I thought he must be depressed about Viridian. I was, too, although it didn’t lead me to thoughts of cutting my hair. “Come on,” I said, getting up. “Let’s see if the others are here.”

They had just pulled up when we got back to the lodge. Anders got out first, followed by Sacha. Viridian was in the back seat. She took her time getting out, but I couldn’t see anything tired or strained about her. “Did you know,” Sacha said, looking around her, “they used to pan for gold on this river. A few of them got rich but most of the prospectors gave up and died broke. Isn’t that a perfect parable for writing?”

Viridian said she was glad to see me, and she hoped I wasn’t working too hard. Not at all, I said. But I scarcely knew what to say to her, after all the talking we’d done about her. I felt guilty, almost disloyal, even though everything we’d said had been on her behalf and, one hoped, for her benefit. She was dressed in jeans and a black shirt, her hair tied back with a bandana. Standing next to her, I was aware once more that she was in fact a small person; it was only her presence that was large.

“Thank you for getting me the job,” I said. “It’s a real opportunity.”

“Oh, it’s a zoo and you’re the zookeeper,” she said cheerfully. “Who is it that’s supposed to be here anyway?”

“You remember Bettina,” Sacha said. “And Gary? And April, who takes the beautiful photographs?”

“I’m sure I will, once I set eyes on them.”

I saw Tony Presto hurrying toward us to greet everyone, and I excused myself. Gil and I had work to do.

The reception was held in the main lodge and spilled out over onto the front porch and the river deck. Gil and I poured out wine in reusable plastic glasses and kept the trays of cheese and fruit and vegetables coming. I was grateful for Gil. She worked hard and without complaining and she wasn’t impressed by anyone’s publications.

Viridian sat on one of the front porch rockers and I was glad to see so many people making a point of coming by to greet her and talk with her. She’d changed into a long green dress I hadn’t seen before, and the malachite necklace, and she’d pinned and braided her hair into a silver crown. She was still the queen. She smiled and laughed, engaged and happy. So far at least, it seemed like a good idea for her to be here. And how could we have kept her away? We all seemed to be stumbling up and over an ill-defined line, some nervous territory between friends and caretakers.

Sacha sat at the edge of the porch at Viridian’s feet, and Anders stood sentry next to her. Sacha’s pretty hair made you think of the sun behind a cloud. Anders, on the other hand, with his gaunt, unsmiling face, resembled the sun going down at the start of a Nordic winter.