“Can I call you Pan?” Treb asked tentatively.“Sure. I call you Treb, don’t I?” He said.“Yeah.” John could hear the smile in the boy’s ...voice.They slept for what John’s support team told him was nine hours. That put it at around midday outside, he believed. Not that it made any difference inside the mountain. After a brief meal, of bread, salted meat and water, they pushed on.A couple of hours later, Hal came hurrying back.“We might be in trouble.” He frowned. “The way is blocked!”“Blocked by. " Grace, it's nice to hear from you. What do you want? I can hear it in your voice." Well, I'm having a problem with Barry." What did you do?" Why do you always assume it's me?" I know you and I know Barry. What did you do?" He's treating me terribly. He tells me I'm a lousy cook. He says I'm not that interesting. He even took some other woman to the opera because he said she knows more about it than me." He what?" I had to hold the phone away from my ear. "That makes no sense. Why would he do. At that point I didn’t know what to do, so I just watched. I’d only met our neighbors a few times in the driveway and at the mailbox. I knew their names were Steve and Sue and they were quite a bit younger than we were. Apparently my wife knew them better than I did. I was thinking to myself that I should to come home more often without calling first. The three of them lay next to each other on chaise lounges, with Steve in the middle and the girls on either side. My wife went back to reading. She slowly turned and after recognition set in a smile crept onto her face. “John, so good to see you!” I nodded, “You too Ms. Thorn.” “Oh please, it’s Rebecca.” Quickly realizing why I was there she continued, “Let me grab that paperwork for Rachel. You guys going anywhere fun on vacation?” “Just up to our summer house in Maine,” I replied. We continued the small talk for the next five minutes as she continued gathering up my sister’s work. I kept an attentive eye, catching a glimpse of her.