The Bird Saviors by William J. Cobb

good.
    Â Â Â Â The next day her mother brings a bacon sandwich. The smell of it dizzies Ruby. When she chews a mouthful of bacon and cheddar cheese, the flavor almost makes her swoon. She smiles then, as her mother watches her, urging her to slow down.
    Â Â Â Â Don't chew too fast or you'll choke yourself to death. You don't want that, do you? You don't want little Pinky to grow up without a mother, do you?
    Â Â Â Â Ruby smiles and shakes her head. She blinks away tears, her mother's image fuzzy through her damp lashes.

    The bleached light of a dust- sky day. In the stretch of dried ranchland visible through her bedroom window, Ruby watches a shaggy steer rub its haunches against a crooked fence post, swing its tail. A Grief Bird perches atop the telephone pole beside the woodshed, croaking, its ruffled feathers shaggy and unkempt. Navajo Sparrows peck at a scattering of breadcrumbs in the grass. A ranch cat creeps in the grass beside the water trough, eyes on a rabbit near the fence.
    Â Â Â Â Somewhere in the house Lila squeaks and babbles. Her voice sounds pure and clear and healthy. The bedroom door is still locked. Ruby's mother has already come and gone, has left a plate of bacon and eggs and a glass of orange juice.
    Â Â Â Â Ruby raises the window and leans out. The sparrows scatter. The cat turns her head, her tail twitching as she watches the house. Ruby makes clucking sounds with her mouth and says, Donk? You leave that rabbit alone. I don't want to see another dead bunny.
    Â Â Â Â Dressed in jeans and a pullover sweatshirt, she climbs out the window backward, dropping to the ground, her feet touching the outside world for the first time in many days. She feels the grit beneath her socks. Wind gusts wobble the woodshed door, its hinges squeaking.
    Â Â Â Â She creeps along the house, its white paint peeling, scabbing off against the pressure of her fingers. At the back door she peers through the screen. Lord God holds Lila, sitting in a rocking chair in the kitchen, feeding her a bottle of formula. One pudgy hand stretches to grab his beard, its white tangle beyond her reach. He talks to her as he rocks. Ruby crouches beneath the window frame and closes her eyes. She listens to the faint sound of Lord God's voice.
    Â Â Â Â You can tell the true worth of a man in war, he tells Lila. I heard that somewhere and it's true. You decide on which side you stand. The cowards turn tail and run. Some of them stay, only they close their eyes when they shoot. They don't hit anything but it looks like they're brave. Me, I aimed. I'm not proud of what I've done. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. Neither am I ashamed.
    Â Â Â Â It's a choice now between them or us and I'm on the side of the righteousness of the Lord. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming. There will come a time when we shall stand up and be counted. When we shall be taken away and dwell in the house of the Lord. Until then we need to be on our toes. What do you think of that, little girl? He smiles. You don't need to be on your toes yet. You can barely walk. He shakes his head. There's so much you have to learn. In so little time.
    Â Â Â Â Lila says, Mama. Ruby hears it clearly, crouching beneath the window. Mama, her daughter says. Mama.
    Â Â Â Â Mama's asleep, says Lord God. You'll see her soon enough. After a moment his voice continues: First you need a daddy is what you need. And don't you worry. Your mama, she'll come around. I'll see to it she does. And you won't have to worry about a thing. Like where your next dinner is coming from.
    Â Â Â Â Ruby hears the shuffle and thump of his peg leg as he moves about the kitchen. Her lower back burns from crouching beneath the window. After a moment she hears Lord God say, Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Behold, I am against