Biff reluctantly switched off his headlights, and the entire area went black. As Nick’s eyes slowly adjusted, shapes and forms began to emerge from a sea of deep shadows. The moon was a brilliant silver disk on the far horizon, glowing through the tops of the trees and silhouetting dead limbs like streaks of black lightning. The woods were dominated by towering old beech trees, with their bark stripped down from the tops until they resembled craggy old hands with the skin flayed back to the knuckles.

Nick walked along the fence, unconsciously running his hand along the links as he went. Suddenly his hand hit something soft and furry; he stopped abruptly and Biff bumped into him from behind.

“What’s the matter?”

“There’s something on the fence.”

“What is it?”

Nick adjusted his glasses and took a closer look. It was a dead squirrel, stretched out and tied to the fence with long strands of field grass twisted into bundles. “It’s nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me. That’s a sign from the witch—it means ‘Keep out! Go back!’”

“Maybe she just doesn’t like squirrels.”

“Stop kidding around, mister.”

“Lighten up, will you? It’s just a dead squirrel. Let’s keep going.”

Twenty yards farther on Nick felt another soft lump. This time it was a blackbird, tied to the fence by the neck and tail, with a strip of scarlet ribbon wound around its beak.

“I’m telling you, that’s a sign,” Biff said.

“I think you’re right,” Nick said. “It means ‘Are you two coming in or not?’ Let’s climb over here—give me a lift.”

“Climb over? You still want to go in? Are you nuts?”

Nick let out an impatient groan. “Look, we didn’t come all the way up here just to look at a fence. What are you going to do, go back to Endor and tell all your friends that you went up to see the witch but a squirrel scared you off ?”

“They don’t have to know,” Biff grumbled.

“Yes they do, because I’ll tell them. Now we’re going to climb this fence and we’re going to find that witch, and tomorrow you’re going to tell all your friends that you’re the biggest stud in the whole Shenandoah Valley—and I’m going to back you up. Now are you coming or not?”

Biff scowled and formed a stirrup with his hands. Nick slipped his right foot into the stirrup and pushed upward, grabbing the top of the fence and pulling himself up. He swung one leg over the top, then the other; he lowered himself until he hung by his arms, then dropped to the ground on the other side. Biff followed close behind.

They started forward through the woods, walking in the direction of the moon.

“How do we know where we’re going?” Biff asked.