Dice said, “Confusion sets in fast, and then your skin feels too hot, and you rip off your own clothes.” He kept his eyes on Isaac’s face. They were the same height, but Dice had all the energy. Dice said, “Lucky I found him. The longer someone’s lost, the longer they stay lost. Every year an inch of dirt settles on them. Twelve years, a foot of dirt. But often enough the bears eat the remains, and all you can find are boot grommets.” Dice dropped Isaac’s hand. Isaac straightened. “You hear me?” Dice said. “If you want bones to fertilize your garden, you have to keep them.”

Isaac stared at him. His mouth was slightly open. He pressed his hands against his cheeks.

Dice said, “You may be wondering how we found him. The rain washed the scent away. You have to follow the pattern of broken branches. Follow the white breaks. That’s how I found you. I can tell you’re a lefty.”

Isaac rubbed his forehead. “I would love to learn that,” he said, finally.

“Stay on,” Dice said. “I can sense the connection you’ve formed with Harmony. Though she’s doing Osha’s job,” he said, smiling at me in a way that made me feel panicked.

“Actually, I was wondering,” Isaac said. “I’d like to stay a few extra days, if that’s okay. Maybe a week? This three-day thing isn’t really long enough for me to get a good sense.” Isaac gave me a quick smile.

But I wanted to grab him and clap my hand against his mouth. You can’t disrespect Dice, I wanted to hiss. Dice waited a long time before responding, and in the silence, my head whirred.

Finally, Dice said, “You know our convention.”

Isaac said, “Three days, or the rest of your life.”

“We have to abide by that,” Dice said. “I’m sure you understand.”

Isaac said, “I thought that here, since it’s a free place, away from society, people could be free to arrive or depart how they wanted to.” He was making things worse for himself.

Dice allowed another long, confidence-sapping pause. “Freedom,” he said. He gestured for us to follow him uphill. We came out onto the bald. The weather had changed again. Clouds brushed the treetops. A group of birds shot up like fireworks before they explode. Dice sat on a log and pulled Isaac in next to him.

“Bay told me you used to go to protests. And now you’re a college student?” Isaac nodded helplessly.