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2^ We walked beside the pond, skipping stones and talking, and Eva wondered if the dogs ever thought about her, and if they did, what that waslike for them. Did they rememberher voice and her smell?Were they sad when they thought of her, and if so, did they know they were sad? I told her my dog had been run over when I was eightyears old, and that I'd wondered whether he knew he wasdying. "I doubt it," she said. "Maybe. But do people even know that?" "Watch this," I said. I picked up a flat rock, went through my complete windup, and I threw the rock low and hard out over the pond, and it sank with the sound of a half-gulp,barely moving the water. Eva thought that was really funny, funnier than I thought it actuallywas, and I started looking for another good rock. On the far side of the pond, several ducks had entered the water and begun swimming toward us. "What about those ducks?" she said. "Do they even know they're ducks?" "Of course they know they're ducks," I said. I felt alittle hurt that she'd laughed so hard. "What else are they going to think they are?" 9i We walked beside the pond, skipping stones and talking, and Eva wondered if the dogs ever thought about her, and if they did, what that was like for them. Did they remember her voice and her smell? Were they sad when they thought of her, and if so, did they know they were sad? 1 told her my dog had been run over when 1was eight years old, and that I'd wondered whether he knew he was dying. "I doubt it," she said. "Maybe. But do people even know that?" "Watch this," 1 said. 1 picked up a flat rock, went through my complete windup, and 1 threw the rock low and hard out over the pond, and it sank with the sound ofa half-gulp, barely moving the water. Eva thought that was really funny, funnier than 1thought it actually was, and 1started looking for another good rock. On the far side of the pond, several ducks had entered the water and begun swimming toward us. "What about those ducks?" she said. "Do they even know they're ducks?" "Ofcourse they know they're ducks," 1said. 1felt a little hurt that she'd laughed so hard. "What else are they going to think they are?" 9I She picked up a rock, slung it sidearm over the pond, and it curved and dropped and skipped three times. Eva's mother wanted her to be a doctor, a dermatologist, sothey could practice together, but Evasaid it wasn't going to happen. She couldn't stand the thought of looking at bad skin allday. "And it's not just kids with acne," she said. She led me into her mother's study and showed me a book with photos of sickening skin conditions. "If shethinks I'm going to be adoctor, of anykind," Evasaid, "she's in for a big disappointment. I've got other plans." Sheled me into another room, where therewerehangings on the walls and shelvesfilledwith small carvings and odd-looking pots. One shelf was lined with different kinds of masks, and she took one of those and put it on. It made her face look like a grinning skull, but I could seeher eyes through the eyeholes. "My mom got this in New Guinea," she said. "She's traveled all over the world." I made her take off the mask. I didn't reallywant to be talking to the skull. She took down another mask, the worst-looking one of all, then led me to a mirror, handed me the mask, and told me to put it on. I didn't want to, but I did. "I can't remember exactlywhere Mom bought this one," she said, "but I know it was somewhere in South America. It's a mask for driving out demons. It's supposed to be so ugly that it scares them off.The person who's possessed puts on the mask and then looks at his reflection, and it scaresthe demons out of his body. That's why it stinks, too, so the demons wont be able to stand it." 92 She picked up a rock, slung it sidearm over the pond, and it curved and dropped and skipped three times. *** Eva's mother...
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