We drove close enough to see Diana’s car and the black tin roofs of the cabins. The sun was at world’s end and the night sky was adorned with a soaring wing of gossamer streaks of ruddy clouds. Everything was so tranquil and normal it was hard to imagine there could be anything threatening in this place. But it had been clear from Susso’s voice that they were in trouble and so I was on high alert. I called and said we were here and Susso said they were coming out.

Roland had killed the engine and taken off his seatbelt.

‘Do you reckon it’s safe to get out?’ he said.

‘No,’ I replied, ‘I wouldn’t think so.’

‘Then what do we do now?’

‘We wait.’

‘Call again.’

‘They’re coming.’

‘Yes,’ he said, craning his neck, ‘someone’s coming this way.’

It was the squirrel, of course. It came bounding up the slope; we watched it dash up a set of swings. Then the little beast sat up there for a second or two before darting over to the other end and scampering down the log. Now it was hopping our way.

It jumped up on the bonnet and studied us intimately through the windscreen with eyes like liquorice. It was like being in a safari vehicle, being gawked at by a cheeky monkey.

‘Is he coming?’ Roland said.

I pretended to be looking at my phone.

‘If you don’t want him in your car, you’re going to have to tell him.’

‘Can he hear us?’

‘He can hear your thoughts.’

Now Susso and Diana were walking up from the cabin. Diana was carrying the little girl wrapped in a blanket and Susso was carrying a rifle.

Roland stepped out of the car and opened the back door on his side; when Diana put the child in the back seat, he hovered around them, wanting to help. I turned around and looked at the little girl. Her hair was so soaked with sweat, it looked black. Susso was standing with the rifle half raised as though she was about to take aim. Or threatening to. She glanced over at the trees and then I did too. I thought a bear was going to come bursting out, because I always do; sometimes they actually attack me in town and on occasion even inside my own flat. But there was no bear and nothing else either and in the end, she finally got in the car.

Roland rolled forward a few yards and then reversed to turn around. No one said anything. There was complete silence until we reached the Kurravaara road. Then Susso said:

‘Where is he?’

Even though I hadn’t seen the squirrel slink into the car, I had assumed it was with us. But it wasn’t.

‘He’s not here? Diana? We have to go back!’

Roland took his time answering.

‘Let’s go home.’