the door. Someone was lifting the simple bolt out of its slots. And now the door was opened outwards and Derek saw the marvelous figure of his son standing there.

His son was dressed in heavy black jeans and a thick white sweater and he had on socks and shoes. His gold and black hair had been tamed and combed. He wore a handsome heavy tweed coat that hung to his knees.

“Come, Father, hurry,” said the boy. “I know where we are and how to get out of here. There are humans on this island, and I don’t know how long we’ll be alone.”

Derek rushed into the young one’s arms.

“Father, there’s no time for tears now,” said the boy. “We can weep and rejoice later. I’ve found bedrooms and wardrobes of garments, garments that fit me, and you. I’ve packed suitcases with clothes, money, lots of it, and passports and credit cards, every conceivable thing we’ll need. Now you have to come and dress. You are shivering. And there’s more work on the computer that I must do. These creatures will pay for having imprisoned you for so many years. They will pay with everything we can take from this place.”

The boy took Derek’s hand and led him fast up a coiling flight of stone steps and into an upper hallway of stone as severe and barren as the dungeon chamber had been.

But within minutes they had reached another floor, with doors open to many well-furnished bedchambers. Ah, the wealth of these demons, Derek thought. His hatred wasn’t strong enough to overcome his fear.

They entered a large oak-paneled room with an upholstered bed, thick blue carpets, and pale salmon-colored draperies over the high-arched windows. The weak northern sun was burning through a gray sky beyond. There were large modern paintings in heavy gilt frames on the walls, and velvet reclining chairs and a thin flat-screen television much larger than Derek had ever seen before.

Desk, computers, chests of drawers, closets overflowing. And the computer on the desk was on with a screen filled with pictures of the sea. It had been years since Derek had seen a computer, and he had never seen one with such a large monitor.