Chapter 17: Asking

For ten days, a wolf in a grey jacket had parked at the end of Tobias's cabin road and watched the door.

I had not asked anyone for anything in all that time.

I woke on the twelfth before it was light, with the thread pulling cold behind my ribs.

The other side of the bed was empty.

Light showed under the kitchen door, and I heard Tobias's voice, low and level.

"I understand what the renewal means," he said. "I'm withdrawing as project lead, effective today."

I stood in the hall in his shirt with my bare feet on the boards.

"No, I won't be in Hedmark for the winter count. The students can run it, with the quiet one in charge."

A pause.

"Yes. I know it ends the grant."

I pushed the door open.

He sat at the table with a laptop, a cold cup of tea and the phone against his ear.

He saw me and did not stop.

"Thank you for your years of support," he said, and hung up.

"What did you just do?"

"Made a call."

"Tobias."

"The Foundation wants its project lead on the ground until March." He closed the laptop. "I'm not going to be there."

"The grant pays for the whole camp."

"It did."

"It paid for my stipend."

"The department will find money for you. If it doesn't, I will."

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