Twenty-six years later it occurs to Marty that she probably cheated on him that week, in college. It bothers him. He buys a plane ticket to Italy.

The village streets are still dangerous and the woods are still beautiful. He hikes deeper, into the green shadow, to the cold mouth of the cave; he pays Charon, crosses, and walks up to a particular tree on the other side.

“Remember when you went to see that band? The Somethings?” he asks. “Did you sleep with the guy in it?”

“Probably,” she says grayly.

“Okay,” he says, “I just wanted to know.”