“They have a lot of different calls, the jackals,” Hila said, and Yona looked over at her. The howling had melted away but the child was still staring into the distance. A tender soul in a harsh landscape. “Yips and growls and hisses. We think it’s all meant to frighten, to scare away predators. But some of it is to welcome their friends.” Headlights appeared. Two bright giant disks. The van, coming to take her down the hill. “That’s the thing about animal cries,” the girl said. “About any creatures we don’t understand. Some sounds are hostile and others are friendly, but we can’t tell the difference.”