You'll have to excuse the indecently short chapter. The next one is longer, I promise.
Nearly lunch time. He knew because his eyes were glued to his watch. And Hayate wasn't making it any easier, either.
"I knew there was a reason I stopped coming to the zoo as a kid," Hayate was muttering for the umpteenth time. "And that darn bird… stupid, ignoramus, self-centred things…"
He shook his head, turning to stare at Hayate who eyed him defiantly back. "I don't know about you, Ryu, but bird faeces are not on the list of things I like. Call me crazy and all,"
"Be grateful you were wearing a hat. And besides, it's supposed to be a sign of good luck,"
"The only good luck there was in that was for the bird and the fact I couldn't get up there and wring the blasted thing's-"
"Ryu? Hayate? Come and have a look at this!" Murai and Ken were both craning their necks, staring at aforementioned bird sitting in the tree. "Isn't its plumage just the most vivid shade of green?"
"Be careful, it bites," Hayate remarked bitterly. "Come on, Ryu, let's go look at something slightly less filthy. Like the mud-wrestling pigs or dung beetles or something,"
"Wait a moment,"
He had spotted something in a cage far out of the way, near invisible in the back corner of the grounds. "Look at these,"
Two young peregrine falcons cocked their heads to one side to stare at him intently.
"They're not doing anything," Hayate yawned.
"What about if I throw you in the cage? That may give them something to do,"
"Seriously, Ryu… what's so good about them?" Hayate turned to stare at him.
"I don't know. They can…" he pondered over the question for a moment. "They are elegant and swift, one minute brutal and ruthless, the next gentle and innocent. They are one with nature and they can…"
"They can what? Fly?" Hayate snorted. "Get an aeroplane. Aeroplanes don't deposit on your head. Come on,"