She waited till Bony Boy was asleep, slumped on the rock, his leg stuck out awkwardly, then padded out and along the track, up to the highest point on the cliff above them.
For a while she just sat there, letting the smells seep into her. Some were familiar, like Bony Boy, the sea, the fruit bats that flapped above the mangroves. But mostly they were strange.
There was no scent of dog at all.
At last she lifted up her nose and began to sing. It was a howl of longing, of hope. It was a song that called, ‘If anyone hears this, please answer.’
But no dog did.
This new land was empty. It had no dogs at all.
She felt the moon rise out of the sea. She sat silent, then padded down to Bony Boy again.
He was all she had.