Several days later, in the woods beside Blue Moon Lake on the central plains of the Bassman United Kingdom, several people sat around a campfire. A skinned wild boar hung over the flames, fat dripping steadily as it roasted.
For those gathered around the fire, nothing was more enticing on this cold winter night than waiting for the boar to finish roasting.
A man was sprinkling salt over the boar. The aroma teased everyone's taste buds, and some were already swallowing repeatedly.
"Is it ready? Yeah, surely we can eat it now?"
"Don't rush. It'll be ready soon!"
The man sprinkling salt was burly, with short red hair. Stubble covered his chin and the area around his lips, but it did not make him look slovenly. A conspicuous scar marked the corner of one eye; a little farther over, and it would surely have blinded him.
Once he had evenly salted every part of the boar, he turned the spit and roasted it a little longer, then took out a knife, sliced off a small piece, and chewed it. A smile spread across his face.
"It's ready. Dig in!"
"Great! We can finally eat!"
"I want a whole leg. Me too."
Redhead carved up the boar and passed the meat to those beside him. They took the piping-hot portions, blowing on them as they eagerly began to eat.
By the time most of them had received their portions, at least half the boar was gone. Redhead looked toward someone sitting at the very edge of the firelight, motionless with his arms around his knees.
Cutting off a large piece of roast meat with ribs attached, Redhead walked over and offered it to him.
"Here. Eat."
The man was gazing up at the sky. Firelight flickered over his hollow-eyed face, leaving