Varjak Paw by SF Said

Author:SF Said [Said, SF]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-54869-6
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2003-10-17T04:00:00+00:00

‘So tell me, Mr Paw,’ said Holly. ‘How exactly would you hunt one?’

‘What do you mean?’ said Varjak, suddenly suspicious. Was she making fun of him again? He'd never tried to hunt a bird; it seemed too difficult.

‘I mean, go and get one of those pigeons.’

It sounded like a challenge. He searched her mustard eyes. She didn't look like she was making fun of him. She meant it.

‘All right,’ he said. ‘I will.’

‘Holly!’ said Tam. ‘That's not fair. Don't take any notice of her, Varjak. She's being mean again.’

‘I want to do it,’ he said, still looking into Holly's eyes. She smiled.

Varjak slunk into the square. He selected a bird and turned all his Awareness onto it. He observed it with his eyes, ears, whiskers. Nothing it did could surprise him now: he and it were one.

He crept towards the pigeon, stealthy as Jalal himself. In the whole world, there was nothing but him and his prey. Varjak sprang –

– and a hundred wings came at him; a hundred claws curved out; a hundred beaks cawed in chaos.

Panic! Varjak fled from the flock. He hadn't expected anything so fierce. His fur ruffled and his tail trembled. He hid behind Holly and Tam, and watched the birds settle down from a safe distance.

‘Varjak!’ cried Tam. ‘Are you OK?’ He shook his head. ‘I told you, Holly, no one could do that!’

‘Exactly,’ said Holly. ‘That's exactly what happens to me every time. That's why even the gangs don't bother with this place. But I always think, if we could just work out how to catch the birds, we'd never go hungry again.’

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