A bare-chested young man with a motocross helmet sputtered by on a motorcycle and standing outside another house was a child with a doll’s pram, who watched him as he staggered around, talking to himself like a drunk. He returned to the cabin, sat down on the bed and stared at the messy room, and that was how Ipa found him. She shut the door behind her. When it slid back open, she made another attempt and didn’t give up until the door was completely closed. She went over to stand with her back against the wall and her arms crossed. The ceiling light came on and she turned around to switch it back off.

‘I hear you went out for a walk,’ she said. ‘So I assume you found it.’ She waited for him to say something; when he didn’t, she pressed on. ‘It was an accident, just so you know. It dying. Being transported was too much for it and Erasmus is very sorry about that. He wanted me to tell you that.’

She squatted down in front of him and put a hand on his knee. Lennart fumblingly reached for her pale blonde hair, which hung in greasy strands in front of her ear, but she pushed him away, kindly but firmly, and when his hand came at her again, she stood up and backed away.

‘It was malnourished. And very, very old. I don’t think it could have turned again. Do you?’

‘You’re just a stupid child.’

‘Letting it die, it was the merciful thing to do. We all think so.’

She went over to the dresser and when she spotted the shed snake skin placed there like a brown paper table runner, she pulled a disgusted face.

‘Someone’s going to have to come over and clean this place for you!’

She looked around the room.

‘You haven’t seen a spider in here, have you? There are supposedly spiders here, those creepy tarantulas with hairy legs.’ She held up her hand and waved her fingers up and down to illustrate how the hairy legs moved. ‘Anyway, we’re going to make this place nice. So you feel at home. We really want you to feel at home. How’s your hand, by the way?’

He just glowered at her.

She walked over to the window and looked out.

‘The whole village will be full of people soon,’ she said. ‘It’s going to be amazing. You’re going to like it here. I promise.’

*

A wolf followed him all the way up to the main road, but not beyond. It stood among the trees, watching him while he kicked off his boots. He picked the boots up and walked northward, barefoot in the gravel by the side of the road.