“No, she was just excited about the decorations. She put her arms around me and kissed me on the cheek, and she wouldn’t let go for a while. Made me wonder how long she’d gone without anyone touching her. And when I left it was dark, and I could see her in the classroom on her own, and do you know what she was doing? Singing. With her hands like this in front of her like she does in church”—Annie locked hands together at her chest, her elbows akimbo—“and she was giving it everything she had, singing to the decorations. Made me feel…I don’t know—”

A loud bang and a scream caused them all to flinch. Fifty-Three lurched to his feet, vomiting those gouts of sound that were his bark.

At the far end of the porch, Alvin’s over-large head appeared, grinning triumphantly.

“What the heck’s wrong with you?” Annie shouted.

“Got ya!” He began a mocking imitation of Annie. “Miss Kelly kissed me, like I was her boyfriend.” Mincing around, he made kisses into the air.

“That’s private,” Annie shouted, standing up.

He looked instantly abashed and even a little frightened. “I was only joshing.”

“Why are you always sneaking around?” Lew said.

“Not sneaking. Got something to show you all. Found something.”

“What is it?” Raj said.

“Surprise. Found it in the woods. It’s awesome. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Annie felt wary. “It’s not gross, is it?”

“No, it’s awesome.”

They followed Alvin as he jumped off the porch and picked up a canvas rifle bag. He led them through the maple woods behind Beecher’s place, the blazing red maples tapped, the scent of boiling sap in the air. Then across the Jackson road and down into a gully. Lew had stopped at the top to get a stone out of his shoe, while Annie and Raj slid down the scree with Alvin. A little way in front of them, Alvin pointed, his face fevered with excitement. At the bottom lay a thick tangle of telegraph wires. Trapped in these wires, probably drawn by the remains of a critter just a little way from it, was a large brown hawk. The bird’s wings were spread, its left severed at the shoulder by a tightened loop of wire and separated just a few inches from its body. Worst of all, it was still alive, its head rotating, its eyes fierce.

Annie glanced at Raj, who looked horrified.

“Ain’t that something?” Alvin shouted.

Stones clattered down behind them as Lew descended. Annie ran up as fast as she could, slipping a couple of times, and managed to get to him before he could see it.

“Don’t come down,” she said.

Alvin had followed. “He should see.”

“You’re disgusting,” she shouted. “Why d’you show us that?”

“What is it?” Lew said.

“It’s a golden eagle,” Alvin said.