Billy came splashing through the center of the creek toward them, holding in his hand a wet and soggy envelope. Water was dripping from the uneven ends of his bangs and from his bare arms. There was a look of excited discovery on his face, as though he had just found the Lost Dutchman gold mine or had just unearthed some long-buried treasure. “Dad!”

Doug marked his place in the book and put it down on a large dry rock next to him. “What is it?”

“Come here. You have to come here.”

He looked at Tritia questioningly.

“Oh, do something with your son for a change,” she said. “Remember what we talked about? Besides, it’s a beautiful day. Don’t sit here and waste your life reading.”

Doug stood up. “That’s where he gets it,” he said, wagging an admonishing finger in her direction. “It’s a part of the rampant anti-intellectualism that’s sweeping this country.”

“Pedant.”

“Fine. But if he turns out to be a gas-station attendant, it’s your fault. I tried my best.” He took his wallet out of his pants, placing it on top of his book, then walked over the weeds and rocks toward his son. Scores of tiny brown grasshoppers sprang up at each step, moving frantically from one clump of grass to another. “What is it?” he asked Billy. “And why do you have that letter in your hand?”

“I can’t tell you, I have to show you.”

“Where is it?”

“Just down the creek aways.”

“Do I have to get wet?”

Billy laughed. “Don’t be such a baby. Come on.”

Doug took one tentative step into the water. It was cold.

“Weird stuff,” Billy promised. He waved the envelope tantalyzingly in the air. “There’s more where this came from. That’s your only hint.”

Doug stepped fully into the water. The creek was cold, but it was shallow and came up only to midthigh. Billy began moving away, motioning for him to follow, and he waded after his son.

They rounded a bend and then another one, the cliffs growing steeper on the sides. The water was a little deeper here, the rocks at the bottom slippery. On the floor of the clear creek he could see small black spots on some of the stones. Leeches. “I didn’t know you were walking through this kind of area,” he said. “I don’t like it. It’s dangerous. From now on, you stay closer to us.”

“It’s not that bad.”

Doug nearly slipped, and he caught himself on a rock with his hand. Billy, however, was wading straight through the water like an expert. “Well, at least make sure someone’s with you if you go out of sight. You could break your head and we’d never know.”

Billy had stopped at another bend, pointing around the curve. “There it is,” he said.

Doug caught up to him.

And stopped.