Rant of Ravens Read online

  “What do you think will happen to Forest?” Dorothy asked, settling onto the sofa in the family room.

  “It’s hard to say,” Eric said. “He wasn’t the one who set the fires at the DDT plants, and he didn’t specifically fund any of those fires, so I doubt they can charge him with murder. And the statute of limitations on illegal bird trafficking is seven years.”

  “Yeah, but by the time I’m through with my story, I doubt he’ll ever be reelected,” Udall said.

  “Why go for the throat?” Lark asked. “Why not write about the good things Forest’s done for the environment?”

  “Yes, why not?” Dorothy chimed in. “Or maybe you could write about Mike Johnson’s plans to sell Sheikh Al-Fassi American birds to help the repopulation of the peregrine in Saudi Arabia.”

  “That’s not the story he wants to tell.” Rachel slumped into her chair. “The story the magazine wants is about the men who committed the crimes, and their motives for doing so.”

  “What do you think William’s motive was?” Miriam asked.

  Rachel glanced up, surprised to see her aunt. Miriam took a seat near the patio door, lacing her fingers in her lap.

  “I think he believed in a cause,” Rachel answered. “I think Uncle William and Forest were convinced that the cost of selling the peregrines was worth the price if it meant funding to help stop the widespread use of DDT. They were merely misguided men.”

  “And Charles?”

  “He’s crazy. He believes in his cause—a total subversion of the system. A cause worthy of murder and mayhem. The men are not so unalike.”

  “How can you compare them?” Cecilia protested. “Charles almost killed us.”

  “I’m not saying they’re the same type of men. I’m just saying they all believed that what they were doing was right. They all believed that the end justified the means. Charles just took it one step further. He believed the end was justified, no matter what.”

  “Is that how you think, Kirk?” Miriam asked.

  The reporter colored. “What are you getting at? Is this where you ask me to omit telling William’s part in this story?”

  “No.” Miriam shook her head sadly. “I guess I’m asking you to consider the cause.”

  “Look at all of the good things they’ve done,” Rachel urged. “Think of the good Forest could continue to do, given the right support.”

  Udall eyed Rachel. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll think about it.”

  “That’s all I’m asking.”

  “So, are you going to be around on Saturday, Mr. Udall?” Cecilia asked.

  “I’m not sure. Why?”

  “Because we hold our EPOCH birdwatching expeditions on Saturday. If you’re still around, be here by eight o’clock sharp.”

  “I just might come by.”

  Cecilia winked at Rachel. Dorothy nudged her in the ribs. “You better watch out, or Cecilia’s going to start trying to fix you up, too.”

  Perky chose that moment to swoop into the room and perch on a painting above Miriam’s head.

  “About time you showed up,” Rachel said. “You need some training.”

  You got a problem, Chicky Baby?

  “No, but you need to work on your timing.”

  Perky fluffed his feathers. Stuff it.

  COMMON RAVEN

  Corvus corax

  Family: Corvidae (includes jays, crows, and ravens)

  APPEARANCE: A large, glossy black bird with long, rounded wings and a wedge-shaped tail, the raven ranges from twenty-two to twenty-six inches in length. Larger than a crow, it is distinguished by a thick bill and shaggy throat feathers.

  RANGE: In North America, the raven breeds from northwestern Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, and Greenland south to Maine, northern Georgia, northern Michigan, North Dakota, and through the western United States and Mexico to Nicaragua. It winters in most of its breeding range. Throughout their range, ravens are usually seen scavenging alone or in pairs.

  HABITAT: Ravens tend to live in wooded areas, often mountainous or hilly, and do not wander far from where they were raised. Nests are built in trees or on cliffsides. Food is temporarily cached at nearby sites, often buried.

  CALL: The largest songbird, its cry varies widely—from a raspy raa-aa or aack to a raucous croak to a low, guttural krock to a clear, bell-like tone.

  BEHAVIOR: Ravens hop two or three times to get airborne, but once in flight they are amazing acrobats and will soar, dive, tumble, and roll. Opportunistic feeders, they take advantage of any potential food source, from garbage dumps to carrion. In fact, they seem to possess uncanny powers, not only to detect food but also to pass the word to others of their kind. Creative problem-solvers in the pursuit of food, they have been known to untie knots and unzip zippers, and to make off with car keys and other shiny objects.

  RELATIONSHIP TO MAN: The raven has played an important role in various cultures, mythologies, and writings. In Norse mythology, the god Odin had two ravens fly the world each day to keep him informed of what was happening. Viking warriors used the raven as their emblem when they invaded Europe. And the Plains Indians considered the raven an important spirit animal, an omen of good luck and bearer of news. Disparaged in Western literature, the raven was persecuted for damage to crops, game birds, and sickly farm animals. Baited, trapped, and shot, the ravens numbers decreased until corvids were added to the Migratory Bird Treaty in 1972. Now a federally protected species, the common raven is again becoming common.

  About the author

  Chris Goff is the award-winning author of five environmental novels. The bestselling Birdwatcher’s Mystery series was nominated for two WILLA Literary Awards, a Colorado Author’s League Award, and published in the UK and Japan. The sixth installment in the series, A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS, will be launching in September 2015.

  Acknowledgments

  Like every author, I owe a great deal to the people who supported, encouraged, and believed in me along the way. I wish to express my gratitude to members of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, who helped critique this manuscript and taught me my craft. There are too many of you to name individually, but you know who you are. A special thanks to Janet Grill, a sister of my heart who was always there to “give me the speech.”

  My gratitude goes to everyone who supplied me with technical information, including Dick Coe and Joan Childers, rangers at Rocky Mountain National Park; Susan Ward, president of Estes Park Bird Club; Alice Gray; Michael Lee Stills, volunteer services coordinator of the Jeffco Open Space; Dan Williams and Bryan Posthumus, Raptor Project personnel; COBirders online, especially Ronda Woodward; Kern Karkos of the Denver Public Library; John Turner of the Denver Zoo bird staff; Sandy Cleva of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Dave Dixon of Aurora Raptors in Utah; and Kathy Konishi, Dave Croonquist, and Jerry Craig of the Colorado Division of Wildlife, for sharing their invaluable expertise.

  A special thanks to my agent, Peter Rubie; to Alice Orr; Barry Neville, Harry McKinlay, and Georgeanne Nelson; to Cindy Hwang, who used her pen judiciously; and to my new publisher, Astor + Blue Editions, who is committed to keeping the stories of the EPOCH (Elk Park Ornithological Chapter) members circulating. I can think of no better partners than A + B and my new editor, Jillian Ports, to help me navigate the new waters of today’s publishing world.

  Last, I need to thank my children: Mardee, Danielle, Addie, Mike, Gin, and Cherie, for all they put up with over the years; and my husband, Wes Goff, who always believed in me. Thank you for making this possible.

  Read all of the Birdwatcher’s Mystery Series by Christine Goff, published by Astor + Blue Editions:

  *A Rant of Ravens

  *Death of a Songbird

  *A Nest in the Ashes

  *Death Takes a Gander

  *A Sacrifice of Buntings

  www.astorandblue.com