The Pet Thief

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lap flap torn yellow awning. Shivery window. Greywhite stones Green shutter taps. Tic, tic, tic. Sun shines. Greywhite stones Shadows climb. Drainpipe. Little pink wings flutter. Red tip cigarette. Smoke, my eyes. Mister says, There Henry is, my boy. The rainwater head again, as you surmised. Pink w w w wings. Little black Henry eye blink blinks. Little black beak clics. Gettin thoisty up here. Brown sweater shoulder. Pretty Boyd rainbow wings tha tha tha. Feathers puff. O boy. says Pretty Boyd. Hes a gonah this time. Now Pretty Boyd. says Mister. Mister coughs. Smoke. Dizzy. Wrinkly mouth Wrinkly hand hides. Goodness, me. Cough cough. Goodness me. says sky. Rooftop. Sun. Yellow hair. Moon. Pointy chin has yellow hair moon. Red glasses bingbing. Goodness me. Stones come slow. Fingers, tootsies, climb. Yellow awning my hand grabs. Streetlamp. Stones my fingers tootsies climb. Clicky green shutter my hand shuts. Boiled cabbage. Burnt toast. Splintery planter box. Windowsill. Rainwater head comes. Blinky metal eyes clink clink. Metal mouth says, Me from away bird get. Henry wings flare, yellow feathers show. Cars zoum zoum. Shooooo Redorange crest feathers plume. My ears hurt. Tootsies slip. Careful up there. Mister says. Rooftop moon. Yellow hair shines. Red glasses bing bing. Sunlight. Careful down there. F My fingers hurt. My arms legs shake, burn. Drainpipe my hand grabs. Tootsies push, hurt Old cloaks, suits or coats Coat rack squeaks, rolls, Old satten, old taffety, or velvet Black beak shimmers, clic clic. Grey Henry claw shaky finger pokes. My hand grey Henry claws grab Stones my fingers Pinkyellow wings flap flap My shoulder Henry perches, claws pinch. Rainwater head says, Everytime me poops bird pink. Haw haw. says Henry. See you round, Bucket head. Careful on the way down. Mister says. Haw haw. says Henry. Stones slow rise. Pink Henry wings flap, my eyes. My ear beak tickles. Shiver. Sweets. says Henry flaflap. Mister, Pretty Boyd, get big. Green shutter my elbow bumps. Streetlamp. Torn yellow awning. My foots Cobblestones clapclap. Henry wings flap, claws pinch. Ach, luck run out sometime. Now Pretty Boyd. Sweets. says Henry. That clinches it. says rooftop. Goodness me, yes. Yellow hair flutters. Red glasses bingbing sunlight. Wrinkly Mister hand says, Come here, Henry Tudor. Wrinkly finger curling grey Henry claws take. My fingertips dusty white. My tootsies. Mister says, I dont know whats more silly, a cockatoo afraid of heights, or a cockatoo afraid of heights who repeatedly gets himself stuck in high places. Sweets. Henry says. Wings flaflap. Brown sweater. Tobacco. Grappa. Wrinkly hand comes. My mouth chokes. Hollers. Mister says, Im sorry, sorry. Just wanted to say, some young man is an extremely proficient climber. Anyone else would have broken their crown scaling a façade like that. And how many times. Mais jamais ce jeune homme parfait. How he does it is a wonder that may only find explanation in the besprung watchworks of science, nay, beyond. The inexplicable, the divine. Old Henry owes him yet another debt of thanks. Dont you, Henry. Thanks. hollers Henry. Desoive sweets, now. Desoive sand in craw. Now Pretty Boyd. We none of us can help our basic nature. Of course you may have a treat, Henry. says Mister. Theres a dried apricot for you back at the shop. Whoa whoa whoa. says Pretty Boyd. Rainbow wings flare. Dry apricots, this plotz. Okay, Pretty Boyd, okay, treats for you too. says cawing Mister, shoulders hunched. My ears my hands hide. Owie. Rooftop. Sun. Dust spins. Green shutter tic tic. ...