The trail winds on up through the forest. Every now and then, a break in the trees gives you views of the soaring mountains all around you, lushly green expanses marked once in a while by the silver-white lines of waterfalls. There is no sign of human habitation anywhere on these slopes.
Kitty passes out bags of crisps for everybody to eat, subsequently collecting the empty, crumpled packets in a small canvas bag which she returns to her backpack. There is a little desultory conversation. You learn that the Fox siblings are the children of an academic, a professor of English literature, who lives locally but works in Dublin. Daniel's family came from Lebanon, although he has lived in Ireland since he was six years old.
Despite some mutual good-natured teasing and a little bickering, it's clear that the members of this group have known each other for a long time and are comfortable and at ease with one another's company. How do you feel?
I feel uncomfortable and very much like an outsider around them.
I already feel as though I've known them all for years.
I like them but don't yet feel as though I'm one of them.
Next