Mary's mother is convinced that her daughter has left John and brought the toddler, Thomas, to pay a visit because John has found himself another bird. And so he has. It's a cormorant named Archie. Bequeathed to John and Mary by John's uncle Ian, the creature has a mysterious ability to escape even from a locked cage and Mary is deeply uneasy about Thomas who seems to be fascinated by Archie and dangerously unafraid of him.