The wind had blown the ice bare ahead of us, so the going was a bit easier for a while. Then Susie started shivering again.
Hobbes was padding along just ahead of us, not speaking, not looking back at us, and I could see all of him now, all the time. He slunk and weaved in front of me, putting his nose to the ice as if he smelled something under there.
Me: I figured something out, Hobbes. You might always be true about me. I can’t control you, I can’t make you go away. But you know what? If I can’t control you, you can’t control me either. That’s all I need to know.
Hobbes: You, me, me, you. You can’t separate us. Listen to me. Maybe lots of people have a tiger, but they don’t know about it. I can help you.
Me: I never wanted to hurt her.
Susie: Calvin, what? What?
Her voice was small and dry, like her throat had almost closed up.
Her face was really peaceful.
Susie: Calvin, I’m so sleepy …
She stopped and stood there with her eyes closed.
I picked her up and slung her arm around my shoulders, and she wasn’t even heavy, not even a bit heavy.
Me: Don’t disappear on me, Susie. Just stay awake, okay, Susie? Even if I can only have the dream of you, I’ll take it.
She didn’t answer.
And that’s when Jenny Greenteeth crawled out.