One Stark senses my fear and pulls at the jesses around her feet I stroke her breast feathers to calm us both Trainers should never show nerves to a bird of prey I try to slow my breathing as I listen to Dad introduce lure training my part of the demo It’s my specialty His falcon Gremlin isn’t even hooded and sits patiently on his fist making me regret my insistence on showing Stark She’s not as seasoned as Gremlin This is her first school demonstration with me Surveying the crowd I can’t remember remember why I thought this would be a good idea My favorite lure is hidden in my satchel It’s a weighted stuffed bit of leather in the shape of a duck at the end of a long string I’ve already attached a tidbit of meat with the ties in the center The lure is ready and Stark is ready But for the first time since I started helping with demos I’m not sure I am ready Is it heavy asks a girl on the bench behind where I’m 5
standing She’s probably my age since we’re doing this demo for an eighth-grade biology class Her straight blond hair falls in a glossy sheet over her shoulders nothing like my frizzy auburn hair She points to Stark and the two girls sitting next to her giggle I realize I’m still staring at her and rush to answer Gyrfalcons are the largest falcons in North America And females are bigger than males so she can get heavy Almost the same weight as a bowling ball I say I mean the small kinds of balls You know the kind you bowl with when they have all the neon lights going like it’s a party It actually was my party We went on my birthday From the look on her face I know I need to stop rambling rambling But I hear myself reaching to keep her attention My neighbor Michelle came bowling with us She lives a few houses down We’ve been friends for ages even though she’s three years older than me She goes to school Stop talking Stop it Maybe you know her Michelle Miller Before the girl can answer I feel a shift in the audience as all eyes turn to me My attention snaps back to Dad My daughter Karma is one of the best bird handlers in Montana She’ll show you how fast falcons can fly by swinging a lure for Stark to chase he says Stark is a gyr falcon the same family as Gremlin my peregrine here Are you ready to meet her I give the girl an apologetic smile then stand taller and walk to the center of the pit One of the teachers starts a round of polite clapping The October sky hangs blue and clear A brisk northerly picks up speed coming off the mountain range 6
to the west and sweeps across the sagebrush A perfect day for a flight I turn on my headset microphone and launch quickly into my speech Here at the education center we have hawks falcons eagles and owls We call them all raptors which is a term for birds of prey Falcons like Stark here have long thin toes I point to her gorgeous yellow feet Their beaks are short with a notch that acts like a tooth It fits between the neck vertebrae of their prey Falcons Falcons kill prey by breaking their necks Hawks however have strong feet and talons for gripping and puncturing vital organs organs That’s how they kill prey As I recite my speech I walk the perimeter so everyone can see Stark up close Later they’ll have a chance to hold one of the kestrels our smallest falcons Some raptors talons can apply four hundred pounds of pressure Humans can maybe squeeze twenty pounds I pause for effect before the punch line Depends how much you work out Scattered laughter makes me smile as I make eye contact with everyone All the best performers make eye contact The blond girl doesn’t smile back She talks to her friends behind her hand My stomach tightens as I wonder if they’re talking about me I keep my left arm angled to comfortably hold the three-pound falcon and not tire myself Normally all my attention is on the bird on my fist but I can’t help sneaking glances at the three girls Are they impressed with Stark’s white plumage Maybe they wish they owned a falcon I 7
