The first night in a lodge at a ski area in Northern New Hampshire was for Abigail and AKA Harvey the pleasure of an evening in bed with gentle snow falling out their window. Abigail had packed homemade Christmas cookies and a thermos full of spiked eggnog, and in their bedroom, many warm blankets were provided.

The following morning on their first day on the ski slopes, while Abigail was skiing advanced trails, AKA Harvey was in a beginner's class, where the instructor was wearing a Patriots hat.

Incognito (wearing googles and a black and gold ski hat), Harvey was stable on the unaccustomed skis. He rapidly mastered the mechanics of the snowplow turn, and he fell down gracefully when that was the only way to stop. However, he was amazed that tackling did not seem to be a part of skiing practice. There is something missing from this sport, he thought as he remembered with fondness what happened on the football field everytime the ball was snapped.

Abigail had promised that she would ski with him as soon as he mastered the basics. He was eying the chairlift apprehensively. when he remembered that Yuri -- whom he had met at Huygens home games -- had mentioned that AKA Harvey and Abigail could ski together on the gently rolling hills that surrounded the Lodge La Belle Montagne, as pictured in the brochure that Yuri showed him. It was not a long drive from where they were staying.

There was no tow, and they would have to walk back up the hill every time they skied down, but this was probably easier than the running up and down auditorium stands that was a part of coach torture of players in many sports.

And so it came to pass that Abigail was skiing a little ahead of AKA Harvey when a snowmobile that carried three thugs came up the hill in front of the Lodge La Belle Montagne.