6

Glum perched up ahead on the side-view mirror of Mr. Strickham’s car. It’s not too late to turn back, he said.

Caw steeled himself and kept walking. In the distance, the bells of Blackstone Cathedral were ringing out seven o’clock. The sun still peeked above the trees, throwing Caw’s long shadow ahead of him, but already the foxes had started prowling. Caw saw one darting through the bushes as he approached the Strickhams’ house.

We could go and raid the Dumpsters, said Screech. Rich pickings!

“I want to do this,” he told them.

You don’t look like it, said Glum. You’re all pale.

Caw tried to ignore them. It didn’t matter whether he wanted to come or not—he felt like he owed it to Lydia. She might be a bit pushy, but she’d come to the library with him, and she’d mended Screech’s leg.

As he reached the doorstep, he saw his reflection distorted in the huge polished knocker. He gave his armpit a quick sniff. He’d washed as well as he could in pond water and flattened his hair with an old comb, but he still felt like a fraud. At least he’d managed to find a new pair of shoes. Someone had thrown them out in a garbage can. They were a size too small, and one had a hole in the toe, so Caw had cut the end off the other one to make them match. From his suitcase he’d selected a black T-shirt, only slightly torn at the collar. It had a paint stain on the back, but as long as he didn’t take off his long black coat, no one would know.

He lifted the knocker, heart beating fast. Then froze.

What was he thinking?

“I can’t do this,” he muttered. He let the knocker down gently and backed away.

He’s seen sense! said Screech, tapping his talons on the top of Mr. Strickham’s car. So what’s it going to be? Indian food? Chinese?

The door opened suddenly, making Caw’s heart leap, and there stood Lydia, wearing some sort of green woolen dress. She looked tidy and clean. Much cleaner than Caw. “I knew you’d come!” she said.

Before he could say anything, she grabbed his arm and tugged him into the house, leaving the squawking crows outside. Immediately Lydia’s dog, Benjy, began sniffing around his ankles. Benjy was white with brown patches and had bulgy eyes and floppy ears. Caw found himself at the bottom of a wide staircase, standing on a thick, pale carpet. He saw in horror that his shoes had already left a black smudge of dirt on it. “I’m sorry!” he said. “I’ll take them off.”

As he slipped his feet out, a memory of the dream came back, and of the carpet at his parents’ house—bare skin sinking into luxurious softness—until he noticed Lydia looking down at his shoes and fighting a smile. “Come on!” she said. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

She led him down a hallway lined with framed photographs, Benjy trotting alongside. The pictures were all of the Strickham family. There were beautiful porcelain-and-glass lamps giving off a soft green light. But it was the smell that Caw noticed the most. The aroma of food made his mouth water so much he was scared he might drool on the carpet.

At the far end, a set of double doors opened onto a huge table with candles in the middle and plates laid out. Caw could hardly believe, after watching so many times through the window, that he was finally inside. The warmth and softness seemed to draw him forward.

Sitting at one end of the table reading a newspaper, a pair of spectacles perched at the end of his nose, was Mr. Strickham.

“Dad?” said Lydia.

Mr. Strickham turned, then started. “What the . . .” His mouth opened and closed and he stood up, staring at Caw. “Lydia, what’s this boy doing here?”

With a horrible sinking feeling, Caw’s eyes swept over the table. It was set for three.

“I invited him,” said Lydia. “To say thank you.”

“You invited him?” said Mr. Strickham.

“I’ll go,” said Caw, turning.

Lydia grabbed him. “No, you won’t,” she said. “Will he, Dad?”

She glared at her father, whose eyes settled on Caw’s bare feet before returning to his face.

“And your name is?” he said.

“He’s called Caw,” said Lydia. “Caw, this is my father.”

Lydia’s dad took another second before he nodded briskly and held out a hand. He seemed to be doing his best to smile. Caw took the hand, glad that he’d given his nails a thorough scrub in the pond.

At that moment, a woman entered the room, holding a steaming dish. She was slim, with softly curling red hair that she had pulled back into a loose bun, and she wore a pink apron over a pale dress. Caw recognized her at once. Lydia’s mother. Her eyes flashed wide in alarm when she saw him. “Who are you?” she said.

“It seems Lydia has brought a . . . ah . . . this . . . friend for dinner,” said Mr. Strickham.

“He’s our guest,” said Lydia. “He’s Caw. The boy who was there last night.”

“I see,” said Mrs. Strickham, narrowing her gaze. Caw began to feel uncomfortable under her intense stare.

“We at least owe him dinner,” said Lydia. “I’ll get another plate.” She gestured to a chair. “Caw, sit there.”

As Lydia left the room, Caw thought about turning and running away. They didn’t want him here, obviously. He should have listened to Glum and Screech. He tried to offer a smile, but he was pretty sure it came out more like a grimace. Mr. Strickham nodded as though he wasn’t sure how to respond. His wife just placed the dish gently on the table.

“Please, take a seat,” said Lydia’s father.

Caw did as he was told, leaving his hands at his sides as he sat down. Everything looked so clean! The walls, the floor, the tablecloth . . . He hardly dared move for fear of spreading dirt.

Lydia soon returned, and everyone took their places at the table. Mrs. Strickham lifted the lid off a platter to reveal a joint of meat. The smell made Caw’s mouth fill up with saliva all over again. He swallowed nervously.

“So, where do you live, Caw?” asked Mr. Strickham as he carved the meat with a huge knife.

“Nearby.”

“With your parents?” asked Mr. Strickham.

“No,” said Caw. “I live alone.”

Mr. Strickham’s expression suddenly turned severe. “You don’t look old enough,” he said.

Lydia’s eyes darted to her father. Caw’s heart thumped with a rush of panic, and he racked his brains. If they found out he was only thirteen, they’d call the authorities.

“He’s sixteen,” said Lydia.

“Really?” said Mr. Strickham. “I only ask because—”

“I am,” lied Caw. “I’m sixteen.”

“Stop interrogating him, Dad,” said Lydia. She laid a plate in front of Caw, heaped with meat, potatoes, and vegetables, all smothered in gravy. “Dig in,” she said.

Caw looked up, and Mrs. Strickham nodded. She seemed a little pale, he noticed. “I hope you like it,” she said.

Caw picked up a slice of meat and sank his teeth in. He almost groaned in pleasure. It was like nothing he’d ever tasted, soft in texture and almost sweet. He took another bite, and the sauce dribbled over his hands. He bit into a potato and almost had to spit it out because it was so hot. He opened his mouth and sucked in breaths of cold air before chewing furiously and swallowing. Then he took a handful of something green and pushed it in as well. The flavors mingled wonderfully. Some fell out onto his plate, so he crammed it back in. He swallowed thickly again and licked the rich sauce off his fingers and his wrist.

It was quiet at the table, he realized, and when he looked up he saw all three members of the Strickham family staring at him, openmouthed. They were holding knives and forks. Caw blushed to the roots of his hair.

“He’s not used to company,” said Lydia quickly.

“Sorry,” said Caw. “This is delicious.” He picked up the knife and fork, but they felt all wrong in his hands. Mrs. Strickham watched him curiously, slowly slicing her food and placing a small morsel in her mouth.

The dinner proceeded in silence. Caw barely looked up, and though he tried to pace himself, he soon finished what was on his plate. Lydia gave him more without asking.

“You seem hungry, Caw,” said Mr. Strickham. “When was the last time you ate?”

Caw thought back to the apples and chocolate Lydia had given him. “Earlier today,” he said.

“You know, I might be able to find you some . . . support,” said Mr. Strickham, laying down his knife and fork.

Caw frowned.

“The city can look after children who haven’t—”

“I’m sixteen,” said Caw, a little too loudly.

“There’s no need to be aggressive,” said Mr. Strickham. “I’m only trying to help you.”

“Leave him alone, Dad,” said Lydia.

Mr. Strickham shot her a glare. “Don’t raise your voice at me, young lady. Not after your disobedience last night.”

“Without Caw and his crows, we’d be dead,” said Lydia. “I just think we should respect his privacy.”

Mr. Strickham seemed about to say something, then shook his head. “You’re right, Lydia.” He smiled at Caw. “I’m sorry.”

“Did you say crows, dear?” Mrs. Strickham asked.

“Yes,” Lydia answered. “Caw has these three tame crows that hang around him. Two of them attacked the prisoner in the alley last night.”

“How very strange,” Mrs. Strickham said. Her brow furrowed, and she cleared her throat. “I’m going to the bathroom. If you’ll excuse me.” She stood up and dabbed the corner of her mouth with a crisp napkin, then left the room.

Caw noticed a movement at the window—a fluttering of wings. It was Screech, perched outside. His heart sank. That was the last thing he needed—just when he seemed to have won them over. Caw gave a jerk of his hand, to say, Go away!

A sudden barking sounded from the hallway.

“Quiet down, Benjy!” called Mr. Strickham. “So, Caw, have you always lived in Blackstone?”

The barks became frantic.

“What’s gotten into him?” said Lydia. She stood up and walked out of the room. Not alone again, thought Caw.

But a second later Lydia gave a piercing scream.

“Lydia!” shouted Mr. Strickham. He was on his feet at the same time as Caw, both rushing toward the hall.

Caw skidded to a halt, trying to work out what he was seeing. Benjy cowered at the bottom of the stairs, barking madly, as Lydia screamed and screamed.

Lying on the carpet was a snake. Gray-scaled and about ten feet long, its body was coiled, but its stubby head lifted from the ground. Mr. Strickham grabbed Caw as he tried to spring forward. “No, stay back!” he said.

“Get away from my dog!” Lydia cried. “Benjy!”

The snake darted forward, and Benjy’s bark became a whimper as its fangs caught his leg and held on. The dog growled and snapped and rolled until he squirmed free. With a hiss, the snake turned and slithered straight at Lydia, its gleaming jade eyes watching her every movement.

Caw tore his arm from Mr. Strickham’s grip. He seized the lamp standing in the hallway, tugged its cord free of the socket, and threw it at the snake. Glass and china exploded across the floor. Caw seized another lamp and hefted it above his head. The scaly creature darted away, toward an open vent in the wall. Before anyone could stop it, it slid into the darkness.

Caw put the lamp down. His blood was pumping hard.

“Benjy?” murmured Lydia. She crouched beside her dog. He was lying on his side, eyes staring, panting rapidly. Two tooth marks were horribly visible in his leg, oozing blood.

Mr. Strickham slammed the vent cover back against the wall. He tightened the screws, just as his wife came rushing into the hall. “What’s going on?” she asked in a high-pitched voice. Her eyes took in the remains of the lamp, then Benjy and Lydia, and finally Caw.

“It was a snake,” said Mr. Strickham. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Where did it come from?”

Mrs. Strickham glared at Caw, as though it was somehow his fault, then walked to Lydia’s side. “Was he bitten?” she said.

Lydia nodded, tears streaming down her face as she cradled her dog. “He’s hardly breathing!”

Caw watched as the dog’s body trembled and twitched, then suddenly sagged over Lydia’s knees. The dog’s big eyes kept staring, but the light was gone from them.

“Benjy!” whispered Lydia.

Mrs. Strickham put a hand on her daughter’s back. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” she said.

“No!” said Lydia. “Call the vet!”

Mrs. Strickham pulled her daughter into an embrace as the dog lay limp across her lap. “He’s gone,” she said, hugging her daughter as she wept. “He’s gone.”

Caw just stood there, feeling helpless.

Mr. Strickham had one hand pressed against his forehead, as if he couldn’t quite believe what had happened. At last he gestured toward the door, looking at Caw. “I’m sorry, but we need to be alone.”

Caw nodded, stunned into silence. He’d seen a grass snake or two in the park before—Glum said they were a delicacy—but never anything that size, and never anything poisonous. Not in Blackstone. He wanted to comfort Lydia too, but Mr. Strickham was already ushering him out.

“Thank you for dinner,” stammered Caw, gathering up his shoes. “If there’s anything I can—”

The door closed behind him.

Screech and Glum were waiting by the car. We tried to warn you, said Screech. We saw the snake go in through the drain.

We got it, though, said Glum. Look! He twitched his beak, gesturing to the ground beside the car. The snake lay in an S shape, lifeless, blood spreading out from its body.

Too late for Benjy.

Caw turned from the dead snake and stumbled down the path, leaving the crows behind, his mind still working.

Hey, where are you going? called Glum indignantly.

The snake had come up through the drain. Someone must have let it loose in there. Suddenly he heard footsteps, receding fast. Caw swerved into the road, heart thumping. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness, but as they did he saw a shape in the distance, running down the sidewalk away from Lydia’s house. A tall, dark figure. His heart froze.

A young woman with black hair.

The escaped prisoner.