Kate breathed in deeply, feeling the early morning mist tickle her nose. Footsteps pattered up behind her and she held out a hand, motioning for silence. Flapping wings sounded from nearby as a duck landed on the smooth and tranquil surface of the lake. It was graceful, hardly a ripple. Kate’s lips turned up the the bare ghost of a smile.

“Sleep well?” Emil said as he passed a cup of coffee to h...