Beyond her, in the darkness, the keilin’s ghostly white head appeared for just a moment.
“You want to know the real reason I came here?” I asked her suddenly.
“Sure,” she said shortly, in a cracking voice that had no real interest. She pulled a wad of tissue from a pocket in her flannel shirt and wiped her eyes.
“Come on.” I stood up, looking for the keilin behind her. It was gone again. “That way.”
Before she got up, however, she carefully banked the fire and broke it apart. Then she covered the embers with a large pot to prevent sparks from blowing. She set it down crooked to allow a little air in through the bottom. That way we could come back and stoke it up again.
When she turned to follow me, she was again holding the flashlight in one hand and the gun in the other. I had been h
