Th? ni?ht w?s ???k ?n? still ?s ? sh????, with ? c????t ?? st??s s????? ?c??ss th? sk? lik? ?i?m?n?s in ?l?ck v?lv?t. In ? ??m?t?, ????l ?i?l?, ??? ?w?? ???m th? h?stl? ?n? ??stl? ?? th? cit?, ?n ???i? h?sh ?l?nk?t?? th? l?n?sc???.
Th? ?nl? s??n?s w??? th? ?ist?nt chi??in? ?? c?ick?ts ?n? th? ?cc?si?n?l ??stl? ?? l??v?s in th? ??ntl? ????z?.
As th? cl?ck n????? mi?ni?ht, ? h?sh?? m??m?? ????n t? ?i??l? th????h th? t???s, ?s i? th? v??? ???th its?l? s?ns?? th? ???iv?l ?? s?m?thin? ?th??w??l?l?.
S????nl?, ? ??illi?nt li?ht ???????? ?n th? h??iz?n, ???wіп? st???il? ??i?ht?? ?s it ??????ch??. It w?s lik? ? ??llin? st??, ??t this w?s n? ???in??? c?l?sti?l ??j?ct. ?s it ??sc?n??? cl?s?? t? th? ????n?, its t??? n?t??? ??c?m? ??????nt—it w?s ? ???, ?n? it w?s ?nlik? ?n? ?v?? s??n ??????.
Th? ??? h?? m?n? l??s, lik? ? ?i??ntic, m?t?llic s?i???, ?n? it m?v?? with ?n ???i? ???c? ?s it t??ch?? ??wn in th? mi??l? ?? th? ?i?l?. Th? l??s ?xt?n??? ?n? ??t??ct?? in ? s?nch??niz?? ??nc?, s?????tin? th? c???t ?s it s?ttl?? ?n th? ????n?.
Th? ?nti?? sc?n? w?s ??th?? in ?n ?th??w??l?l? ?l?w, c?stin? l?n?, twist?? sh???ws ?c??ss th? ?i?l?. L?c?l wil?li??, st??tl?? ?? th? int??si?n, sc?tt???? in ?ll ?i??cti?ns.
Owls h??t?? ?n? t??k ?li?ht, ????its ???t?? ??? c?v??, ?n? ?v?n th? c?ick?ts ??ll sil?nt in th? ???s?nc? ?? this ?iz???? visit??. ?s th? ??st s?ttl?? ?n? th? ?i?l? ??t??n?? t? ?n ?n??s? stilln?ss, ? h?tch ?n th? si?? ?? th? ??? hiss?? ???n. ? s??t, ??ls?tin? li?ht ?m?n?t?? ???m within, c?stin? ?n invitin? ???? ????n? th? ?nt??nc?. T?nt?tiv?l?, ? ?i???? ?m????? ???m th? c???t. Th? ??in? w?s ?nlik? ?n?thin? th? w??l? h?? ?v?? s??n.
It st??? t?ll, with ? sl?n???, ?l?n??t?? ???? th?t s??m?? t? shimm?? with ?n i?i??sc?nt ?l?w. Its h??? w?s c??wn?? with ? cl?st?? ?? ?nt?nn??-lik? ????n????s th?t twitch?? ?n? sw????, s?nsin? th? s?????n?in?s.
Its ???s w??? l???? ?n? l?min?sc?nt, ?n? th?? ?list?n?? with ?n ?th??w??l?l? int?lli??nc?.
Th? ??in? s??v???? its s?????n?in?s with ? s?ns? ?? w?n??? ?n? c??i?sit?, ?s i? this w?s its ?i?st visit t? ??? w??l?. It s??m?? t? ?? in ?w? ?? th? n?t???l ????t? ?? th? ???th, th? ??stlin? l??v?s, ?n? th? st???? sk? ???v?.
W??? ??ickl? s????? ?m?n? th? l?c?ls, ?n? ? sm?ll ????? ?? ???v? s??ls ??th???? ?t ? s??? ?ist?nc?, th?i? ??c?s ?ill?? with ? mixt??? ?? ???? ?n? ??scin?ti?n.
Th?? w?tch?? in ?w? ?s th? ??in?, m?vin? with ? ???c? th?t ???i?? ???vit?, ?xt?n??? ? sl?n???, ??lic?t? ????n???? ?n? t??ch?? ? n????? t??? t??nk. Th? ???k s??m?? t? c?m? t? li??, ??ls?tin? with ?n???? ?n? ?mittin? ? s??t, m?l??ic h?m.
It w?s ? m?m?nt ?? ??????n? c?nn?cti?n ??tw??n tw? v?stl? ?i?????nt w??l?s—th? ???th ?n? th? ?xt??t????st?i?l visit??. Th? ??in? t??n?? t? th? c??w?, ?n? th????h ? s??i?s ?? st??n??, m?sic?l t?n?s th?t s??m?? t? ??s?n?t? in th?i? v??? s??ls, it c?nv???? ? m?ss??? ?? ???c? ?n? c??i?sit?. ??? h???s, th? ????l? ?n? th? ??in? c?mm?nic?t?? with??t w???s, ??i??in? th? ??? ??tw??n th?i? w??l?s.
Th?? l???n?? ?? its j???n?? ?c??ss th? c?sm?s, s??kin? t? ?n???st?n? th? ?niv??s? ?n? sh??? its wis??m. ?n? in ??t??n, th? ????l? sh???? th? w?n???s ?? th?i? ?l?n?t, th? ????t? ?? n?t???, ?n? th? c?m?l?xiti?s ?? h?m?n ?m?ti?n.
As th? ?i?st li?ht ?? ??wn ???k? ?n th? h??iz?n, th? ??in? ??t???t?? int? its m?t?llic s?i???-lik? c???t, its m?n? l??s ??t??ctin? ?s th? h?tch s??l?? sh?t. With ? s??t, ?th????l h?m, th? ??? li?t?? ??? th? ????n? ?n? ?sc?n??? int? th? sk?, ?is??????in? int? th? v?stn?ss ?? th? ?niv??s?.
Th? ????l? wh? h?? witn?ss?? this ?xt?????in??? ?nc??nt?? w??? l??t with ? ??????n? s?ns? ?? w?n??? ?n? ? n?w???n? ?????ci?ti?n ??? th? m?st??i?s ?? th? c?sm?s. Th?? kn?w th?t th?? h?? ???n ? ???t ?? s?m?thin? t??l? ?xt?????in???, ? m??tin? ?? w??l?s th?t t??nsc?n??? l?n????? ?n? ????.
An? ?s th?? w?tch?? th? ??? v?nish int? th? st??s, th?? c??l?n’t h?l? ??t w?n??? wh?t ?th?? inc???i?l? ??in?s ?n? ??v?nt???s ?w?it?? th?m in th? ???n?l?ss ?x??ns? ?? th? ?niv??s?.