After Sylvia

After Sylvia — page 7 — the soft noises and then Leonard too poked his head close to the little speaker The sound was low but distinct Andy told Owen that if he hooked up the battery they could boost the speaker power and hear better But the battery didn’t seem to be in the box Why would birds be on the radio Owen asked Maybe they took over the station Leonard said Don’t be ridiculous Andy said Birds can’t take over a station Why not Leonard asked They take over trees They take over telephone poles We have no idea what they’re talking about Owen looked outside to see if masses of birds were whirling through the sky preparing to occupy the house But the sky was clear Those birds sound familiar Leonard said Familiar Andy said twisting the word to make it seem ridiculous Friends of yours Birds that you’ve met I don’t know Leonard said cautiously It’s just that The birds stopped singing on the radio then and Owen heard voices very low One of them was an announcer saying That was a taste of nature from one of the best

After Sylvia — page 8 — bird-whistlers in the county And the other That’s Uncle Lorne Owen blurted and the brothers looked at one another in amazement Then the house shook with the sound of heavy feet on the stairs and all three boys dove for the bed together They were still writhing when their father pushed open the door and a sudden shaft of light from the hall split the room What are you three up to Horace asked darkly Owen clung to his brothers in tense unbreathing stillness Is there a bird in here Horace asked then The crystal radio had started throbbing again Owen sat up and announced It’s Uncle Lorne But Andy instantly pulled him back down What are you talking about Horace asked stepping farther into the room Owen saw him in a blurry way through half-clenched eyes Horace was not normally an angry father but lately he could blow into a sudden storm over little things a broken window spilled ketchup a story on the news Just then the bird noises surged in volume and Owen wondered if Andy had suddenly found and hooked up the battery after all It is birds Horace said He walked over to the window

After Sylvia — page 9 — to look out but bumped into the tangle of antenna wires instead Careful Owen said sitting up now and not pretending to be asleep at all It’s Uncle Lorne on the crystal radio Horace freed himself from the jumble of wires and put a big ear close to the puny speaker How do you turn this thing up he asked So Andy rummaged through the back of the closet and brought out his big battery When he hooked up the terminals the whistling filled the room like a whole flock It is Lorne Horace said I haven’t heard him whistle like that in years Then he too started to whistle though his music wasn’t full and convincing like Lorne’s In a few minutes the boys mother blew into the room What’s going on Margaret demanded Why is everyone up School starts tomorrow Back to bed now She had such snap to her voice that they all jumped But only Horace moved away from the radio It’s Lorne Horace said in the soft voice he used to try to calm her Whistling like a bunch of birds Owen declared Who Margaret asked and she walked straight into the antenna wire

After Sylvia — page 10 — Then she screamed and in the confusion pulled the sailing ship lamp off the wall and onto the bed where the boys had been just moments before The lightbulb smashed against the bed frame and burning sparks shot into the air and filled the room with angry choking smoke Hands off Those wires are live Horace commanded and he pushed Margaret to safety Stay where you are He turned to the boys who were trapped behind the electrified antenna wire and the smoking wreck of the sailing ship lamp Don’t move an inch Understand Yes sir Andy said immediately for them all It was a direct order and Owen felt himself stiffening as if standing at attention The window was behind them and there really wasn’t anywhere they could go The antenna wire ominously crackling was looped over the curtain rod just above their heads and the burning line to the bed cut off their escape In a second Horace was gone from the room Leonard started to whimper and Margaret told him to stay very still You’ll be all right she said but her voice didn’t sound all right It sounded like a tree about to crack in a storm The boys blanket was smoking badly now and Owen

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