Perrine grimaced, glad that the booze in her system was keeping most negative emotions pressed down. "The first time I went beachcombing," she said, her feet skidding on the shifting sands of the dunes, "I wore sandals- in February." She shivered for effect. "Second-worst mistake of my life. Didn't have the money for a doctor, had to just sit in my cottage and shiver for three straight weeks. No one came to help because I didn't know anyone, not even my neighbors, and they're all a good half-mile away anyhow." She shook her head and let the rolling sands take her down the other side of the hill. This was a practice that took balance, yet she'd done it so often by now it was near-second-nature. She glanced beside or behind her to see how Anthony was faring- he probably wasn't keeping his footing as well as she, and she just hoped he wouldn't twist an ankle. She'd done that before, too.