“Why Sophie—I finished it long ago. Don’t you recognize me?” Why had I not seen it before? “You have,” he said. “You know it well.” It was some sort of riddle, a trick. I tried to guess. Is it the figure with hood and staff? Not the horse with the long mane, or the sea serpent, dipping in and out of the earth? No. No. His laugh more like a cough, and he grabbed me up in his strong arms. “There I am,” he said, and he pointed to the bear. I should have known, for it had always been my favorite. I wish I had told him
