They whirled and saw him, standing there dim in the slatted light from the boarded freight wall. He was big, and filthy, and his toes stuck out of the flapping tops of his shoes. He held the black plastic kazoo lightly.
"Who are you?" The boy's voice trembled.
He was scared birdless.
"Come sit," said Feathertop, motioning them toward him. "The crap is softer over here."
The girl smiled, and started forward. The boy yanked her back hard, tugging her off her feet. She landed with a stumbling plop next to him, and he gathered her into the crook of his arm, as he must have seen it done on the cover of some cheap detective magazine.
"Now stay with me, Kitty!" He sounded snappish. "I vowed to take care of you--and that's what I'm gonna do. We don't know this guy."
"Oooo, square bit." Feathertop screwed his face up. This guy was really out of it. But nowhere!
"What is with this vow jazz?" Feathertop smiled, lounging against the freight's vibrating wall.
"We--we eloped," Cappy said. His head came up and he said it defiantly. He stared at Feathertop, daring him to object.
"Well, congratulations." Feathertop made an elaborate motion with his hand. These two were going to be easy pickins. They couldn't have much dough, but then none of the freight-bums Feathertop rolled had much. And besides, the chick had a little something the others didn't have. That was gonna be fun collecting!
)
