‘It’s Frikk,’ she said.

He could see tears running down her face, and the way she was drying them off with an impatient hand. ‘Vipers,’ she said. ‘A bloody nest of bloody vipers. I have to get him to the vet.’

Jack bent over and looked at the dog. Frikk was panting and he didn’t look like his normal energetic self. His nose was swollen and bloody. It didn’t look good.

‘You can’t go out there alone. Not in that boat,’ he said.

‘I don’t have time to get any of the others. Frikk needs help now. There’s an emergency vet in Haugesund. I’ve called them, and they will stand by for us.’

Her teeth were chattering. Jack made a quick decision. ‘I’ll come with you.’

Ninni shook her head. ‘No, you can’t. You’re not båtvant – I mean, you’re not used to boats. I can’t worry about you too.’

Jack picked up the old life jacket from the boathouse and put it on. ‘I’ll take care of Frikk while you drive. Get in the boat. There’s no time to waste.’

She didn’t argue, but got into the boat. Jack lifted Frikk carefully and handed him to her, then got into the boat himself.

‘Sit down in the middle,’ Ninni said. ‘That way there’s not that much water on you and it’s a bit easier to travel.’

She didn’t wait for him to do as she instructed; instead she got the engine started and the boat headed out to sea.

Jack tried not to think about the movement of the waves, or the wind pulling at the hood of his raincoat. He focused on the dog, holding him tight to his chest and trying to shield him from the rain as best he could.

Ninni held onto the engine handle and steered them out of the bay and into the open sea. Jack had no idea if she was going in the right direction.

‘You know where it is, right?’

She nodded, grim-faced. ‘I’ve been sailing this way since I was eight, Jack. We’ll be fine. It’s just rain.’

It didn’t feel like “just rain” to him. There were no bursts any more, just a solid wall of rain. His trousers were soaked. I have a soggy bottom, he thought, and didn’t find it remotely funny.

‘Hang on, Jack. I’ll try to get in as fast as I can, and it will be a bit bumpy. How is he?’

She had to bellow over the wind. Jack looked at the dog. He was breathing, but it was shallow. ‘Just get us there.’

The blanket she had wrapped around Frikk was wet too. Jack knew that if the dog went into shock they would have a bigger problem than getting to shore. He fiddled with his raincoat and managed to slip Frikk inside. His shirt got as wet as the rest of him, but at least it gave Frikk some shelter.

He watched Ninni. She looked like a Fury with her hair flying in the wind, whipping her face while she paid no attention to any of it. She had to be as drenched as he was, possibly more, as she was sitting on the stern, more open to the elements than he was. And yet she didn’t seem to notice anything.