At the car, Dale took the bag from Miki and placed it on the table. With a special set of scales, he recorded the weight then showed Leon how to restrain the devil in the bag to avoid getting bitten. Leon knelt on the ground and settled the animal between his knees before carefully locating the devil’s head and securing it firmly by the muzzle. Dale opened the bag and motioned to Miki and Geraldine to come closer. With the bag rolled back, Miki could see the devil’s black rump. Dale slid a hand over the animal’s coat. ‘He’s in reasonable condition. Good cover over the ribs. A decent amount of muscle. Do you want to have a feel?’

Geraldine kept her distance and crinkled her nose. ‘He’s a bit stinky.’

‘That’s because he’s stressed,’ Dale explained.

‘I like the way he smells,’ Miki said.

‘Me too,’ Leon agreed. He was doing a good job of holding the devil. He had good hands: firm but gentle—Miki could tell he cared about animals. With trepidation, she reached into the bag and laid a hand on the devil’s fur, which was both wiry and soft. Dale’s eyes were alight with excitement. He obviously thought it was a gift to touch a devil like this, even though the creature had no chance of escape. But Miki had stroked the devil here before with no one around. The devil had been wild and free, and he’d had a choice about approaching her. Contact hadn’t been forced on him.

While Leon held the devil’s muzzle closed, Dale measured the head and hind foot, and then shuffled the fabric around until the animal was sitting in one corner. He instructed Leon to slide a hand into the bag and grasp the muzzle directly. Taking care to keep the devil’s eyes covered, Dale folded back the bag until the muzzle was just visible, nostrils quivering, whiskers pricking the air.

‘How does it look?’ Leon asked.

‘Not the best,’ Dale admitted. He measured the lump, took photos and made sketches.

Miki didn’t need to be told it was bad—the wound looked nasty.

‘I need to take the biopsy now,’ Dale said quietly. ‘It shouldn’t hurt. Most of these tumours have a poor nerve supply.’ He nodded at Leon. ‘Hold tight anyway in case he moves.’ From his pocket Dale produced a large needle with a circular tip that he pushed into the lump, twisting before pulling it out again. Blood dripped and Miki’s heart thumped wildly, but the sample was done and the handling was almost over.

Dale transferred the sample into a vial while Leon closed the bag.

‘When can we let him go?’ Miki asked.

‘Straight away,’ Dale said. ‘Would you like to do it?’