Chapter 9

Bird Magic

‘Get lost , Art. I’ll fix things up,’ offered Mario. Once he handed back the baby, Art left. Others were helping pick up the fruit.

‘Thank you. How can I repay you?’

The baby’s mother was still fussing.

So was the fruit shop owner. ‘Oh my display. My fruit is bruised.’

Art just wanted to find the magician. Then he might find a clue to Serena’s disappearance.

At the centre stage of the shopping centre, a magician was doing tricks. Brightly coloured scarves grew out of a top hat. Then he pulled out a white dove.

Could that be one of Mr.Snip-pets doves?

‘Would anyone in the audience like to hold the dove?’

Art moved so fast he nearly dropped Mum’s lettuce.

‘A lettuce! Do you need it? Perhaps I’ll change it for you.’

The magician had an actor-sort of voice. All deep.

Art tried to watch every movement, but the magician was too fast. He swept the lettuce under his cape. The dove was in Art’s cupped hands, and the magician wound coloured scarves around them.

‘Abracadabra!’

The bird was very white. It felt warm and soft. He could feel its heart beating.

‘Serena?’ he said softly.

The bird flapped its wings.

‘I’ll say ,one,two,three. Then throw you hands up, and the bird will fly into the air. Are you ready?’

‘Can I just ask one question?’

‘Quickly.’ People were leaving the seats around the edges of the stage. The magician seemed less magical up close.

‘What type of bird is this?’ Art asked the magician.

‘A dove.’

‘Is it a crested feather foot fantail pigeon?’

The magician looked curiously at him. ‘No. It’s an ordinary white dove. See, it doesn’t have a fantail. It isn’t feather footed.’

‘Oh.’

‘Do you have any other birds in there?’ Art waved towards the bird cage on the stage. And then he pointed towards the magician’s cape. After all, his lettuce had vanished under the cape. Perhaps Serena could fit in there too?’

‘Trade secrets, son. A magician mustn’t tell what’s up his sleeve. But I can show you.’

Very quickly, the magician flung open his cape. He pulled two more doves from the air, showed tiny eggs in his hand and then a puff of smoke filled the stage. When it cleared, Mum’s lettuce was sitting on the ground in a salad bowl with chopped hard boiled eggs. The doves had gone, except for the one in Art’s hands.

‘One, two, three ... let her go!’

Art threw up his hands ,the bird’s wings fluttered , and the dove flew around the stage.

‘Thank you for your help, son,’ the magician patted him on the head. The audience clapped. ‘Egg salad for dinner tonight.’

‘I don’t use fantails. They’re a beautiful shape ,but they don’t fly up much.’

Art remembered Mr. Snip-pets saying that.

‘I’m looking for a missing bird. Serena is a crested feather foot, fantail pigeon.’

‘Do you think someone has stolen her?’

‘Maybe.’

‘Then look for someone who needs a beautiful bird to look shapely.’

That was a useful clue.

‘Mum likes egg salad …luckily.’

Outside the travel agency, he filled in the Fiji Holiday, Visit Singapore and the Romantic Pacific competitions.

He wrote his mum’s name on all of them. Just in case.

Voices echoed around the shopping centre. Snatches of music or microphone voices blared from shop doors.

Just then, Art heard a bird noise. He looked around.

Eerie birdcall music floated out of the New Age shop. Just an audio track.

As he walked towards the first floor level, Art could see a boy coming towards him. Jeans, sneakers, a red t-shirt. The same boy was coming from different directions. ‘Too many mirrors!’ he muttered. ‘And too many birds.’

Art felt as though he had birds on the brain. It was already Thursday and he hadn’t found Serena. The deadline was Saturday afternoon.