Russell Hoban - Riddley Walker

“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 :

13 . Eusa wuz angre he wuz in rayj & he kep pulin on the Littl Man the Addoms owt strecht arms. The Littl Man the Addom he begun tu cum a part he cryd, I wan tu go I wan tu stay. Eusa sed, Tel mor. The Addom sed, I wan tu dark I wan tu lyt I wan tu day I wan tu nyt. Eusa sed, Tel mor. The Addom sed, I wan tu woman I wan tu man. Eusa sed, Tel mor. The Addom sed, I wan to plus I wan tu minus I wan tu big I wan tu littl I wan tu aul I wan tu nuthing.

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?”