“At least tell me what happened.”

The blue jay popped his head out again, angrier this time.

“We went as far as Yellowstone.”

His dad’s tools clattered to the floor. He didn’t speak, but his disapproval of them travelling out so far became a silence beating across Peter’s back that was somehow more unbearable than any amount of shouting. Peter placed his forehead to the glass, but after another moment or two, he couldn’t bear the silence any longer.

“Cooper’s scared of leaving any Returnees out there alone.”

“But—”

“He knows what it’s like to be taken.”

“Yes, I know that. But now he’s got Snowball killed. Jesus, Pete, he could’ve got you both killed. It’s too cold up there.”

“It wasn’t the cold.”

“Then what?”

“We came across three bodies. A young Returnee family.”

“Peter, you and Cooper have brought so many people back to Wranglestone these last few weeks, but you can’t be expected to—”

“The child was only a baby.”

His dad’s eyes widened in wild ways that only someone who’d parented their own child could harbour.

“You shouldn’t see such things.”

“Dad.”

“No. I don’t want you boys going out there any more.”

Peter perched on the foot of the bed, watching the logs on the burner glimmer, and explained how they’d chased the hunter out of the park and over the cliff. But his thoughts never once strayed from the memory of that silent crib.

“Dad,” said Peter after a while. “Tokala told us that the Returnees and the rest of the community at Yellowstone had lived in peace up there.”

“Yes. But that family put themselves at risk by choosing to stay back the second everyone else left.”

“But why? Who would even know that anyone had been left behind, let alone decide to go looking for them?”

“I dunno, Pete. But if people weren’t safe up there then who’s to say we’re safe here any more?”

“Don’t say that.”

“Well, it’s true,” said his dad, chucking a log on the burner. “And besides, you and Cooper haven’t been here. You haven’t been the one answering that goddamn door every five minutes to everyone you rescued but haven’t bothered sticking around long enough to make welcome. You haven’t been the one getting told how scared they were out there and asking if I can fix an extra lock on their cabins or put more people on watch. They’re sick of it out here, Pete, and they want to go back to some kind of normality. So, perhaps you’ll think twice now before discouraging everyone from leaving for West Wranglestone.”

Peter sat upright. “I’m not stopping anyone.”

“But you’ve made a stronger case for staying here.”

“We can make a good life on the lake. That’s what Rider always wanted.”