“Kind of. It doesn’t smell rotten, just kinda sour.”

“Hey, look! Over there!” The three looked at the pig’s bottom lifelessly sticking out of the grass. “Oh, I’ve been starving all day long from flying!”

“Wait! The master said we’re to be on lookout–”

“I just need a few picks on it. Besides, Talon’s up in the tree looking out for us.”

“Well, I am pretty hungry. Okay, let’s make this quick.” Clementine heard the buzzards approaching.

“Oh, geez. This pig is fresh!”

“Dang it!”

“Well, maybe his skin won’t be that tough.” The buzzard took a whiff. “Hmmm, judging by the smell he probably died sometime last night.”

“Hey, didn’t the boss say a pig was one of those four travelers we’re looking for?”

“You don’t suppose this one could–” He fell unconscious to the ground.

“Oh my gosh!” Benjamin tried not to yell.

Malcolm sprang to the next buzzard and bashed the back of his head with a rock. As the third buzzard registered what he saw, he tried to take off, but it was too late. The raccoon squeezed his claws tightly around the ugly, bald buzzard’s neck.

“Malcolm just took out two buzzards! And now he has the other one by the neck!” Benjamin commentated.

Malcolm checked the buzzard in the tree and saw that it was still facing the barn. He looked at his muted victim and snickered.

“Okay, Clementine, you can come back to life now.” The pig was afraid to get up. Malcolm jerked the buzzard’s head around to face him and waved his free hand up and down. “Alakazaam! Arise! Arise, pig!” The raccoon coolly laughed as he acted out a magic trick on the pig.

Clementine opened his eyes slowly. “Uh, Malcolm, is that buzzard still alive?”

“Yes, my friend. But he’s not able to talk at the moment. You see where his vocal cords are?” He slid a sharp claw along the bird’s neck, causing it to flinch. “I’ve squeezed them so he can’t yell at his ugly friend up there.”

“Oh, well, that’s nice.”

“Now, Clementine, if you’ll do me the honor…” He pulled the buzzard’s head to the ground. “I need you to sit on his head while I pop that ugly bird out of the tree.”

“Sit on his head?”

Malcolm grabbed a rock with his free hand. “Yep. Just sit on him and make sure he can’t move or talk.”

“What about breathe?”

“This’ll only take a second, so don’t worry about that.”

The buzzard watched the big pig bottom cast a shadow over his face. Squish! He flapped his wings but couldn’t move anything else.