Ottimo Massimo

“From the ash tree where he was crouching, Cosimo began to whistle . . . and call, ‘Here, come back here, Ottimo Massimo, come back here, where are you going?’ but the dog did not obey, did not even turn; he ran on and on through the field until nothing could be seen but a distant dot like a comma—his tail—and even that vanished.”