17 THE BIRDS

CHAPTER 17 THE BIRDS Hilltop Farm was home to many birds. Swallows were always swooping low over the grass and picking off insects. Crows cawed from the fields like a gang of hecklers. At night, owls glided above the countryside, silently searching for furry little meals. The robot was stuck on that farm, but the birds were free to go wherever they pleased. Lucky birds. One day, Roz was standing in the pasture, admiring a hawk as he soared through the sky, when the cows began grazing around her. Their slow footsteps crunched in the grass, their teeth chewed and chewed, their tails flicked at flies. All the while, Roz stood there, staring up at the hawk.

And then came Lily's soft voice. "What are you thinking about, Roz?" The robot turned to the calf. "I am thinking about Brightbill," she said. "It was not so long ago that I was watching my son soar through the sky. That seems like another lifetime." "You must hate your new life," said Annabelle. "I can't say that I blame you. Farming looks like such grueling work." "Actually, I like farming," said Roz. "Somehow, it feels right to spend long hours working with machines and tools and crops and animals. But I miss my old life on the island." Tess had a mouthful of dandelions, but that didn't stop her from speaking. "Maybe you should start thinking of this farm as your home. That island is

awfully far away. There's a good chance you'll never make it back there." "Don't say that!" cried Lily. "Roz just has to make it home! She needs to be with Brightbill and her friends!" "Tess is right," said Roz. "I may never make it home. If I were a bird, like my son, I could fly home all on my own, anytime I wanted. But I am only a robot." Nobody spoke after that. The cows went back to grazing and Roz went back to admiring the hawk. Her eyes followed the bird as he soared through the sky, free to go wherever he pleased.