At long last there was silence. The minstrel stared into nowhere, unmoving, like a machine that had run down.
“Fantastic,” said Johnny, with clear delight.
Her mum twisted the ring off her finger and kneeled to place it on the man's rug.
“But mum, that's your wedding ring!” said Cait.
Her mum shrugged. “It's the only gold I have. Plastic won't do here. And it's just a piece of shiny metal, love. It's not important really.”
“But you and Dad … what would he say?”
“Oh, I think he'd understand.”
The only indication from the man that he'd noticed was the slightest nod. He shuffled to one side to let them pass, indicating the shadowy archway behind him with a tilt of his head.
The sound of more sirens came to them, nearby but hard to locate, their calls echoing off the buildings. There w
