AS WE WALKED throughout the day, we discussed random topics of no great importance. Knight explained why the makers of dog food needed to be shot, and I listed my favorite restaurants across the world. Our discussions were lighthearted, and our periodic silences were companionable. The day passed rather quickly, and I had to reluctantly admit I’d enjoyed Knight’s company. Soon the evening hours cast long shadows across the forest floor. We spotted an enormous tree in the twilight that instantly snagged our attention because of its unique features. The thick trunk was over ten feet in diameter. Twenty feet away, it was encircled by a dozen gnarled gnome trees, which were given their name because each bore a knotted face in its textured bark. Floating within the ring of trees were thousands
