Yes, that’s right.
That’s what they call him. But he’s got some other names as well. Or aliases if
you prefer.
So, yes, let’s
name names.
Rufus, for
example. That’s his, er, Christian name.
Like that one a
lot. Sounds right, doesn’t it? Rufus…rough…ruffian.
There’s more.
In a court of law
it’d be Rufus Harris. Not that he’ll ever be in a court of law.
Anything else?
Yes.
Rufus has got a
moll.
Her name is
Imogen.
And look, let’s sing
like a canary here. When “God’s Assassin’s” got a “job” to do Imogen’s right
there with him. Helps him case the joint. Steadies him when it’s all over. Is
his get away driver. Not to put too fine a point on it, Rufus is high strung. Imogen
keeps him on a short leash. Rufus may be the trigger man but Imogen’s the one
who keeps the show on the road.
[Anything you’d
like to add, Mr. London Walks guide?]
Yeah, sure. That
sobriquet “God’s Assassin” came about because Rufus is in Westminster Abbey
twice a week.
Contrition? Asking
forgiveness?
Hardly.
He’s there to do a
job.
I mean, c’mon, why
do you think they call him God’s Assassin?
But that’s enough
preliminaries. I (me, David, aka Mr. London Walks guide) have been face to face
with God’s Assassin. Now it’s your turn.
Here he is.
Sorry. Couldn’t
resist overturing him that way, folks.
No more fancy
footwork, though.
Rufus is a Harris Hawk.
His twice-weekly job at the Abbey is to lay down the law – enforced with
extreme prejudice if need be – to pigeons. The Abbey roof is off-limits to
them.
Rufus and Imogen,
his handler, are up on the Abbey roof twice a week. Tending to business.
You could say, I
think, that Rufus has a full and varied London life. He’s got business all over
London. Ranging from – no surprise, this – Trafalgar Square to – wait for it –
Centre Court and the rest of the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon.
Turns out that the
Harris Hawk isn’t native to this green and pleasant land. They’re from America.
(Geez, these Americans, coming over here and making life miserable for our
pigeons.)
The really
interesting thing about them is that they’re one of the rare birds who hunt in
packs.
That’s why he’s
perfect for the job. Teamwork comes naturally to him. And get this – he thinks
Imogen is part of his pack.
Here he is with
that special member of his pack.
And since his
eyesight is about eight times sharper, eight times more powerful than the
sharpest human eye, well, what gives?
In Imogen’s
phrase, “food is the main motivation.” Imogen feeds him – apart from what he
catches on the wing. That’s the main way she pulls his jesses (look it up – and
while you’re at it look up Shakespeare’s use of the word in Othello).
A steady diet of
day old chicks. Baby quails and baby chickens. And since you’ll be at least as
tender hearted as I am, you’ll be pleased to know, as I was, that the day-old’s
aren’t alive when Rufus sits down at the lunch counter.
You want to know
more, well, go to Imogen’s and Rufus’s website: avianenvironmental.co.uk
Finally, is there
a London Walks point anywhere in here? Yes, sure. Stuff like this is what you
get from London Walks guides. And the clincher – you’re only going to get it from
a top flight guide. “Summer job guiding” – paint-by-numbers guiding – lowest
common denominator guiding – ain’t going to get you there.
To see Rufus's colleague Jasper, simply "swim the Tiber" by clicking here for a pick of the Westminster Cathedral Harris Hawk.
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