Franck took a large swig of water before he started climbing the second hill, hitching the ropes back up onto his shoulders. He couldn’t believe he had been so bold as to come up with such a plan, though he wasn’t completely sure he was ruthless enough to go through with it. Once more, the look on the dog’s face spurred him on, a look in which he saw the iron will of an animal used to hunting, biting and killing. As much as it comforted him, it was full of violence. It told him that sometimes it was necessary not merely to defend oneself, but also to attack.

It was getting cooler under the trees. Franck climbed between the tightly packed oaks, no longer even trying to find the winding path that had now almost vanished. His sights were set on the summit. With every step came the sharp snapping sound of old branches breaking, and twigs clawed at him on all sides, clinging to him and whipping through the air as they sprang back again. He felt he was entering a completely different world that demanded stamina, strength and endurance, where he just had to concentrate on avoiding the brambles and rocks and getting past the traps along the way. The slope was difficult and steep, but at least it was in the shade.

Lise left the balcony to make herself an iced tea. She didn’t want to disturb the silence, but she turned on the radio for some background noise. This time, it was strangely set to reggae. The selection of tracks wasn’t entirely random; a certain type of music played for fifteen to twenty minutes – the next one could just as well be jazz or classical, country, rap, or even Léo Ferré. She was surprised by how hot it was as she went back upstairs. She looked at the hills she was about to paint, moved by the knowledge that Franck was walking through the trees at that very moment. Her husband was integrated into the scene she was planning to paint, but he couldn’t be seen, and no one would even know he was there. She couldn’t spot him anywhere in the mass of green. He would probably get to the top of the hill opposite soon and then go down the other side, always hidden by trees. She didn’t understand why he had set out in the heat; it was almost forty degrees. No doubt he wanted to go back to where the big cage was, with the spring just next to it. She knew it had made an impression on him, but it was still strange that he wanted to go back again the very next day, especially when it was so hot.