Summary

This chapter returns to Niska's first person narration as Xavier tells her his morphine supply will soon be gone and that he will become like an extremely difficult child. He tells Niska that he could even die. Niska believes that this medicine is far stronger than a root that the Anishnabe take to the south. Niska looks down at him as he lies beside the fire she has built. His smile is still that of a young man. She makes a broth of moose meat and roots to feed to him. The sun continues to descend but the sky is still bright enough that even at midnight Niska can make out the treeline across the river. Xavier goes quiet when Niska begins to hum an old song that she had hummed when he was younger. His eyes are still open though and Niska...