Miki hadn’t visited the city since Father lost his fingers. Back then, Hobart had been exhausting and frightening, but this time she was alight with excitement. Eleven years had passed, and so much had changed. She had changed too.

She had forgotten how the mountain frowned over the town, the way tall buildings lined the streets. Home was so quiet in comparison, so small. Maybe one day, she would visit here by herself and walk all these streets. Maybe she could go up on the mountain, and see the city spread out in front of her. She tried to take everything in as Leon navigated the busy streets: a church, a stone-walled park, old buildings, rows of shops, occasional glimpses of the sea.

Soon they were out of the city and heading north. Leon drove fast, sometimes breaking speed limits. Miki knew he was worried about getting her home before Kurt, but for once she didn’t care—she was doing this for herself.

When they pulled up at the sanctuary car park beneath towering trees, Miki slid out into cool air that was tangy with the aroma of eucalyptus. In the shop, her eyes grasped everything, forcing it into her memory. People trying on T-shirts. Children nagging parents to buy things, just like in the takeaway.

Leon told the receptionist they’d come to see Dale, and she smiled and made a phone call. Dale soon appeared, striding into the office and reaching to shake Miki’s hand. ‘Hey, Miki. I’m so glad you’ve come.’ His smile widened as she accepted his hand. Then the two men greeted each other, relaxed and familiar. Miki could see they were friends, and she was pleased for Leon.

Dale led them through the sanctuary to the breeding pens, which had waist-high corrugated-iron fences and had been erected beneath gum trees to make the most of the shade. They stopped at a pen and looked in. It was large and grassy with strategically placed logs and ferns for shelter. A scrappy-looking devil was loping along a worn track around the boundary. He did one circuit without stopping, then another, round and round, eyes empty and fixed straight ahead. His behaviour made Miki uneasy, reminding her of how she felt staring out of the shop: the same blankness. He must be miserable, and this made her fearful. What if her devils were unhappy here?

She glanced at Dale and caught a flash of empathy in his eyes. ‘This is unusual,’ he said. ‘Most devils don’t do this kind of stereotypic behaviour. We try to make the enclosures safe and interesting, but he isn’t suited to captivity. We’re going to release him soon. Probably onto Maria Island. But he’s important genetic stock, so we need to breed him first. Maybe we’ll match him with your female.’