A ??mil? in N?w Z??l?n? w?s ?xt??m?l? w???i?? ??t?? t??i? s?ni?? ??? w?nt missin?. B?t, t??? w??? l??t s???c?l?ss w??n ?? ??t??n?? ??ck ??m?, wit? ? t??c?in? n?t? ????n? ?is n?ck!

Sinc? ?? w?s ? ??w w??ks ?l? ?????, L??i? liv?s wit? M???l?n Div??’s ????nts ?t t??i? ???m. T?? ??????l? s??????? ??? ?lw??s ???n ? v??? ?n????tic ?????, s? ?ll ??? l?n? ?? ?s?? t? w?n??? ????n? t?? ??mil?’s ??????t?. Y?t, t?? t?in?s ??v? c??n??? ?s L??i? ???w ?l??? ?n? n?w ?t ?is 12 ????s ?l?, t?? s?ni?? ??t??? ??????s t? ??n? ??t ????n? t?? ???s? t??n ?x?l??in? t?? n?i??????????s.

T????????, w??n L??i? w?nt missin? ?n? ??? ??? s?v???l ????s, ?is ??mil? w?s v??? c?nc??n??, ?n? ?n ? ???? ???s?n. It ?????n?? ?x?ctl? w??n M???l?n ??? visit?? ??? ????nts, w?? w??? n?t?in? ??t w???i?? ?s t??? ??? n?w i??? w???? L??i? c??l? ??. B?t, l?t?? in t?? ??t??n??n, ?v????n? w?s s? s????is?? t? s?? t?? ?l? ??? ??t??nin? ??m?, c????in? ? ??n?w?itt?n n?t? ????n? t?? n?ck.

“H? l??k?? s? ?x???st??, ?n? ??? ??sic?ll? j?st c?ll??s??,” M???l?n s????? wit? THE DODO. “W? w??? c?nc??n?? s?m??n? mi??t ??v? ???t ?im. B?t ??t?? ????in? t?? n?t? I ??lt c?m?l?t? ?n? ?tt?? ??li??, t??n m? ????t m?lt??.”

T?? n?t? ???cl?im?? t?? ??? ? ????. “L??i? is t?? ???? ?? t?? ???,” t?? n?t? ????. “H? l?? m? t? M???? in ?ist??ss st?ck ?n??? ? ???nc? ?il?. C????s, R??.”

R??, w?? is ?ls? ? ???m??, is ?n? ?? M???l?n’s ????nts’ n?i????? ?n? M???? is ?is ????i?. S? s???tl? ??t?? ????in? t?? n?t?, ??? ????nts ???c??? R?? ?? ???n? t? ?sk ?im ??? ??t?ils. T??ns ??t t??t M???? w?s ?ls? missin? t??t ??? ?n? ??t?? R?? s???c??? ??? ?v???w????, w??n ?? ??t ??m? ?? s??tt?? L??i? ?t ?is ?l?c?. T?? ??? insist?? ??? R?? t? ??ll?w ?im. T?? m?n t??st?? t?? ???’s instincts ?n? s????isin?l? ?? l??? ?im ?x?ctl? w???? M???? w?s.

Un???t?n?t?l?, M???? s?m???w ??t t?????? in s?m? ??s??s, ??t t??nks t? ??? ??i?n? L??i?, s??’s n?w ?liv?. “R?? s?i? ?? w?s 100 ???c?nt s??? t??t L??i? kn?w w??t ?? w?s ??in?, ?n? ??ttin? R?? t? M???? w?s ?is ?n? ???? ??c?s,” M???l?n s?i?. “Onc? ?? ???n? ???, L??i? ??l??? R?? ?i? ??? ??t, ??llin? ?t ???nc??s, ?i??in? ??t t?? ????n?. R?? s?i? t?? s?c?n? s?? w?s ???? ??t? ???s ??n t? ? n????? ??n? ?n? j?m??? int? it ?x???st?? ?n? ??inkin? w?t??.”

Ex???st?? ??t?? t?? ??sc??, L??i? c??l? ????l? li?t ?is ???? ?? ???m ??? t??t ???, l?t ?l?n? ??tin? ?? ??inkin? w?t??. His ???? c?n?iti?n m??? ?is ????nts ?v?n m??? c?nc??n??. B?t mi??c?l??sl?, ?v???t?in? ??t ??ck t? n??m?l t?? ?t??? ???, w??n R?? ?n? M???? ??ci??? t? ??? t??m ? visit.

“T?? n?xt m??nin? R?? c?m? ?v?? ?n ?is ?ik? wit? M???? in ? w?? ??sk?t in t?? ??ck,” M???l?n s?i?. “L??i? ???k?? ?? ?n? w?s ??ck t? n??m?l.”

P?ts ??v? ? ?ni??? ??ilit? t? t??c? ??? liv?s ?n? ??in? imm?ns? j?? ?n? c?m??ni?ns?i?. T?? ??n?w?itt?n n?t? s?m??liz?s t?? ???? c?nn?cti?n ?n? l?v? t??t ?xist ??tw??n t?? ??? ?n? ?is ??mil?, ??min?in? ?s ?? t?? inc???i?l? ??n? t??t c?n ??v?l?? ??tw??n ??m?ns ?n? ?nim?ls.

It’s ????tw??min? t? ???? ????t ? missin? c?nin? ??in? ???nit?? wit? ?is ??mil?, ?s??ci?ll? ?cc?m??ni?? ?? ? ??n?w?itt?n n?t? ???isin? ?im ?s ? v?li?nt ???s?n?.

I? ??? ??v? ?n? ???t??? ??t?ils ?? i? t????’s ?n?t?in? ?ls? I c?n ?ssist ??? wit?, ?l??s? l?t m? kn?w.