He nodded and dug around in a sack he'd left by the tree, emerging with a novel clutched in his hand. He followed with a canteen and small bag of fruit, then went to lie next to her on the blanket. Gently, he pulled her to his side, using the long behind his back as a support so that he could conveniently see the book in comfort.<br/><br/>After placing the canteen and fruit where she could reach them, he began reading. He spoke in a clear, warm voice, charging the words with emotion, voicing the characters' statements with altered voices and accents.