The rim had to be turned on its side. After he brushed his teeth, Sonny got dressed and went downstairs. He tiptoed past Sissy’s room so as not to wake her. In the kitchen, he drank several swallows of orange juice rapidly from the carton. The open refrigerator emitted enough light to illuminate briefly the burnished plaque, which was still propped there on the kitchen chair. He knew the plaque said 3500 points, but he paid it no attention. The light at dawn was so faint and, around the barn, where the huge sycamores and oaks stood, it was nearly eclipsed. He could tell the haymow door was swung open on its hinges because it made a rectangle darker than the siding. But he had to get closer to make out the rim and the net, fastened lower down. He needed the toolbox from the Bronco and the stepladder from the studio. More light would have made it easier, but because of his height and his long arms, he could reach from the second step. Even though it was cold, it was calm; he could finish the job long before his fingers began to go stiff.
