Chapter 33: Comrades, Part 2

Michael

I try to enjoy the day, to make the most of it, but my heart isn't in it.

We can't go walking as the weather isn't too good. Bright sunshine intersperses with the kind of lowering black clouds that threaten to drench the unwary the moment shelter is beyond easy reach, so instead, we go to a hotel high up in the mountains which has a reputation for good food.

It's a good choice. Set above high meadows, overlooking a lake, the sun and rainclouds cast light and shade to race across the verdant green, while the lake lies glittering and lovely below us. In the restaurant, we have the best table, right by a vast window which gives us views overlooking the panoramic glory laid out for us.

It should be a moment of peace and pleasure....

.... but tomorrow you'll be gone....

James and Charlotte are talking and laughing. He's making an effort to entertain her, telling her unlikely-sounding stories, swearing that every word is true. He's clearly trying hard.

He knows how to