Harald struck his broken knife against the stone trying to get the spark to land on his last shred of dry tinder. It did and a tiny flame flared up. He put twigs on the fire, then larger sticks. He split sticks with his knife and put them split side against the flames. He added ever larger pieces until the fire grew strong enough to hold its own against the half rain, half fog soaking them to the skin.

"If I'd known you were expecting," he said, "I would have not been so insistent we ...