* * *
There were only three people missing from the dig, but it seemed like many more, perhaps because Steve was affected by the absence of Gill. At any rate, when Steve, after dinner that evening, produced a bottle of wine he had brought back from Stromness, Frank and Alicia cheered up considerably.
"I'm supposed to stay off alcohol," he said, "but that mainly means beer. I don't think I'm likely to start a fight after one glass of wine."
Frank grinned. "Well, if you start getting feisty, don't pick on me," he said.
"Not too much risk," Steve answered, also smiling a little. He raised his glass. "To the success of Gill, Manjy and Alan in recovering the rings," he said.
"To Gill, Manjy and Alan," they repeated.