Location:The Millford road — the Halbrook holding; the stone barn; the lean-to door
Date/Time:TC1858.03.27
Dung, and old blood gone brown, and under them something Crowe had smelled once before, in a knacker's yard outside Millford when he was a boy and had gone to see a carter's old mount put down.
He was awake before he knew why. The barn was still dark. The hearth was gray ash with a red seam in it, and the lamp by the door strip was turned down to a bead, and along the south gable Brisk Alder was standing where she'd stood when he lay down, her back to the lean-to door and her old spear upright beside her, the butt on the flags.
She saw him sit up and tipped her head at the planks behind her.
