Stava climbed out of the car and walked up to the boom barrier. She moved almost furtively and after realising the barrier was locked, she froze. Her slender body watchful and tense. With her long black hair, she looked like some kind of Native American scout at the edge of an unknown territory. Her sudden insecurity was probably due in large part to them having dropped Ransu off, but he had also noticed that she spoke of her father with deference that bordered on fear. He wondered what kind of person he might be. Was he even human, biologically speaking? Probably not, considering her constitution.

He had a pen in his hand and now he started jabbing it hard into the side of his head. He pushed the button in and out, in and out, in and out, but he stopped the instant she got back in the car.

She reversed off the road and parked.

‘I don’t know the code,’ she said and turned the engine off. ‘So we’re going to have to leave the car here.’

They got out and followed the gravel road that led down to a lake that came into view, cold and smooth like polished metal, between the spruce trees. Stava moved so quickly Anders had to jog a few steps now and then to keep up.

Suddenly, a wolf materialised in their path. It was smaller than Ransu and had lighter fur.

Stava sank into a squat.

The wolf came closer but stopped before it got too near. It stood with its head lowered, studying her. Its nose practically touching the gravel. Another wolf was padding about behind it.

‘Maybe I should leave,’ Anders said. ‘I can wait in the car.’

‘These are my friends,’ she said. ‘They know me.’

After a while, the wolves withdrew and continued watching them from a distance. Stava didn’t get up straight away.

Two children were walking toward them between two houses surrounded by tarpaulins. A girl with plaits. She had an otter on a lead, scuttling along with its back arched. The other child had a peculiar, jerky gait and kept in the background. It was wearing a mosquito head net and Anders soon realised it was no child’s face hiding behind the dark netting. He backed up a few steps and then broke into a run. Stava chased after him and grabbed his jacket.

‘Don’t do that,’ she said. ‘It’s dangerous.’

She took him by the hand and led him back.

‘I’m looking for Erasmus,’ she said. ‘Do you know where he is?’

The otter darted this way and that and the little girl stepped out of the lead, which was wrapped around her legs. She yelled at the animal, which turned its funny, snub-nosed face toward her.

‘They’re barbecuing,’ the girl said.

‘They’re barbecuing?’

‘I said cut it out!’