Russell Hoban - Riddley Walker

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.”