Riddley Walker

14

Wel Im telling Truth here aint I. Thats the woal idear of this writing which I begun wylst thinking on what the idear of us myt be. Right then when I got grabbit my 1st thot wer: Wel now may be I dont have to progam nothing for a littl.

Who ever had a holt of me clampt me in a strangl holt with a arm like iron and the other han stuck a knife agenst my belly. I thot: It aint even that long since I had my E cut in me I dont hardly have no parper scab on it yet.

Any how this hevvy in charge of me he pushes me tords the doar of the shelter and he says, “Here he is Guvner.”

The doar opens and of coarse theres Goodparley sitting there who else wud it be. With his fit up. He dont have Orfing with him its jus him and Belnot Phist which Phists face is even witern userel. Looking at poor old Phist then I thot we myt even end up frends if the boath of us come thru this littl rumpa a live.

Goodparley he smyls his teef at me and his littl eyes theyre near dantsing wylst theyre peaping over the fents of his cheaks. He says to me, “Wel Riddley yung Walker its ben a long day for you aint it. We bes change your name from Walker to Runner you ben moving so fas 1 place to a nother and back agen. All the way to Fork Stoan to meet a boat with a dead sailer in it. Funny thing to do in the middl of the nite and such a stormy nite and all. Dead sailer from the other side which he brung you some thing for our frend Phist dint he. O yes he brung some kynd of treats what myt they be myt they be honey sweets or what?”

I dint say nothing.

He says, “You know Riddley Iwd cernly like to have a littl scan of them sweets.”

I dint say nothing I dint know what to say. The hevvy what brung me in begun to smyl.

Goodparley says, “Wel you know Riddley weare going to tern your up side down weare going to emty your pockits so what ever youve got whynt you jus han it over.”

Funny thing. I dint want him going thru my pockits I dint want him getting his hans on that blackent figger whatd put me on the road to where ever I wer going. There wernt no way I cud hide that bag of stoans so I took it out of my pockit and I helt it out to him.

He jus lookit at that bag for a littl like he dint want that minim to go a way from him. He says, “Riddley what dyou think is in there dyou think that myt be a littl salt now dyou think it myt be a littl saver what dyou think it myt be?”

Phist says to Goodparley, “Abel he dont know nothing Ive tol you that all ready he aint clevver.”

Goodparley says, “O no and in deed he aint hes bettern clevver hes a mover hes a happener. Now Riddley Runner you jus tel me what you think youve got in that bag. Iwd be interstit to know what you think it is.”

I said, “Truth is I dont have no idear what it is.”

He says, “No you dont know do you I know wel a nuff thats Truth. All you done wer grab it becaws youre a mover and a happener aint you. Youve got to move about and make things happen o I sust that right a nuff and early on. Realy I wunt have to do nothing only tern you luce and let you run and youwd persoon get every thing all happent out and moving I wunt have to stress my self and strain like I ben doing so long. Yes thats all itwd take to get us moving frontwards agen is you and me working to gether. Abel Goodparley and Riddley Runner. Riddley Orfing. Why cant I have you for Shadder Mincer in stead of that dretful littl Orfing on my back and dragging his feet all the time.”

He took me by the rist of my out stretcht arm and pult me to him. He took the bag out of my han he said, “You can feal it in there pecking to get out cant you. Like a chick in a shel. Whatwl it hatch I wunner?” He put his han in to the bag and brung it out ful of stoans. I hadnt seen them in the lite befor. Yeller they wer. Broakin bits of yeller stoan.

Goodparley lookit over to Phist like he wer going to have his head on a poal right soon. He said, “Wel you foun your self a sweets place did you and sweeter nor honey you foun your self the yellerboy stoan the Salt 4.”

Phist said, “I dint fynd nothing Abel I aint no mover nor no happener.”

Goodparley said, “No and for a true fack you aint my littl pink eyed frend you aint no kynd of a mover nor happener thats jus what I come plaining of this long time innit. ‘Tryl narrer,’ you tol me. ‘Thats the way to do it which wewl do it in the new working,’ you said. ‘Spare the mending and tryl narrer.’ And all the time you ben waiting on your boat with honey sweets your Salt 4 you clevver littl man you yellerboy stoaner you. Whatm I going to do with you I wunner howm I going to put you strait it looks to me like youve tyd your self in such a knot there aint no end to it.”

Phist said, “Abel I bint waiting on no boat I never knowit nothing about no boat til you come in here with your hevvys and claiming Trubba on me. I know I aint the frendyes bloak in the worl I know theres some dont like me may be theres some in the Mincerywd like to put some Trubba on me. I dont know what others myt be doing but I aint ben running no stoans. Them Fork Stoan hevvys they can say what they like that dont put nothing on me. You start beleaving that kynd of thing and any 1 can bring down any 1 they like all they have to do is jus only sen them some colourt stoans or powders or what ever.”

Goodparley said, “What powders Belnot? What kynd of powders myt you be talking about?”

Phist said, “Eusas sake Abel you jump on every word I say and progamming for Trubba. I aint talking about no powders I dont have no powders I jus only said stoans and powders sames you myt say sticks and stoans it wernt nothing only a way of saying.”

Goodparley said, “Yes wel leave it with me jus a littl Belnot this wants thinking on praps youwl be so kynd to leave us the loan of your shelter and have a nice cup of tea in the gate house wylst I have a word with this here dog frendy oansome travveler.”

The hevvy as brung me in took Phist out. Goodparley looking at me and smyling hard then he said, “Howd you get dog frendy Riddley?”

I said, “I dont know it jus happent. I gone over that fents without realy thinking it out I jus run with them dogs nor they dint arga warga.”

He said, “You jus run with them dogs did you o youre a deap 1 theres mor and mor to you aint there tel me whyd you go to Fork Stoan with Lissener?”

I said, “I keap saying I dont know but its Truth it jus like come in to my mynd I thot we bes not break the circel then.”

He said, “O yes I beleave you parbly you dont even know your self what levvils youre working. Horny Boy which is what you are the same as any yung man. Rung Widders Bel Ive heard about you and Lorna Elswint shes out livet moren 1 husbin and manys the time youve rung her bel. Stoal his Fathers Ham as wel. Which you took over your dads connexion when he got took off. Thats 3 blipful roun the circel nex you done your 1st acturel. Bernt his Arse. Bernt your arse here in the digging then over the fents you gone and running with them dogs to Bernt Arse where you bernt my arse killing 1 of my hevvys with your dogs. I sust youwd parbly hoal up til dark and I sust you myt do a nother acturel so on I gone to Fork Stoan a head of you. I wer there by The Warnings when you come and Forkt a Stoan which is that same and very bag of yeller stoans you brung here roading blipful agen bringing them stoans to Belnot Phist like I knowit you wud you Done It Over. You gone over this here fents in the morning and back you come doing it over agen at nite. Only this 2nd time you like broak a boan dint you in a way of saying. You got cawt by your old Nunkel Abel.”

My head begun to feal like it wer widening like circels on water I dint know if it wud ever stop I dint know where the end of it wud be. The stranger it took me the mor I fealt at hoam with it. The mor I fealt like Iwd be long where ever it wer widening me to. I said, “How can you work all that out of a kid rime? Fools Circel 9wys is a kid rime for a kid game.”

He said, “O Riddley you known bettern that you know the same as I do. What ben makes tracks for what wil be. Words in the air pirnt foot steps on the groun for us to put our feet in to. May be a nother 100 years and kids wil sing a rime of Riddley Walker and Abel Goodparley with ther circel game.”

I said, “What put Fools Circel 9wys in the air then?”

He said, “Dint Lissener tel you who ben the 1st Ardship then?”

I said, “He said it ben Eusa.”

He said, “Dint he tel you how the Eusa folk stoand Eusa out of Cambry for what he done? How they crowdit him roun the circel of Inland 1 town to a nother? Every town they come to they tol them on the gate, ‘This is Eusa what done the clevver work for Bad Time.’ Them what wer lef in the towns them what wer the soar vivers of the barming they torchert Eusa then. Torchert him and past him on to the nex. Thats when the playgs come follering hot on Eusas road and wiping out each town he lef behynt him. 9 towns in the rime and 9 towns dead but Cambry shud be in it 2ce it ben the 1st it ben the las. Cambry where they stoand him out of starting him on to his circel and Cambry where they brung him back to blyn and bloody not a man no mor he ben cut off.”

“To the gate they brung him lef a space all roun him come the dogs then and licking his soars. Them on the gate they wer afeart they said, ‘Why dont you say Trubba not if you want in?’ Eusa said, ‘I cant say that.’ They beat him to death then with col iron becaws it ben col iron he done Inland to death with. Mynd you this wer his oan folk done it to him.”

“They took his head off then they put it on a poal for telling. Eusas head tol them, ‘Onlyes part of Inland kep ther hans clean of this ben the Ram which is the head of Inland. You cut my head off my body now the body of Inland wil be cut off from the head.’ With that there come a jynt wave it wer a wall of water hyer nor a mountin. Dint it come tho. It come rushing it come roaring it come roaling down it cut acrost the lan right thru from Reakys Over down to Roaming Rune. It cut the Ram off sepert from the res of Inland that wer the day the Ram be come a nylan.”

“That head of Eusa said to them what put it on the poal, ‘Now throw me in the sea.’ Which they done that and the head wer swimming then agenst the tide it swum acrost that water from Inland to the Ram. Them on the Ram took in the head and this is what it tol them: ‘Make a show of me for memberment and for the ansers to your askings. Make a show with han figgers put a littl woodin head of me on your finger in memberment of my real head on a poal. Keap the Eusa folk a live in memberment of the hardship they brung on. Out of that hardship let them bring a Ardship 12 years on and 12 years come agen. Let the head of Inland ask the Ardship then. Let the head of Inland road the circel ful and to the senter asking what he wants to know for all of Inland. When the right head of Inland fynds the right head of Eusa the anser wil come and Inland wil rise up out of what she ben brung down to.’ Then the head roalt back in to the water it swum out to sea.”

Goodparley wer all as cited telling that his littl eyes wer shyning you cud see it wer hy telling for him. He said, “Theres your Fools Circel Riddley its that ful circel Eusa gone his hevvy road on time back way back. Its that circel I ben roading looking for the anser as wil bring poor Inland up from what she ben brung down to.”

Dint say nothing for a littl nyther of us jus lissening to the hisper of the rain. Finely I said, “Why wernt all this in the Eusa Story then?”

Goodparley said, “It ben Eusa wrote the Eusa Story he done it befor they stoand him out of Cambry. After that he dint write nothing mor. Words! Theywl move things you know theywl do things. Theywl fetch. Put a name to some thing and youre beckoning. Iwl write a message if I have to but I wunt word nothing moren that on paper. Eusa ben fetcht by words on paper you know.”

I said, “What dyou mean?” With my head widening in circels and my mynd sinking like the stoan what made the circels. Part of me where I wer and part of me with Lissener and coming in to Cambry. Thinking:

With a sickish fealing as I myt be the Good Luck brother and I contrackt I wud help the other Iwd get to him soons I cud and what ever Trubba he wer in wewd boath be in it. Cursing my self for leaving him and coming to Widders Dump which I hadnt done nothing only put them yeller stoans in Goodparleys hans.

Goodparley had a peace of paper in his han and holding it in front of me. He said, “Have a read of this.”

This is what I read wrote down the same:

Wel soons I begun to read it I had to say, “I dont even know ½ these words. Whats a Legend? How dyou say a guvner S with a littl t?”

Goodparley said, “I can as plain the mos of it to you. Some parts is easyer workit out nor others theres bits of it wewl never know for cern jus what they mean. What this writing is its about some kynd of picter or dyergam which we dont have that picter all we have is the writing. Parbly that picter ben some kynd of a seakert thing becaws this here writing (I dont mean the writing youre holding in your han I mean the writing time back way back what this is wrote the same as) its cernly seakert. Its blipful it aint jus only what it seams to be its the syn and foller of some thing else. A Legend thats a picter whats depicted which is to say pictert on a wall its done with some kynd of paint callit fidelity. St is short for sent. Meaning this bloak Eustace he dint jus tern up he wer sent. A.D. 120 thats the year count they use to have it gone from Year 1 right the way to Bad Time. A.D. means All Done. 120 years all done theyre saying thats when they begun this picter in 120 nor they never got it finisht til 1480 is what it says here wel you know there aint no picter cud take 1360 years to do these here year numbers is about some thing else may be wewl never know what.”

I said, “What year is it now by that count?”

He said, “We dont know jus how far that count ever got becaws Bad Time put a end to it. Theres a stoan in the Power Ring stannings has the year number 1997 cut in to it nor we aint never seen no year number farther on nor that. After Bad Time dint no 1 write down no year count for a long time we dont know how long til the Mincery begun agen. Since we startit counting its come to 2347 o.c. which means Our Count.”

I said, “Dyou mean to tel me them befor us by the time they done 1997 years they had boats in the air and all them things and here we are weve done 2347 years and mor and stil slogging in the mud?”

He put his han on my sholder he said, “Now youre talking jus like me I dont know how many times Ive said that. Now you see the woal thing what Im getting at its why Im all ways strest and straint Im jus a woar out man. Riddley we aint as good as them befor us. Weve come way way down from what they ben time back way back. May be it wer the barms what done it poysening the lan or when they made a hoal in what they callit the 0 Zoan. Which that O Zoan you cant see it but its there its holding in the air we breave. You make a hoal in it and Woosh! No mor air. Wel word ben past down thats what happent time back way black. You hear what I said? I said time back way black. You ever hear the story of why the crow is black and curses all the time?”

Thru the smoak hoal I cud see the nite thinning out and the day coming on. I dint want to hear no storys about crows. I said, “Wheres Orfing is he gone after Lissener?”

He said, “Gone a head of him to Cambry.”

I said, “Waiting a jump on him.”

He said, “Keaping a eye and a ear on him til I get there.”

I said, “Whatwl you do when you get there?”

He said, “Iwl do what I ben doing Iwl go on asking wont I. Do some Cambry asking then its up to Horny Boy and begin that woal Fools Circel over agen becaws it ben broak this time.”

I said, “You going to help the qwirys on him?”

He said, “Whats the use of helping qwirys on him that poor simpo I dont think he knows nothing to tel no moren any of them ever do. I do like other Pry Mincers done befor me becaws thats what the Mincery wants. Im terning them frontwards in a woal lot of ways only I cant do it all at 1ce. We aint none of us what you cud call qwick but mos of them roun me theyre 2ce as unqwick as I am Iwl tel you that. May be you ben thinking Im your nemminy but that aint how it is. You think like I do you feal like I do we aint nemminys. Its them as cant think nor feal none of them things theyre the nemminy. Them peopl as jus want to hol on to what theyve got theyre afeart to chance any thing theyre afeart to move even 1 littl step forit. I dont care if its Mincery or forms or fentses its them as wont move theyre the nemminy. Riddley may be you dont know it but you dont have no better frend nor me?”

I dint say nothing.

He give me a littl shake and took his han off my sholder. He said, “Wel never mynd les get on with this here writing. XVth century parbly thats old spel for some kynd of senter where they done this thing theyre telling of in this blipful writing. Episodes thats when you do a thing 1 part at a time youve got to get the 1st episode done befor you go on to the nex. Thats how youwl do if youre working chemistery or fizzics. Youwl do your boyl ups and your try outs in episodes, ‘Wooded landscape with many small hamlets.’ Wel thats littl pigs innit then theres a variety which thats like a pack or a herd and creatures thats creachers parbly dogs. May be Folleree and Folleroo in that pack who knows. May be them littl pigs is the many cools and party cools weare looking for becaws this here is blipful writing it aint strait. ‘Meanders to the open sea.’ Mazy ways to a open see meaning a look see is what I take that to mean. Whatre we follering them mazy ways for? Have a look right here now weare coming on to the nuts and balls of the thing weare coming to the hart of the matter and the Hart of the Wud where them dogs is on the foller of them littl pigs. Whats at the bottom of the thing and whats this sent bloaks name? Wel it says right here: ‘At the bottom of the painting St Eustace’. That name mynd you of any other name?”

I said, “Eusa.”

He said, “Thats it. Its the very same name jus woar down a littl. Who ever this bloak wer what wrote our Eusa Story he connectit his self to this here Legend or dyergam and the chemistery and fizzics of it becaws this here Legend writing and the Eusa Story the 2 of them ben past down to gether in the Mincery. ‘St Eustace is seen on his knees before his quarry.’ Which a quarry is a kynd of digging. Whys he on his knees? What brung him down what knockt him off his feet? What come out of that digging? A stag. Wel thats our Hart of the Wud innit we know him wel a nuff. Whats he got be twean his antlers its ‘a cross of radiant light’. Which is the same as radiating lite or radiation which may be youve heard of.”

I said, “No I never.”

He said, “Youve seen wite shadders on stannings cernly you seen the 1 in that hoal in Bernt Arse where you foun Lissener.”

I said, “Yes I seen that wite shadder.”

He said, “Wel it ben radiant lite as made that shadder. Radiant lite. Shyning. Wel we know from our oan Eusa Story where you fynd the Hart of the Wud youwl fynd a shyning in be twean his horns. Which that shyning is the Littl Shyning Man the Addom. Only in this Legend its callit ‘the figure of the crucified Saviour’. Figure is a word means moren 1 thing and 1 of the things it means is number. Number of the crucified Saviour. Now Iwl tel you some thing intersting Riddley Walker son of Brooder Walker you what put the yellerboy stoan the Salt 4 in my hans. Iwl tel you theres a working in this thing theres a pattren theres mor connexions nor wewl ever fynd reveals of. You know who put me on to what this woal things about? This woal blipful writing?”

I said, “How cud I know that?”

He said, “It wer your oan dad it wer Brooder Walker the same. It wer that reveal he done back when Dog Et largent in Littl Salting. Orfing and me we done a special show then your dad come a long Nex Nite he done a connexion and a reveal the woal thing took lessen a minim. I wernt there to hear it but I heard of it. Dyou have that 1 in memberment?”

I said, “O yes I member that. ‘A littl salting and no saver.’”

He said, “Thats the 1. ‘A littl salting and no saver.’ Wel you know every now and agen youwl hear some thing it means what ever it means but youwl know theres mor in it as wel. Moren wer knowit by who ever said it. So that reveal stayd in my mynd. You see how it wer up to then I never thot this Legend ben anything moren a picter story about a bloak with a name near the same as Eusa. Nor I dint know nothing of chemistery nor fizzics then I hadnt payd no tension to it. Any how I wer reading over this here Legend like I use to do some times and I come to ‘the figure of the crucified Saviour’. Number of the crucified Saviour and wunnening how that be come the Littl Shyning Man the Addom. Suddn it jumpt in to my mynd ‘A littl salting and no saver’. I dint have no idear what crucified myt be nor up to then I hadnt give Saviour much thot I thot it myt mean some 1 as saves only that dint connect with nothing. Id never put it to gether with saver like in savery. Not sweet. Salty. A salt crucified. I gone to the chemistery working I askit 1 Stoan Phist that wer Belnots dad what crucified myt be nor he wernt cern but he thot itwd be some thing you done in a cruciboal. 1st time Id heard the word. Thats a hard firet boal they use it doing a chemistery try out which you cud call that crucifrying or crucifying. Which that crucified Saviour or crucifryd salt thats our Littl Shyning Man him as got pult in 2 by Eusa. So ‘the figure of the crucified Saviour’ is the number of the salt de vydit in 2 parts in the cruciboal and radiating lite coming acrost on it. The salt and the saver, 1ce youve got that salt youre on your way to the woal chemistery and fizzics of it. Right up to your las try out which is the brazen bull which is to say your brazing boal and the chard coal. But thats all tecker knowledging realy you wunt hardly unner stan it nor I wont wear you out with it. Youve got to do your take off and your run off and your carry off. Which its wrote in the story its the wife took off by pirates and the wolf run off with 1 littl boy and the lion carrit off the other. The wife is the sof and the sweet you see which is took off by the sharp and the salty. Them pirates and wolfs and lions theyre all assits theyre all sharp and biting its all chemistery in there. Them 2 littl boys theyre what they call ‘catwl twis’ which is what you put in to qwicken on your episodes. Right thru that part of it Eusa hes whats lef after the takings hes having his res and due. Finely after the brazing boal you get your four souls which is your 4 salts gethert. Man and wife and littl childer coming back to gether for the las time thats your new clear family it aint the 1 you startit with its the finement of it in to shyning gethert to the 1 Big 1. Mynd you all this what Im saying its jus theary which I mean we aint done nothing with it yet we cudnt cud we we aint had the parper salts and that. Wel now this here bag of yellerboy myt be the break and thru the barren year with a bang. I know itwl take tryl narrer and spare the mending but may be this time wewl do it.”

I dint say nothing I wer jus sitting there with my head widening in them circels spreading to no where. It wer broad day looking in thru the smoak hoal. Goodparley looking at me suddn then he says, “We never did emty your pockits did we whats that bulging in there? Trubba not Iwl jus have a littl look.” Which he reaches in to my pockit and puls out that blackent hook nose hump back figger.

He looks at it and his eyes get big then nex thing he begins to cry. I dint know what to do I said, “What is it?”

He wer snuffling and wiping his eyes he said, “O how that takes me back o how it twisses my hart. I tel you theres a working in this it aint jus happening randem theres too many things be twean us.”

I said, “Whatre you talking about? Whats that got to do with that figger?”

“O,” he said. “How them trees swayd in the morning wind that day and the smoak going up from the berning!” He wer pulling me to him and hugging me and slubbening on my neck. I dint know what to do I pattit his back like you wud with any frend took greavis. Knowing wylst I done it he wernt my frend tho he wantit to be. Some thing else as wel. Dint know how I knowit but I knowit I had the upper of him some how I wer the stronger 1. He myt have me kilt if it come on him to do it yet I had a Power he dint. He knowit and I knowit yet I cudntve said right then what it wer. I dont mean the Power you have when some 1 craves for you I mean some thing else.

He said, “Here it is a nother morning and the sky all grey jus like that morning so far back when I ben a boy I bint a man like you I bint no moren 10 years old.”

I said, “What happent?” Thinking on Lissener and thinking on Belnot Phist. Wunnering how it wer with them and suddn I wer scaret for the werst. Becaws Goodparley myt talk easy and smyl yet you never cud be qwite sure where you wer with him. There wernt no 1 else in the shelter with us jus then. I knowit wer going to be him or me some time some way. My weapons ben took a way from me I wer wunnering if it mytnt be the bes thing if I jus grabbit his knife out of his belt and stuck it in him. It cud wel be thatwd save Inland a woal lot of Trubba. Only soons that thot come to me it like ternt Goodparley in to the Littl Shyning Man. Which some thing as wantit to be 1wd be toar in 2. Plus even if it hadnt ben for that I wernt a qwick a nuff thinker to progam whatwd come nex. How to get Phist and me boath out of there. Any how the minim past nor I dint do nothing.

Goodparley movit a way and sat his self down agen. He had that blackent hook nose hump back figger on his right han it wer terning its head this way and that looking at him. Some times it wavit its arms wylst he talkit.

He said, “This here figger his name is Punch which hes the oldes figger there is. He wer old time back way way back long befor Eusa ever ben thot of. Hes so old he cant dy is what Granser tol me. He wernt my Granser he wernt no kin to me that ben jus the name I knowit him by I never knowit his parper name he wunt tel me it.

“1st I ever seen of Granser I wer sitting up in a tree and the smoak going up from my fents berning. May be you think I ben beartht on the Ram beartht in to the Mincery. Wel I wernt nor I wernt beartht on no form nyther I wer beartht in a fents we wer a moving crowd sames your peopl ben time back. A border fents it wer Bad Mercy Fents you wont fynd it now its long gone. Bernt down that day in a raid from Outland. We dint have nothing for them to take only our groun and our women which they took boath. 1 time follers a nother the groun come back in a cuppl of years Weaping Form is what it is now they say you can hear the goasts of the childer what ben kilt there. The groun come back but the women never and my mum 1 of them.

“I ben out with a forage crowd that morning we wer coming back with pig when we seen the smoak going up we sust right off what it wer. We fasleggit back and right in to the jump they ben waiting. They wer too many we dint have no chance I seen my dad go down with a arrer in his hart and others dropping all roun I droppt as wel and slyd off in the hy grass. When they finisht killing the men I heard them taking the women. Hiding in the woodlings hearing that and smelling the smoak I can stil smel that smoak it wer peopl smoak as wel as wood. When it got qwyet I crep out. Cudnt hear nothing only the fine crackling and the crows calling 1 to a nother. Wite smoak and arnge flames upping in that grey morning and the dogs coming for the dead.”

“I clum a tree and sitting up there smelling that smoak. Down be low me dogs wer grooling and smarling and the dead bodys jerking and flopping amongst them. I wer looking at the trees all roun. The way the tops of them wer swaying in the morning wind. You look outside right now beyont the clearing youwl see the tree tops swaying jus that very same way. They dont take no read of us we dont matter nothing to them. Time on far on wewl be dead and theywl be swaying in the morning wind the same. Any how there I wer and dogs all roun that tree that woal day and on in to the dark. Eat ther fil and come back agen they cudnt hardly walk ther bellys wer that swoal up. Parbly if Id come down out of that tree they cudntve run me down even if they bothert to try only I wernt going to chance it. I slep in that tree that nite I tyd my self in it. Stil summer it wer and warm.”

“Nex morning I woak up it wer stil smoaking and the dew on the bernt brung the smel up strong. Some of the dogs wer a sleap and others crunching boans. Emty skuls and bits of boan all roun I wunnert which of them myt be my dad. Looking at the smoak stil driffing thru the trees and I seen a littl old wite hairt bloak coming a long he lookit permuch like this here figger only no hump. Hook nose and a hook chin and a wicket littl eye. He seen me and coming tords me he wernt bothert about the dogs. Some of them looking up and they ruft a littl. He just said Trubba not like you myt to any 1 and peed agenst a tree. The leader of the pack gone over to the tree he sniffit the old bloaks syn then he peed and the old bloak sniffit his syn and that wer that. No Trubba.”

“He took me with him then I wer his boy til I come in to the Mincery 2 years after that. He showit me this figger which is Mr Punch. He dint have no fit up nor nothing the Mincery never has allowit no show of figgers only Eusa nor they wunt allow no 1 only Eusa show men to carry a fit up.”

I said, “What kynd of a show wer it?”

He said, “Iwl show you that show which he past it on to me the show and the figgers boath. Now Iwl pass it on to you the same thats how its meant to be you see. It aint like a Eusa show its meant to stay the same all the time.”

I dint have nothing to say about it all I cud do wer sit there and be a crowd of 1 to watch what ever he wer going to show. He fittit up all parper the same as if I ben 40 peopl. When he had his self all ready he said, “Now you ask Mr Punch if hes ready.” Goodparley wer out of site in the fit up and I wer sat there staring at it.

I said, “Wel Mr Punch this woal crowd is waiting for you.” Thinking on Lissener and Belnot Phist which I begun to feal not too easy. “Be you coming up to show?” I said.

There come a littl salty voyce out of the fit up it wernt a voyce Id ever heard befor yet it wer a voyce I knowit some how it wernt no stranger to me. Salty and sharp like if a game cock wud talk. It said, “Showing right now. Wot a beauty.”

A littl hy womans voyce said, “Cor! Whatre you going to do with that girt big thing Mr Punch?”

Mr Punchs voyce said, “Come a littl closer and Iwl show you.” I said, “Mr Punch whynt you show your girt big thing up here so every 1 can see it?”

Punchs voyce said, “Do my bes showing down be low. Rrrrrrrr!” He made a noys like a cock fessin taking off.

I said, “Cant you get your down be low up here?” Punchs voyce said, “I can all ways get it up you bes stan wel back here I come.” Up he shot then and zanting a bout with a longish flat stick it wer paintit red and wite and it wer split flatways so it wer a dubbl flat stick. You cud hear the whack of it and feal the smack of it jus looking at it. My Mr Punch what I dug out of the muck he wer all black with rot but this 1 wer all brite and sharp colourt. Face all pinky rosey and brite blue eyes he wer swanking in red and green and yeller cloes and a poynty red hat with a yeller wagger on it. Zanting a bout and saying, “Ah putta putta putta ah putta putta way.” Looking roun all sharp and brite and waving his stick.

I said, “Is that your girt big thing?”

Punch said, “Yes this is my 1 Big 1 its good for every il. If youre sick itwl make you wel.”

I said, “What if youre wel?”

Punch said, “No bodys wel or I wunt have this stick wud I. Its a neadful stick you see so every 1 mus nead it.”

I said, “Its not what I thot itwd be.”

Punch said, “Thats what they all say til they get use to it. All it takes is a littl getting use to. Ask Pooty.”

I said, “Whos Pooty?”

Punch callt, “Oy! Pooty!”

The littl hy womans voyce said, “Whats happening?”

Punch said, “Dont talk stupid its happent all ready.”

Pootys voyce said, “If its happent all ready you dont nead me do you.”

Punch said, “Gennl man wants to see you.”

Pootys voyce said, “If hes a gennl man he dont want to see me and if he wants to see me he aint no gennl man.”

Punch said, “Hes a frend.”

Pootys voyce said, “Frends all ways want it for nothing I ratherwd have a clynt.”

Punch said, “Whats a clynt?”

Pootys voyce said, “Clynts are binses and binses comes befor pleasur.”

Punch said, “Whats your pleasur then?”

Pootys voyce said, “Binses.”

Punch said, “And whats your binses?”

Pootys voyce said, “What ever theywl pay for.”

Punch said, “Whatwl they pay for?”

Pootys voyce said, “What ever they can think of.”

Punch said, “What can they think of?”

Pootys voyce said, “Its mosly the same thing.”

Punch said, “What thing is that?”

Pooty comes up then she says, “Swossage!” Shes a sow she dont have no cloes jus pink and nekkit only a littl frilly cap tyd unner her chin. Shes carrying some thing looks like a iron sossage only its got a dubbl fish tail. Like if youwd fevver a arrer up and down and crossways boath. The other end has like a nippl sticking out of it. “Swossage!” says Pooty.

Punch has a good look at it he says, “Theres a parper banger for you les have a fry up.”

Pooty says, “Iwl fetch the babby and the frying pan.”

Punch says, “Never mynd the babby there aint a nuff swossage to go roun.”

Pooty says, “You know how he likes a bit of swossage.”

Punch says, “Hes too yung for swossage give him the tit.”

Pooty says, “Boan dry.”

Punch says, “Give him the boan then.”

Pooty says, “Et it our selfs dint we. Cruncht the boan and suckt the marrer.”

Punch says, “Then tel the babby no suck ter day. Suck ter marrer.”

Pooty says, “You mynd the swossage wylst I fetch him.”

Punch says, “Yes I wil Iwl mynd that swossage.”

Pooty looks at me then she says, “Now I want you to keap a eye on Mr Punch I want you to give me a shout if he has a go at that swossage.” She puts the sossage on the play board.

I said, “All right Iwl do that.”

Pootys down then Punch grabs the sossage he terns his back to me and arga warga. I yelt, “Pooty!” but its too late becaws Punch terns roun agen and that sossage is all gone.

Punch is rubbing his hans in joy of it he says, “Um. You cant beat a good banger.”

Up comes Pooty with the frying pan and the babby which its a littl pink piglet. Pooty says to Punch, “Youve et that swossage havent you.”

Punch says, “No I dint.”

I said, “O yes you did.”

Punch says, “O no I dint.”

I said, “O yes you did.”

Pooty says, “Never mynd Iwl see if I can fynd a nother swossage.” She hans the babby to Punch she says, “You look after him wil you wylst Im gone.”

Punch is running his eye up and down that piglet he says, “O yes Iwl look after him hewl be in good hans. You bes be off now after that swossage its a long time since Ive had any.”

Pooty says to me, “Youwl give me a shout wont you if theres any nead.”

I said, “O yes Iwl do that.”

Pootys off then and Punch is holding the babby. Punch says, “Youwl be good wont you. You wont cry wil you.”

The babby dont say nothing.

Punch says to the babby, “Les walky walky.” He puts the babby down and backs off a littl. Hols out his arms and says, “Walky walky.”

The babby that littl pink piglet slyds tords him like it wer on a string. Grey morning lite and candls sill lit in there. Shadders wivvering and wayvering on the smoak and flames paintit on the back cloth. Punchs head wer 1 solid peace of wood but looking at him I begun to think his joars myt open wide. “O wot a good babby,” says Punch. O how I hoapit that babby wer going to stay good nor not give him no bother.

Punch puts the babby back where he startit. He says, “Walky walky” agen.

“Wah!” says the babby.

Punch whacks the play board with his stick. “Dont cry,” says Punch to the babby. “You look so terbel juicy when youre crying.”

“Wah!” says the babby. “Wah wah wah!”

Punch grabs that littl pink piglet and I yelt, “Pooty!”

Pootys up then and grabbing the babby as wel. Shes pulling on 1 arm and Punch on the other it looks like theyre going to tear that littl pig in 2 peaces. Punch lets go of the babby he grabs his stick and hes beating Pooty and the babby. Pootys yelling, “Ow ow ow!” and the babbys screaming, “Wah wah wah!” til Punch beats them qwyet. Theyre boath dead then Punch has beat the life out of them. He puts them boath in the frying pan they dont fit too wel and hanging oven the sides but hes frying them the bes he can.

Up comes a ugly bloak he dont look like any kynd of good news for Punch. Hes got a hang tree which he sets it up on the play board. He says, “Jack Ketch is who I am which Im the Loakel Tharty roun here I thot I heard a woman frying.”

“My wife,” says Punch.

“Shes a beauty,” says Jack Ketch. “Iwl have a bit of that.”

“Shes myn,” says Punch, “Eat your oan wife.”

“I heard a babby frying and all,” says Jack Ketch. Hes got his nose pernear in that frying pan he dont ½ look hungry.

“My babby,” says Punch. “Fynd your oan.”

“You bes share with me or Iwl have you up for it,” says Jack Ketch.

“Im hy a nuff all ready I dont nead no upping,” says Punch.

“You shudve thot of that befor you come hitting piggy side,” says Jack Ketch hes readying the roap on his hang tree.

“You mean bacon side,” says Punch.

Jack Ketch says, “If a dead pig is bacon whats a dead Punch?”

Punch says, “You wont never see no dead Punch Im too old to dy.”

“This heres a magic tree itwl make you yung a nuff,” says Jack Ketch hes patting his hang tree.

“Im too ripe for that,” says Punch. “The fruit dont go from the groun to the tree.”

Jack Ketch says, “Youwl get back to the groun soon a nuff I wont keap you long jus only til youre dead dead dead.” He takes his hang tree in boath hans and trying to catch Punch in the loop of the roap.

“You wont keap me at all,” says Punch. “Becaws Iwl whack you on the head head head.” Hes whacking Jack good with his stick he finishes him qwick he says, “Nor I wont keap you nyther” and he flings him a way.

“Oy!” says a voyce and up jumps Mr Clevver he looks jus the same as Mr Clevver in the Eusa show hes got the same red face and littl poynty beard and the horns and all.

Punch looking at him sharp and scanful he says to Mr Clevver, “Who myt you be?”

Mr Clevver says, “I myt be the Pry Mincer of Binland and I myt be the Hard Bitchup of Cantser Belly only I aint. Who I acturely am is Drop John the Foller Man which they call me Mr On The Levvil as wel.”

Punch says, “Dont let me keap you parbly youve got binses elser.”

Mr On The Levvil says, “O no my binses is right here Ive come for a littl sumfing from Pooty.” He hasnt took noatis of the frying pan yet.

Punch says, “Going to give you a littl sumfing is she?”

Mr On The Levvil says, “For my swossage you see.”

Punch says, “That big hard swossage you mean?”

Mr On The Levvil says, “Thats the 1.”

Punch says, “That girt big banger you mean?”

Mr On The Levvil says, “Right you are Guvner thats the very.”

Punch says, “Youre looking to get sumfing for it?”

Mr On The Levvil hugs his self a littl he says, “Um um Im craving for a littl of that Pooty sumfing. Thats what I give her the swossage for din I.”

Punch says, “You mean you give her that swossage befor she give you the sumfing?”

Mr On The Levvil says, “Thats what I done.”

Punch says, “Then youve stil got sumfing coming to you here it is its frying now.” He shows Mr On The Levvil Pooty in the frying pan.

Mr On The Levvil says, “Now I call that a frying shame becaws a dead Pooty aint much good for sumfing.”

Punch says, “Every man to his oan tase. Have a side of bacon.” Mr On The Levvil says, “What Iwl have is my swossage back. No sumfing no swossage.”

Punch says, “What if you dont get your swossage back?”

Mr On The Levvil says, “Iwl have my sumfing out of you then it dont make no odds to me.”

Punch says, “You aint too fussy how you have it longs you have it?”

Mr On The Levvil says, “Im easy longs I have my sumfing.” Punch terns his back and poynting his arse at Mr On The Levvil he says, “Be you ready?”

Mr On The Levvil hes wynding his self up for it he says, “Ready for it and ramping for it and here I come.”

“And here it comes,” says Punch. Which that iron sossage comes zizzing out of him and in to Mr On The Levvil. BANG! Flattens him dead.

“Hooray!” says Punch. “Punch has done for Mr On The Levvil now every I can do as they like.”

“Hooo,” says some 1 coming up then. Its a goast its got a skul face and all in wite. That skul has horns and a littl poynty beard. “Hooo,” says the goast agen.

“Whos that?” says Punch. He dont look easy at all.

“Who do I look like?” says the goast.

“I ratherwd not say,” says Punch.

The goast says, “Do you get like a dropping fealing in your belly when you see me?”

“Yes,” says Punch.

“Thats why they call me Drop John,” says the goast.

“O dear o dear o dear,” says Punch. “How do I make that fealing go a way?”

“It wont go a way,” says the goast. “Itwl be with you longs Im with you.”

“How longwl that be?” says Punch.

“From now on,” says the goast. “Thats why they call me the Foller Man.”

Punch dont look too easy when he hears that. He says, “What dyou want to foller me for?”

The goast says, “I dont want to only I cant help it. When you done for Mr On The Levvil you put me on to you. Mr On The Levvil he ben the out side of me which you knockt him off and now Im nekkit enn I. I dont have nothing I dont have no 1 to live in only you.”

Punch says, “Cant live in me theres no room.”

The goast says, “O wewl fynd room some time Iwl jus ride on your back til then.”

Punch says, “O dear o dear o dear 1 hump is a nuff. I bes be off and put a littl farness be twean us.”

“O dont leave me Mr Punch,” says the goast. “I dont have nothing nor no body only you. The worl is emty for me only you.” With that it hops on to Punchs back its clinging to him all prest up agenst his hump with boath arms noun his neck.

Punch is off then with the goast on his back and the goast is singing:

I stayd sat there looking at the emty space and the paintit smoak and flames on the back clof. I knowit Goodparleywd be out of the fit up in a minim and this daywd go on from there. Iwd have to say things and do things which I dint want to say nothing nor do nothing I wantit to think on that goast what ben living in Mr On The Levvil 1st then it wer on Punchs back and going to live in him soons it got the chance. I never seen that show befor nor never heard the names of Punch and Mr On The Levvil and that goast befor yet now as I seen them and heard what they had to say it seamt like I musve all ways knowit about them. Seamt like I knowit mor about them nor I knowit I knowit.

Goodparley come out of the fit up he stil had Punch on his right han and the goast on his lef.

I said, “Who done the Nex Nite for that show?”

He said, “There wernt no Nex Nite for it. Granser said this show dint have no connexion nor no reveal. Dyou beleave that?”

I said, “Theres all ways a connexion aint there.”

He said, “Thats what I tol Granser. He said thats as may be only there bint no connexion nor no reveal hed ever heard of for this show. He said it ben jus only a fun show.”

I said, “What dyou mean fun show? Bint it done by Mincery bloaks?”

He said, “Granser tol me this show never had nothing to do with no Mincery it ben jus to make peopl larf. Give peopl a bit of fun.”

I said, “Thats a funny kynd of show to do. Who done it then? What kynd of show men?”

He said, “I dont know nothing about that nor Granser dint nyther. Whats the diffrents any how it aint a show no 1wl see no mor. I never knowit any 1 know it only Granser and me. Hes dead nor I wunt show it to no 1 only you.”

I said, “Punch and Eusa. 2 shows.”

He said, “The 2 be come the 1.”

I said, “Whats that Drop John song about? Roal who over? Throw who down? What is that 1 for you and 1 for me? Why is every thing in 2s? Whys Drop John singing about going home to Do It Over?”

He said, “I dont know nothing about that song only its about some thing else. Which every thing is innit. Every thing is about every thing. And what evers in 2wl be come 1. The 2 of Granser and me be come jus only the 1 dinnit. You know how I partit from him?”

I said, “How?”

He said, “I kilt him.”

I said, “How come?”

He said, “It wer the nite of my 12th naming day. The day I be come a man.”

I had a suddn fealing I said, “What day is your naming day?”

He said, “Its the 2nd Ful. Whens yours?”

I said, “2nd Ful.” We wer boath shaking our heads and thinking on that. I said, “What happent that day?”

He said, “We ben talking about that day long befor it come. I ben watching that moon fulling on. We ben roading all roun like userel. Granser he wer what they callit a knowing man he knowit herbs and roots and mixters he done deacon terminations he done healing and curing plus he knowit dreams and syns. We roadit 1 fents to a nother clinnicking and national healfing we done forms and all. He never tol no 1 he wer dog frendy we mosly roadit with crowd like any 1 else. When we roadit oansome we all ways joynt up with some road crowd befor a riving any where. Wewd come roun a hil or thru the trees and Granserwd say we seen them from a farness and forkt off from the crowd we ben with. Some times they dint beleave him they thot he wer a Magic man they made the Bad Luck go a way syn but they let us road with them. Some said theyd seen him running with the Black Pack.”

“Wel befor my naming day Id tol Granser Iwd be moving out for my self soons I come a man. I tol him that daywd be the end of my boy time. He larft and said O yes. We wer overing the nite at Good Mercy Form we ben roading with a trade crowd. Some of them from Bollock Stoans up near Horny Boy and they wer joaking how they had the mos bollocks and they wer the hornyes boys in Inland. Getting pist and talking juicy. How they wer dying for a littl. Tiret of husbinding ther hans nor you cudnt get near them form women. Wel they begun looking at me and putting ther hans on me. Granser then he tol them being we wer at Good Mercy he wer going to give them good mercy plus itwd be a bye bye party for the end of my boy time so he give them me for the nite. 7 bloaks had me 1 after the other on the nite of the day I be come a man. Hevvy bloaks all of them I cudntve stood up to 1 let a loan 7. He had to do that he had to put his mark on that day he cudnt leave it a loan. Then after they all had good pleasur and good measur that nite he tol me Iwd have to wait a nother year befor I begun to man for my self becaws I ben boying on my 12th naming day. Larfing his wicket larf and he said he wer going to keap me with him 1 year mor thats when I stuck my knife in him. He cudnt leave a thing be come what it wer going to be nex. Thats what it wer made me kil him it wernt the 7 bloaks. I wantit to man for my self and he made me boy for him 1 time too many. I overt that fents and off oansome tho I bint dog frendy and scaret to death I took my chance I put a farness behynt me I Norft up the A28 keaping close to trees for clyming til there come a long a road crowd they wer Mincery bloaks I gone with them and to the Ram.”

When Goodparley said that about wanting to man and being made to boy it made me think on Eusa 13:

Goodparley said, “Every thing wants to man dont it. Wants to go from littl to big. Wants to be whats in it to be.” He stil had the figgers on his hans and Punch pickt up the bag of yeller stoans. Goodparley said, “This here yellerboy stoan the Salt 4 it wants to be whats in it to be.” He stept back inside the fit up. BANG! Punch and the goast gone flying. He made the noys with a clapper he workit with his foot.

I said, “It wants to be the 1 Big 1.”

He said, “Thats it. 1 Big 1.”

I said, “Thats going to move Inland frontways is it? Thats going to get us out of the mud? Thats going to get us boats in the air and picters on the wind?”

He said, “Them boats in the air it seams like they ben hevvy on my back longs I can member. What wer it put them boats up there in the air dyou think? Power it musve ben musnt it. Youve got to have the Power then befor youwl have the res of it havent you. Which theres Power in this here Salt 4 we know that much. Its 1 of the Nos. of the 1 Big 1. All weve got to do is put it to gether with the others. Weve got to work the E qwations and the low cations weve got to comb the nations of it. We ben looking for Eusas head 1 way and a nother this long time. We ben digging in the groun for it we ben spare the mending we ben tryl narrering for it we ben asking roun the circel for it. We never come this close befor we never had no Salt 4. Weare closing in is what weare doing Riddley it aint going to get a way from us this time. Where ever it is Iwl fynd it. Iwl fynd Eusas head and Eusas knowing. Iwl get it out of Belnot Phist if its in him Iwl get it out of the Ardship of Cambry if its in him.”

I said, “You said befor hes jus only a poor simpo he dont know nothing.”

He said, “Tryl narrer is what it takes you dursnt miss out nothing youve got to try every thing. Try the clevver try the simpl.” His face begun to go sharp. He said, “You never know what levvils it myt be moving on you never know what common nations you myt be missing. May be Eusas 2 littl Sons 1 ben clevver 1 ben simpl. ‘Off thay gon 1 with Folleree & 1 with Folleroo. 1 hedin tords the rivvr 1 a way frum it & each with ½ uv the Littl Shynin Man.’ He wer looking at me diffrent from how he ben looking at me befor. He said, “2 littl sons. 1 of them not qwite clevver may be. 1 of them not qwite simpl. 1 heading tords the rivver which the Rivver Sour runs thru Cambry dunnit. 1 heading a way from it. Tords Widders Dump may be. Each littl son with ½ a pack of dogs. Folleree and Folleroo. Each littl son with ½ the Littl Shyning Man.” He pickt up a bag of yellerboy stoan and shook it. “½ the Littl Shyning Man,” he said agen. “Whats that Littl Shyning Man say in Eusa 26? ‘Yu ar lukin at the idear uv me and I am it. Eusa sed, Wut is the idear uv yu? The Littl Man sed, It is wut it is.’ You see what I mean Riddley? ‘It is wut it is.’ Diffrent things at diffrent times may be. Its what ever it wants to be.”

I said, ‘Eusa wut is the idear uv yu?’

He said, “You know what the idear of Eusa is. Hes the 1 what goes thru chaynjis. If hes chemistery or if hes a man. Thats what hes for thats the idear of him.”

I said, “He endit up with his head on a poal tho dinnee.”

He said, “Riddley my heads ben on a poal this long time. My head ben cut off from the res of me it ben oansome and greaving in a hy place. Iwd like to get my head down off that poal is what Iwd like.”

I said, “You dont have to be Eusa do you.”

He said, “Coarse I have to be Eusa you do as wel and every 1 else weve all got to be Eusa and get him thru his Chaynjis. Dont you see its on all of us to be every thing. There aint nothing only us to be Punch and Eusa boath. Nothing only us to be Drop John and all and manys the time I ben him and riding on my oan hump.”

I said, “Whatre you going to do now?”

He said, “May be its time to put that Eusa family to gether. 4 souls in the brazing boal.”

I said, “Whos Eusas wife then?”

He said, “You know who she is Riddley shes that same 1 shows her moon self or she shows her old old nite and no moon. Shes that same 1 every thing and all of us come out of. Shes what she is and the woom of her is in Cambry which is the senter. It all fits you see. Old beleaf and new. Thats where the Spirit of God is coming down in the form of a dove.”

I said, “Whats the Spirit of God?”

He said, “Thats chemistery and fizzics and all its what the 1 Big 1 come out of realy theres so many ways of saying it you see. A dove is a kynd of pigeon which a pigeons a messenger innit. Which this message aint being sent its de-scending or you myt say unsending its going back where it come from which is Heaven. Now Heaven thats where hevvyness comes from innit. So that message or you myt say the trants mission its unsending its self back in to the hevvyness plus its receiving them 4 souls. Receiving is what you do with a trants mission you read it you take it in but this here trants mission its the other way roun its doing the taking in its taking in them 4 souls back in to the hevvyness. Thats how you get your 1 Big 1 which is the hevvyness made hevvyer with the 4 souls.”

He wer talking so many levvils at 1ce I dint all ways know what he meant realy I wisht every thing wud mean jus only 1 thing and keap on meaning it not changing all the time. I thot wewd be going to Cambry tho I dint know what wer going to be when we got there. I wunnert what wer happening with Belnot Phist and afeart to ask.

I dint have to ask. There come a yel. “Daddy!”

Goodparley says, “Ah! Talky talky.”

I said, “You cunt.”

He said, “Funny what peopl wil use for a hard word. The name of a pleasur thing and a place where new life comes out of. There ben times nor not too far back nyther when they use to offer to that same and very 1 what has her woom in Cambry. That same and very Nite and Death we all come out of.”

I said, “Dont you push words at me you rat cunt.”

He said, “Youre hard took by that yel are you. You dont want no 1 to suffer. Wel my boy I dont like herting no 1 but I wont be tol lys and you bes keap that in memberment. I cant stan lying I realy wont put up with it. It ben jus only a littl wyl back our yung Belnot said right here in this very same shelter he dint know nothing about that yellerboy stoan only I think hes parbly saying diffrent now. I cudve tol them to take him some place where you wunt hear nothing but you see what it is I wunt ly to you I wunt set up for no sof nunkel. Im what I am and youre seeing me how I am.”

I dint anser him nothing I jus shook my head.

Thats what wer saying its self in my mynd nor I wernt going to let it happen like that. Phist wer some kynd of brother may be even a moon brother like the other 2. Cernly a Trubba brother nor I wernt going to leave him in the shit. How come he wernt in that Eusa family Goodparley ben talking of I wunnert. Nothing for him to be. The Littl Shyning Man may be only Goodparley hadnt said nothing about him coming in to it with the brazing boal.

Wylst thinking that I ternt and run for the gate house. In my mynd I seen Phist with his arms out stretcht like the Littl Shyning Man. In my mynd he wer hanging black agenst a redness. Redness like a berning.

I gone up the ladder and in to the gate house no 1 stoppt me the hevvys wer all stood back from Phist and a clear space lef all roun him. His arms wernt out stretcht he had his hans tyd behynt his back and they ben pult up with a roap over a beam so he wer hanging by them with his feet off the floor. His head wer down and his wite hair hanging over his face. I grabbit a knife from 1 of the hevvys I helt Phist up and cut the roap then I cut his hans luce. He seen it wer me and he knowit me. He like pult me to him with his eyes and he hispert:

He said it so qwick and qwyet I wernt even sure if Id heard him say it or if it ben jus only in my mynd. I waitit for the res of it but all he said wer, “Thats my onwith its yours now. He dint say nothing mor his pink eyes gone glazy and he wer dead.

1 of the hevvys it musve ben the 1stman of them he said, “We never done nothing to him Guvner only hang him up. We never done him no greavis at all.” He wernt calling me Guvner it wer Goodparley behynt me.

Goodparley said, “Whatd he say?”

The 1stman said, “He dint say nothing only yelt for his daddy 1ce and jus now he hispert some thing to Riddley Walker here.”

Goodparley said to me, “Whatd he hisper?”

I said, “He dint say nothing only that yellerboy stoan wud be my onwith then he dyd.”

The 1stman said, “You can see he aint ben bloodyd nor nothing we never done him nothing only hang him up.”

Goodparleys face lookit like he wer having a bad dream he cudnt wake up out of. He said, “Who cud know he wer that delkit? I never wantit him dead.”

I said, “Parbly thats what Eusa said when he pult the Littl Shyning Man in 2.”

Goodparley dint say nothing only shook his head. The hevvy Id took the knife from helt out his han for it and I give it back. Goodparley said to me, “You can have your weapons back and go where you like I wont keap you.”

I near larft when he said that. Becaws I knowit we wer tyd to gether from then on and Belnot Phist like Drop John on boath our backs. Goodparley wer terning me luce to let me happen but he knowit I cudnt get a way from him no moren he cud get a way from me. We myt do our diffrent moves and try new 1s if we cud but there wer jus only so much doing to go roun and if 1 of us done 1 thing the otherwd have to do the other.

When they give me back my gear Goodparley said, “You myswel have your onwith and all” which he give me the bag of yellerboy stoan. Then I did larf and off I gone.

I wer glad to be vacking my wayt befor the jobbing rota from How Fents ternt up I dint want to see none of them right then I jus wantit to road oansome to Cambry and my other moon brother qwicks I cud.

I lookit up at the gate house when I gone out and Goodparley wer looking down at me. He said, “Iwl see to it Belnot gets a parper berning.”

I noddit and put my foot tords Cambry. Soons I crost the clearing them dogs wer all roun me agen they wer like my oan pryvit nite in the morning of the day.