Russell Hoban - Riddley Walker

I said, “O yes I wil Im on for it.”

He said, “You want that scar do you. Want to be connexion man and foller on your dad.”

I said, “I myt as wel keap it going down the line.”

He said, “Why keap it going? You think its some thing good?”

I said, “I dont know I never thot on that part of it. Its what my dad done and Iwl do it and all.”

He said, “Yes why not. Riddley wud you tel me if you thot I wer stupid?”

I said, “If you askit me.”

He said, “Yes I beleave you wud. Wel all right les put that scar on you and get you startit doing your connexions.”

We gone to the divvy roof then for the scar take. Torches berning and the woal crowd there. Befor we done it Goodparley & Orfing fittit up for the show what theywd be doing right after. The show Iwd be watching with a new scar on my belly and thinking on my 1st connexion.

Lorna Elswint up front with us for letting the blood and cutting in the scar. Goodparley and me stript off down to our trowsers and stood facing each other with all the crowd looking on. I had to stan on some fire wood so my belly wud be hy a nuff. Orfing stanning nex to me to tel me what to say.

I said to Goodparley, “Wheres Eusa?”

He said, “In my belly. Fear belly and brave belly. Hot and col. Emty and ful.”

I said, “Wheres his mark?”

He said, “On me from a nother on him from a nother. You asking for that mark?”

I said, “Im asking for that mark.”

He said, “How wil they know it when its on you?”

I said, “Its on me to make it knowt.”

Lorna Elswint took her neadl and let some blood out of Goodparleys right arm and smeart it on his scar.

Goodparley said, “My belly to your belly and your belly to Eusa.” He shovit his hairy belly agenst me so hard the fire wood I wen stood on gone slyding and I had to grab him not to fall down.

He said, “Take that for a blip.”

I steppt back with his E pirntit in his blood on the right side of me. 3 stroaks for Eusa:

Which ever way you pirnt it on its never backards.

Lorna took the knife and cut it in me. Then she prest the clay in to it and she tyd the wrappings roun. Then I cudnt see them 3 stroaks I cud feal them tho. Tharbing a littl and I thot of them like 3 moufs on me and waiting to say some thing. Waiting to say my 1st connexion after I seen the Eusa show.

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.”