'A small boy was walking along a bush track, hands stuck in his pockets, lips puckered in a whistle. Sunlight streamed through the leaves, dappling his path. His presence disturbed a flock of corellas, and they burst into the air, wheeling and whirring. The boy watched appreciatively, canting his head, shading his eyes, and continued on his way, until he came to a log. He stepped over i, taking his hands out of his pockets, angling his body, for it was a large log. The snake struck with impersonal dispatch.' (Introduction)