Mona smiled proudly at him. Then she looked sternly at Simon.
"You killed one of my porcupines."
"I had to," explained Simon. "He was eating my axe. Peter will take him over to the cemetery for you."
He returned to his work and Peter and Mona went to the dead porcupine. Buddy was sniffing suspiciously at the corpse, and at sight of the red stains on the earth Mona shivered.
"He didn't need to kill it," she said. "I heard you call to him to let the white one go. He could have let this one go, too."
"You heard me?"
She nodded. "I saw the candle in your room until it went out. Then I sat at the window in the moonlight. I didn't feel like sleeping."
"Neither did I," said Peter, his heart beating strangely. "I—I was wondering if you were awake. Did you hear the lake?"
"I always hear it."