The soil was loose where he’d buried the bullet, it was deep but he found it easily. He would hand it to Carmody who would have a big smile on his face as he did it. He made a note to look down when he handed it over. He squeezed on the bullet; it burnt his palm as if he had caught a star. He looked up, stars smaller than his bullet winked at him, they were happy for him too. He wanted to sleep there, beside the steps, where the stars could see him and wink all through his sleep; he felt that way he might sleep without becoming frightened. He tried to sleep, but he couldn’t close his eyes, he didn’t want to miss the stars winking. More were doing it now, at first there were only a few but now they were all doing it. He inhaled and the joy caught in his throat. He knew he couldn’t sleep here no matter how tired he became. He would be like his aunt’s new baby who wouldn’t sleep at their house. He was tired, his aunt kept saying, but he kept forcing his eyes open. Maybe the family were stars winking at him. The boy wasn’t one, he knew that much, he could never be a star. He knew he couldn’t smile at the baby because Captain Edmund had pushed his dick into his mouth and maybe the baby would see that. He stayed away, even though everyone wanted him to hold the baby, which made him angry. His father became shy at that too, he had asked the boy, ‘What’s the matter son? You’re upsetting your aunt.’ The boy didn’t have an answer. At home he held that door shut tight. It was silly of his father to ask questions that couldn’t be answered.