14
Palestine 1947
The morning broke cold and clear. Snow fell overnight leaving a light dusting. I cracked an eye and saw the pattern on the closest window. The barn, apart from being drafty, boasted no heat. I woke up under a stack of horsehair blankets, shivering. It hadn’t been that long since I’d slept on the hard ground, but I hadn’t missed it, in the least. The damp sank into your bones. Something wet touched my neck.
“Go way,” I said. I felt it again. “Go way, I said.” Then a snort close to my cheek plus hot, smelly breath. I rolled over and looked up at Hamish, who’d slipped his stall. “Looking for sugar, I’m guessing.” He pawed the ground like he understood. I reached into my pocket, found a couple of cubes and held them out. He snuffled them up in a trice, gave a satisfied whi
