No matter how many years pass, the pain of his father being taken away still haunts Vinge. This is often what he does when the misery begins to catch up to him; he huddles down in the shadows of his cellar, opens a window, lights a candle and incense stick with a cup of cold tea, which he sits patiently waiting to cool down enough for him to drink; hot food and drinks give him terrible stomach pain and indigestion. Letting the smell of the incense, the gentle glow of the candle and the silence of his basement, he eventually calms down.

But until he finds his father, or at least learns of his fate, Vinge may never know true happiness...