“Isaac, get your ass out here. They called an island-wide conference to make an announcement. Just lock the place up and turn the fires off so it doesn’t burn down.”

He frowned. “Turn them off, huh?”

“Yes. Hurry.”

He frowned even more frownier. “Do you know how fires work?”

Thirty minutes later they passed the secondary school then came upon the big pavilion that had been erected nearby—a huge awning with dozens of picnic tables. Isaac had managed to temper his fires and safety-inspect the Forge before leaving, and then he and Miyoko had sprinted the mile or so to town. It was customary to have a community meal after big deliberations by the Congress, something about healing wounds and creating solidarity after the leaders had spent hours or days on end yelling and swearing at each other. Isaac was anxious to hear what had been discussed and decided about the starving lady who’d shown up on a boat. But, as Dominic always said, a person should never, under any circumstances, turn down free food.

It was already crowded, so Isaac and Miyoko didn’t bother finding their friends. Miyoko found an empty spot near the outer edge of the pavilion. The tables had stacks of food running down their centers—several variations of bread and biscuits; whole fruits; blocks of cheese; baked potatoes and vegetables; a few platters of cooked lamb. That last one you had to eat sparingly or you’d get the evil eye from every old person on the island.

Isaac had worked up a mighty sweat and burnt lots of calories hammering away at the Forge. He practically shoved the food into his mouth—his teeth, tongue, and throat labored double-time to keep up. Miyoko gave him a look of utter disgust a couple of times, so he slowed down a bit. He was just tearing into a grilled lamb chop—which he’d saved for last—when Trish came up from behind and put a hand on his shoulder.

“That one’s name was Tickles the Sheep, I think,” she said. “I hope you feel guilty.”

He looked back at her. “Hey! Heard anything?”

“Maybe don’t talk with your mouth full.” She leaned closer, her head right between Isaac and Miyoko. “Be sure and sit with us at the presentation—we’ll try to save a spot. Something’s going down, and you guys have to stick with us. No matter what. You didn’t try to sneak any of the wine, did you?”