Moonlight flowed over the snow, turning the hilltop to silver and diamonds. The diamonds were reflected in the sky, where cold stars looked down from black velvet seats. The stage below them was free of trees and perfectly crystalline.
A man stood dead center, his shadow dimming the diamonds behind him. He wore a thick wool coat and a warm fur cap, but he shivered as though a north wind was knifing through him. His boots creaked as he shifted from one foot to the other, breathing out clouds of gossamer.
