Amanda had noticed this. It had always made her slightly uncomfortable, but she figured this was because of how teachers had talked to her. Like she was a baby. One had explained that her IQ made her younger. Amanda didn’t think so. Having a hard time learning some things didn’t make her less mature than the other kids. If anything, she thought having to work harder than many of the kids might have made her more mature. It was all very confusing.
“They think an animal is like a child, an infant,” Pete said as they reached the snowmobile. He kept the rifle over his shoulder. They put on their helmets, and Amanda got behind him. The land of the bears receded from them as he turned and headed back toward the town.
“We don’t understand the languages of others,” Amanda said.
“That is true,” Pete said.
Pete and Amanda were in his research laboratory above the aquarium. The small, damp room was filled with cross sections of whale bones, scraps of animal hide, samples of soil, and more.
Amanda picked up a vial filled with what looked like dried blood. They had flown back that morning, and now were—suddenly, it felt—back in Oregon. Amanda felt strangely naked being back in the clothes Aspire had loaned her. She would miss those pants and parka, but they belonged in Alaska.
“That’s from one of the seals,” he said. “I’m researching how they handle the stress of captivity.”
“I thought they lived longer in captivity. Like bears.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean they live happily.”
He finished putting the samples Amanda had taken into vials, then tucked them into an overnight envelope, along with a DNA order form.
Amanda took the heavy polar bear tooth out of the bag.
“Can we have this tested too?”
“Hey. You got that?” he asked. He took the fire-smudged case from her. “What happened to it?”
“It was in a fire.”
“You mean—”
“Would it have DNA as well?”
“Possibly. We can try.”
He put on a fresh pair of gloves and took the tooth out of its case. He took samples from the interior, where the root had been.
“How long will it take?” she asked.
“A few days, at the most. Why didn’t you tell me you were in the fire?”
The newspaper had been sitting on the front counter when they returned. The cover said, “Fire Destroys Eagle Cove Residence. Arson Suspected.” Amanda’s and Larry’s names were right there, but neither Amanda nor Pete had read the article yet.
“I didn’t feel like talking about it.”
“Fair enough. Want to talk now?”
“No. I have a hard time focusing on more than one thing at a time. Right now I’m thinking of Molly. Then I’ll go get my car, drive back to Eagle Cove, and see how Larry is doing. I’ll think of that there.”
He thought of the stew. Amanda liked things clear, he thought.
“I’ll let you know the results,” he said, turning back to his desk.
Amanda was on her way down the street outside when she ran into Patty, who was parking her motorcycle. The social worker was shaking out her long hair, much to the admiration of an older gentleman on the boardwalk.
“Hey, just who I was planning to call,” Patty said.
Amanda was eager to get back to Eagle Cove. She wanted to change out of the strange clothes. Then she remembered she didn’t have any of her own clothes anymore. Not with her, at least.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Patty asked.
