After walking a few hundred yards, he turned around. The wolf had stepped into the middle of the road. A while later, he turned around again. By then, it was gone.

Anders stood by the edge of the lake…

Anders stood by the edge of the lake, trying to remember why he was in the woods. His trousers were wet and he was so cold he was shaking. He thought he’d seen Ransu, but he wasn’t sure. Searching his memory inevitably stirred up an overwhelming nausea. It was like muddying a pool of water. The only state that wasn’t decidedly unpleasant was when he avoided casting his mind either forward or backward. He rubbed his throat. It felt like he’d just vomited.

Stava was squatting outside the house. She was examining something on the ground and when Anders moved closer, he could see what it was. Two shrews were scampering through the grass, letting her hand chase them.

‘Where have you been?’ she said.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Your clothes. You’re soaked.’

‘What are those?’

‘These? They’re my mice. They lived with me and Mauri and they’re homesick. But they’re happy today. Yes, you’re happy today.’

‘I want to leave.’

‘My lovely little friends.’

‘Can’t we leave?’

‘No, we can’t leave.’

‘I don’t want to be here.’

‘There’s nowhere else for us to go.’

‘Of course there is. We could find somewhere, just you and me. A cabin or something. Where we could live.’

‘You and me?’

He nodded.

‘And what are we going to live off, are you going to rob people?’

He shrugged.

‘It doesn’t work in the long run,’ she said.

‘What did you live off before, then, you and that guy Mauri?’

‘Grete gave us money.’

‘Who’s Grete?’

‘It’s my father’s sister.’

‘Is she dead?’

‘She can’t help us. Because she has nothing left. Dad has taken everything from her. He’s taken Sakka, and he’s taken her treasures.’

‘What treasures?’

‘Jewellery. Gold.’

‘But then all that must be around here somewhere.’

‘Mind what you’re saying.’

She glanced at the mice running around aimlessly in the grass. When her hand swooped in to catch them again, they chirped like tiny birds warning each other about a predator.

‘We can’t hide anything from my dad. Do you understand me?’

Anders rubbed his forehead. His head was throbbing.

‘I think I saw him before. Ransu.’

Now she was staring at him.

‘Where?’

‘On the other side of the lake.’

‘You saw him on the other side of the lake?’

‘Yes.’

‘How do you know it was him? There are others here.’

‘I thought it was him.’

‘Why didn’t you say something?’

‘I don’t know. You were asleep.’

She was walking away from him; he grabbed her.

‘Where are you going?’

‘I’m going to look for him.’

‘No. Don’t.’