Riddley Walker

8

Goodparley & Orfing had a red and black stripet fit up it ben stanning there ready to go and littl kids creaping in and out of it wylst we ben doing the scar take. Orfing cleart the kids out he tol them ther heads wud tern to wood if they dint come out of it qwick. He all ways said the same thing trying to be joaky. The kids knowit he parbly wudve knockit ther heads to gether if there hadnt ben no other groan ups looking on thats why they liket giving him bother.

Goodparley give me the nod and I stood up for the show talk. Same as my dad in his time and his dad befor him.

I said, “Weare going aint we.”

The crowd said, “Yes weare going.”

I said, “Down that road with Eusa.”

They said, “Time and reqwyrt.”

I said, “Where them Chaynjis take us.”

They said, “He done his time wewl do our time.”

I said, “Hes doing it for us.”

They said, “Weare doing it for him.”

I said, “Keap it going. Chances this time.”

They said, “Chances nex time.”

I said, “New chance every time.”

They said, “New chance every time.”

I sat down then. Goodparley inside the fit up. Orfing stanning by for the patter. Looking at the fit up. Nothing to see only the red back clof with black smoak and arnge flames paintit on it and the emty space where Eusa wud come up.

Orfing gone close to the fit up and talking to the lower part where Eusa wer inside readying to show nor you cudnt see him yet. He said, “Trubba not.”

Eusas voyce from down inside said, “No Trubba.”

Orfing said, “Wel if there aint no Trubba whynt you come up where we can see you?”

Eusas voyce (which it wer all ways a low and sorrerful kynd of voyce even them times when you myt think Eusa myt be jollyer nor other times) said, “It dont make no diffrents if I come up or not you cant see me any how.”

Orfing said, “Why cant we see you?”

Eusas voyce said, “Becaws the main part of me aint where you can see it.”

Orfing said, “Eusa no body wants to see the main part of you we jus want you to come up and do a show.”

Eusas voyce said, “Thats a larf innit. How can I do a show if I cant show the main part of me?”

Orfing said, “Eusa what is that main part you keap talking on?”

Eusas voyce said, “Its that same part what I do my bes work with innit.”

Orfing said, “Wel Eusa its the same with all us bloaks we all do our bes work with that same part dont we.”

Eusas voyce said, “You dont or you wunt be talking so stupid. Its my head Im talking about thats my main part.”

Orfing said, “Eusa be you saying its your head we cant see?”

Eusas voyce said, “Thats what I ben saying.”

Orfing said, “Why not? Why cant we see your head?”

Eusas voyce said, “Becaws its burrit in the groun thats why.”

Orfing said, “Eusa this aint no time to stick your head in the groun weve got work to do weve got a show to do.”

Eusas voyce said, “Orfing you aint very qwick are you I cud get better patter peeing agenst a wall. I aint stuck my acturel head in the groun nor I aint talking on the head Im talking with.”

Orfing said, “What head be you talking on then Eusa?” Eusas voyce said, “When I say my head its jus a way of saying. Only its over your head innit. May be your heads the 1 whats burrit in the groun.”

Orfing said, “Eusa wunt it make life easyer all roun if you jus come up and done your show?”

Eusas voyce said, “Thats your Trubba Orfing you keap looking for a easy life you wont move nothing frontways that way.”

Eusa come up then slow and scanful like all ways terning his woodin head this way and that and his paintit eyes taking us all in. Many and manys the time Id lookit back at them staring blue eyes. Since back befor I cud member it even. Only this time it seamt like it wer the 1st time I wer seeing him and I wer afeart of him. The way he kep terning his head it made me think of that thing with no name looking out thru our eye hoals.

Orfing said, “Wel Eusa if youre ready to show then I can sit down now.”

Eusa said, “Yes Im ready to show and Iwl tel you this aint no made up show this time its all trufax from the Mincery and ben wrote down the same.”

Orfing said, “Trufax is it. This heres going to be the parper stablisht men story is it.”

Eusa said, “Thats what its going to be right a nuff.”

Orfing said, “May be I bes stan up then.”

Eusa said, “You bes sit down Orfing dont give me no inner fearents.”

Orfing sat down then.

Eusa lookit roun on all of us agen. He said, “This here what youre going to see it happent time back way back when I workit for Mr Clevver.”

Orfing said, “O that ben ever so far back. Long time long time 1000s and 1000s ever so many. You wunt do nothing like that now you wunt bring on no Bad Time agen wud you.”

Eusa said, “You can res your mouf now Erny we dont nead no mor patter Im showing now.”

Orfing said, “Yes you are youre showing right a nuff. Wel carry on Eusa I wont say no mor.”

Eusa said, “Right you are and let that be the las of it.”

Orfing dont say nothing mor.

Eusa says to us, “This is time back way back like I said.” He goes down and he comes up with paper and pen and ink and a measuring stick and a triangl. Hes writing writing hes numbering hes drawing lines all over that paper. Hes thinking hard hes mummering to his self then hes scratching his head and hes thinking some mor. He groans a littl then he says, “All these here numbers and that its all too much to keap in 1 head and programming my self. What I nead is a nother head and bigger so it can do some of this hevvy head work for me.”

Eusa does down agen and hes clanging and banging hes huffing and puffing and hammering it souns like hes bellering up a reddying fire and hes beating some thing on a hanvil.

Persoon Eusa comes up agen this time hes got like a iron hat on his head. 2 long wires coming out of the top of the hat and littl pegs on the ends of the wires. Plus theres a cranking handl on the side of the iron hat. Eusas trying to shif some kynd of a box its biggern he is. He gets the box heavit up on to the show board. He says, “Hoo! Thats a hevvy 1.” Theres a cranking handl on the side of the box as the 1 on Eusas hat. 2 littl hoals and a slot in the top of the box and a nother slot in 1 end of it.

Eusa says, “2 heads are bettern 1.” He takes them 2 wires coming out of his hat and he pegs them in to the hoals in the box. He says, “Now Iwl jus input a few littl things in to my No. 2 head.” Hes terning that crank on his iron hat. Rrrrrrrrrrrr.

Eusa says, “Now les see if it works.” He takes a peace of paper and he says out loud what hes writing on it: “Whats my name?” He puts the peace of paper in the slot in the top of the box he says, “Now les see if you can anser that.”

Eusa terns the crank on the side of the box and a peace of paper comes out of the slot in the end of the box. Theres writing on the paper. Eusa reads it out: “My name is Eusa.”

Eusa says, “Thats the ticket.” Hes terning the crank on his iron hat some mor then. Hes inputting all kynds of knowing out of his head in to the box.

Mr Clevver comes up and hes watching Eusa and lissening to him. Eusas mummeling all kynds of numbers and formlers it souns like hes inputting all the knowing there ever ben in the woal worl out of his head in to that box. Hes saying the Nos. of the rain bow and the fire qwanter hes saying the smallering Nos. and the biggering Nos. plus it souns like hes saying some thing about the 1 Big 1. Mr Clevver hes leaning closer and closer hes lissening lissening.

Mr Clevver he says to Eusa, “Thats a guvner lot of knowing youre inputting in to that box parbly theres knowing a nuff in there for any kynd of thing.”

Eusa says, “Thats about it. I dont think theres many things you cudnt do with that knowing. You cud do any thing at all you cud make boats in the air or you cud blow the worl a part.”

Mr Clevver says, “Scatter my datter that cernly is intersting. Eusa tel me some thing tho. Whyd you input all that knowing out of your head in to that box? Whynt you keap it in your head wunt it be safer there?”

Eusa says, “Wel you see I cant jus keap this knowing in my head Ive got things to do with it Ive got to work it a roun. Ive got to work the E qwations and the low cations Ive got to comb the nations of it. Which I cant do all that oansome in my head thats why I nead this box its going to do the hevvy head work for my new projeck.”

Mr Clevver says, “What is that new projeck of yours then Eusa?”

Eusa says, “Good Time.”

Mr Clevver says, “Eusa did I hear you say Good Time with a guvner G and a guvner T?”

Eusa says, “Thats what I said and thats how I said it. Good Time which I mean every thing good and every body happy and teckernogical progers moving every thing frontways farther and farther all the time. You name it wewl do it. Pas the sarvering gallack seas and all that.”

Mr Clevver says, “Youve got all that in that box have you?”

Eusa says, “You myt say Ive got the nuts and balls of it in that box which is my No. 2 head but Ive got the master progam in my regler head which is the 1 on my sholders.”

Mr Clevver says, “Wel Eusa youre a parper wunner you are. Im realy looking forit to having that Good Time seakert yes I am.”

Eusa says, “O no Mr Clevver this aint no seakert nor it aint jus for you its Good Time for every body.”

Mr Clevver says, “You mus be joaking Eusa who dyou think youre working for.” With that he takes holt of the cranking handl on Eusas iron hat which the hat is stil on Eusas head and the wires peggit in to the box. Rrrrrrrrrrr. Mr Clevvers cranking that handl 10 times fastern Eusa ever done.

When Mr Clevver finely leaves off cranking you can see Eusas perwel woar out. Mr Clevver he says, “Wel Eusa old son les see how much you know now. Can you tel me the Nos. of the rain bow and the fire qwanter?”

Eusa he says, “I never heard of nothing like that Guvner.” Mr Clevver he says, “Wel never mynd them how about 2 plus 2 what wud that come to?”

Eusa says, “I wunt know Guy I real cudnt say.”

Mr Clevver says, “Very good Eusa my boy now jus 1 mor thing. Whats your name?”

Eusa says, “I dont know.”

Mr Clevver says, “Thats it then Ive emtit you out right a nuff. Now Ive got the head with the knowing and youve got the head with the nothing.” He unconnects Eusas wires then he picks up the box. Says, “Bye bye Eusa all bes” and off he goes. Eusa stanning there in his iron hat with his wires hanging down he dont have nothing to say.

Down comes the Littl Shyning Man hes hanging there in the air hes in 2 peaces. He says, “Wel Eusa it looks like youve los your head dont it.”

Eusa says, “I dont know what Ive los I aint very qwick.”

The Littl Shyning Man says, “Wel Eusa you bes qwicken up fas then becaws there gone Good Time and here comes Trubba.”

Eusa says, “It looks like you seen Trubba all ready you aint even in 1 peace.”

The Littl Man says, “Eusa dont you know who done this to me dont you know who toar me in 2? Dont you know who opent me like a chikken time back way back in the wood in the hart of the stoan?”

Eusa says, “How cud I know that?”

The Littl Man says, “Becaws youre the 1 as done it.”

Eusa says, “I dint know that Ive los it clean out of memberment.”

The Littl Man says, “Eusa lissen to me now that dont matter. You and me weare 2 ½s of 1 thing it dont matter if you tear me a part or I tear you a part. But the 1 as tears the other a part has got to put some thing to gether nor you aint done that. Thats why Im in 2 peaces now and 2 peaces is what Iwl be in til you get your head back. Dyou know why?”

Eusa says, “No I dont.”

The Littl Man says, “Becaws you wont put nothing to gether til then thats why. You wont put no Good Time to gether now. Becaws Mr Clevvers going to do a Bad Time with that head of yours nor there wont be no Good Time til you get it back. Bye bye Eusa qwicken up as fas as you can the worl dont wait for no 1.”

The Littl Shyning Man goes up and Eusa goes down and it looks like thats the end of the show. Orfing jumps up then he goes over to the fit up and talking to the lower part of it like he done befor the show. He says, “Oy! Eusa! Hang on a minim.”

Eusas voyce says:

Orfing says, “Eusa youre getting in front of your self you aint ready to road yet you aint done with this here show.”

Eusa shoots up then he says, “Erny youre the 1 whats getting in front of your self and going to fall over your self and all if you dont go careful. Youre getting in your oan way is what youre doing Erny.” Eusas face cant change its all ways the same but when youre watching him move a roun and lissening to what hes saying and the torch fires shimmying and all hewl look pernear any way hes talking. This time he looks like hes getting his serkits jus that little bit over loadit.

The show board is near a head hyer nor Orfing so Eusa is wel up of him. Orfing backs off a littl so he can look Eusa in the eye. He says, “Getting in your way is what you mean innit Eusa?”

Eusa says, “I dont think youwd want to do that Erny. You know youwd end up with a face ful of foot pirnts and a hart ful of sorrer.”

Orfing says, “Eusa Ive had the boath of them this long time now and waitful for a bettering.”

Eusa says, “Erny you aint going to stan there and weary me you aint going to boar me to death you aint going to come the hevvy staytmen are you? You dint call me back for that did you? Whatd you call me back for?”

Orfing says, “You know why I callt you back Eusa.”

Eusa says, “If I did I wunt be asking wud I.”

Orfing says, “Eusa you know what the Eusa Story says. Every body knows it even them as cant read. It wer you as opent up the Littl Shyning Man and let the Nos. of the Master Chaynjis out.”

Eusa says, “Yes I done that right a nuff I never said I dint.”

Orfing says, “Plus you put the 1 Big 1 in barms dint you. It says in Eusa 18: ‘Eusa put the 1 Big 1 in barms then him & Mr Clevver droppit so much barms thay kilt as menne uv thear oan as thay kilt enemes.’ Yet now in this here show youre telling us it bint like that. Youre telling us you dint do none of them Bad Time things youre putting it all on Mr Clevver. Youre saying he took your knowing and he done it all. All this long time we ben beleaving it like you tol it in the Eusa Story and now you come on telling it woaly diffrent. What in the worl makes you think weare going to beleave a new story now?”

Eusa says, “This aint nothing new dint I tel you this is trufax and wrote down the same at the Mincery.”

Orfing says, “If its trufax then why you ben telling it diffrent all these years? Whyd you pick now to change your story?”

Eusa says, “Erny youre a parper holfas aint you. You get your teef clampt down on some thing nor you wont let go you jus hol fas.”

Orfing says, “Im jus only saying what any 1 myt say enn I. The shows are diffrent all the time thats how its meant to be. Which a show is some thing youre doing right now in this here time weare living in and youre doing the Chaynjis with Eusa. New things happening and new chances every time. Thats how its meant to be and thats how we all ways do it. But that story ben wrote time back way back nor you cant change it no 1 never ever changit the story befor this. That storys got to stay the same what ever it is and nothing changit.”

Eusa says, “Erny whats the diffrents any how?”

Orfing says, “What dyou mean by that?”

Eusa says, “Whats the diffrents if I done the acturel Bad Time things my self or if I dint?”

Orfing says, “Wel if you dint do it then it aint on you is it.”

Eusa says, “And if it aint on me then what?”

Orfing says, “Then youre free aint you. Nothing on you and the worl in front of you. Do what ever you like.”

Eusa says, “There you are and said it out of your oan mouf. Which wud you rather? Have the worl in front of you and free or have some thing hevvy on your back for ever?”

Orfing says, “Eusa it dont matter what youwd rather youve got to go by how things are. Youve got to go by whats Truth and what aint.”

Eusa says, “Cut my froat and gard my witness if I aint telling Truth. I never made no barms nor never droppit none.”

Orfing says, “Here we come roun agen its a fools circel. If you dint make no barms nor drop no barms then whyd you say you did when you wrote down that story? Dont cut your froat now or some 1 I know wil have a bloody finger.”

Eusa says, “Whyd I say I did?”

Orfing says, “Thats what I said. Whyd you say you did?”

Eusa says, “Erny you know how it is when you blame your self.”

Orfing says, “No I dont. How is it?”

Eusa says, “Wel youwl oversay wont you. Youwl say wersen you realy done. What ever it myt be. Say youve lef a knife where a babby gets holt of it and cuts its self. Heres the babby all bloody and youwl say, ‘O dear o dear o dear I done that dint I. Its on me all this blood.’”

Orfing says, “Wel it is innit. I mean if you hadnt opent up the Little Shyning Man the Addom and let out the Nos. of the Master Chaynjis of the 1 Big 1 then if you hadnt put that knowing in that box.”

Eusa says, “If I hadnt some 1 else wudve done. Whyd the Hart of the Wud stan why dint it run? Whynt the Littl Shyning Man hop it whynt he vack his wayt out of there dubbl qwick 1st time he ever seen me? Iwl tel you why its part of ther game thats why. The Hart of the Wud and the Littl Shyning Man the Addom they cant live without you get the knowing of them nor you cant get the knowing of them til you kil the 1 and open up the other. Then its on you innit. Hevvy on your back for ever. Thats my Las word this nite.

That wer my 1st Eusa show being connexion man. Showt by Abel Goodparley & Erny Orfing the Big 2 the Pry Mincer & the Wes Mincer on the nite I took the scar.