“Are you on your own?” said the girl.
Caw remembered the man outside and took a quick glance back. But the face by the tree had gone. The crows were nowhere to be seen either.
“Er … yes,” he said.
“So, if this is your house, why don’t you live here?” the girl said, jabbing the bat at him. She looked like she wouldn’t have a problem using it.
Caw kept his distance. “I haven’t lived here for a long time,” he said. He searched for a better explanation but couldn’t think what to say.
The girl hefted the bat again. She looked ready to pounce if he said the wrong thing.
“My parents … they threw me out,” he added. It was sort of true.
The girl seemed to relax at that. She lowered the bat a little. “Join the club,” she said.
“What club?” said Caw.
The girl frowned. “It’s an expression,” she said. “It means we’re in the same boat.”
Caw was getting confused. “This is a house, not a boat,” he said.
He wasn’t sure why, but the girl laughed at that. “What planet are you from?” she said, shaking her head.
“This one,” said Caw. She was making fun of him, he realised. But at least that was better than trying to bludgeon him with a bat. “Are you on your own?” he asked.
The girl nodded. “I suppose technically I ran away. I’ve been here a few weeks. My name’s Selina, by the way.”
“Caw,” said Caw.
“That short for something?”
“Not really,” he replied.
“I knew there were some empty houses round here,” said Selina. She waved the bat, pointing around the room. “This seemed the best of a bad lot.”
“Thanks,” said Caw. “This used to be my bedroom.”
The girl grinned. “It’s really nice. The rat droppings make it kind of homely.”
Caw couldn’t help laughing. It had taken him a while, but gradually, with Pip and Crumb’s help, he was getting the hang of talking to people. “It’s the charred curtains that make it for me.”
Selina leant the baseball bat against the wall. “Look, I can go if you want.”
Caw went quiet. He felt sort of strange in the pit of his stomach. No one ever asked what he wanted, so he had no idea. He looked at her ragged clothes and thin face. If he kicked her out, where would she go? He supposed there were other houses she could squat in. But he’d only just met her, and she seemed OK, apart from the baseball bat.
The girl began to gather the sleeping bag up from the floor.
“There’s no need to leave,” he said quickly. “I’m not staying. I’m finished here.”
She paused. “Oh – you live somewhere else now?” she said.
Caw caught a flash of desperation in her eyes. He thought about the Church of St Francis, where he lived with Crumb and Pip. He broke eye contact.
“Sort of,” he said.
Selina gave a wry smile. “It’s OK – I get it. I can look after myself.”
Caw searched her face and wondered if she was just pretending to be tough. He had a mattress at the church, warmth and food. A million times better than here. Could he take her there? There was plenty of room. His heart urged him to say something, but his head argued the other way. He knew Crumb wouldn’t like it if he showed up with a stranger. Plus, how could they keep their feral powers a secret from her?
No, it was too risky.
“It’s not that,” he said. “It’s not my place, that’s all.”
She nodded. “Don’t worry about it.”
He felt bad. It must get really cold here at night. And how did she eat without any crows to help her?
“Listen,” he said, “you look hungry. I could come back, bring you some food if you like.”
The girl blushed, but lifted her chin. “I don’t need your help,” she said.
“No, of course not,” said Caw. “I was just … I know places to get food, that’s all. In the city.”
“So do I,” she said defensively. “I’m not going hungry, all right?”
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. He hadn’t meant to offend her.
“Tell you what,” she said at last. “How about we share our knowledge? I’ll show you where I go, and you can do the same. Two runaways helping each other out?”
Caw blinked. He hadn’t been expecting that sort of offer. “What – like, together?”
“Why not?” said Selina. “How about tomorrow night? Ten o’clock.”
Caw found himself nodding without even thinking about it.
Screech’s soft warble sounded from outside. They must be worried about me. Caw didn’t want them coming in and scaring Selina.
“I’ve got to go,” he said.
She was watching him closely, her brow wrinkled. “OK,” she said. “Bye, Caw – see you tomorrow. I’ll guard your parents’ valuables till then.”
“Valuables?” said Caw. Had she found something in the house?
She smiled again. “Joking,” she said.
“Oh, yes,” he said, going red. “I get it. Bye then.”
He left the room, skin still burning furiously. But as he began descending the stairs, his chest felt light. It had been so long since he’d spoken to a normal person, and apart from a few slips, it hadn’t gone too badly. He wondered if he should tell Crumb about the girl. The pigeon feral didn’t have a lot of time for non-ferals.
He paused in the living room. All sorts of questions occurred to him now. Where had she run from, and why? How long had she been here and how had she survived? Well, there’d be plenty of time to ask her later.
Find anything? said Shimmer, hopping aside as he closed the front door behind him.
“Not really,” Caw lied. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Nothing at all? said Shimmer, cocking her head.
“It’s a ruin,” said Caw. “I should have listened to Glum.”
Told you so, said Glum.
Caw
