"Of course," Claudia says, taking his personal eating and drinking items away to be personally cared for. She attempts to assist with the clean-up, but Helga decides before long that she shouldn't keep the god waiting, and shoos her off.

Claudia pauses to use the privy and a quick wash, wondering just when it had started to feel almost normal to live like this. She still missed hot showers and other modern conveniences, but the people here had a joy in life and their own skills that most lacked in her time. It almost saddened her to think that things like that had been lost in the name of progress.

Finally, she enters their home, a combination of stone and turf-brick construction that was surprisingly homey and warm. Larger than the others, of course, but not significantly more grand. Just touches that showed that the one who lived here was wealthy beyond measurement in the local standards. Stopping in the doorway to Gabriel's room, she looked at him, thinking deeply about her life.

"Ga--Loki?"