"Maybe we'll get lucky, and these won't last the day," he says, though the fact that he says it without any enthusiasm whatsoever is a pretty plain indication that he's not banking on it. Since when would either of them be so lucky?

It's cold, but the wings are heavy and - hot, it turns out. Thick, winter feathers like that really do a lot to pad out against the chill.

God, this is the stupidest thing.

It's the stupidest fucking thing.