Russell Hoban - Riddley Walker

14 . Eusa sed, Stop ryt thayr thats the No. I wan. I wan that aul or nuthing No. The Littl Man the Addom he cudn stop tho. He wuz ded. Pult in 2 lyk he wuz a chikken. Eusa screamt he felt lyk his oan bele ben pult in 2 & evere thing rushin owt uv him.

15 . Owt uv thay 2 peaces uv the Littl Shynin Man the Addom thayn cum shyningnes in wayvs in spredin circels. Wivverin & wayverin & humin with a hy soun. Lytin up the dark wud. Eusa seen the Littl 1 goin roun & roun insyd the Big 1 & the Big 1 humin roun insyd the Littl 1. He seen thay Master Chaynjis uv the 1 Big 1. Qwik then he riten down thay Nos. uv them.

16 . Thay dogs howlt & a win cum up. Thay ded leavs wirlt & rattelin lyk ded birds flyin. Thay grayt dogs stud on thear hyn legs & talkin lyk men agen. Thay sed, Eusa aul thay menne leavs as rattelt thats how menne peapl yu wil kil. Then thay dogs begun tu tel uv tym tu cum. Thay sed, The lan wil dy & thay peapl wil eat 1 a nuther. The water wil be poysen & the peapl wil drink blud.

17 . Eusa kilt boath dogs he shot them ded. The shynin & the lyt gone owt the wud gon darken nor the darkes nyt. Eusa cudn see nuthing he stumelt owt uv the wud & tu the stoan & owt agen nor never lukt behyn him.

18 . Eusa had thay Nos. uv thay Master Chaynjis. He run them thru the Power Ring he mayd the 1 Big 1. 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. Thay wun the Warr but the lan wuz poyzen frum it the ayr & water as wel. Peapl din jus dy in the Warr thay kep dyin after it wuz over. Mr Clevver din cayr it wuz aul the saym tu him poyzen wuz meat & drink tu him he wuz that hard. Eusa with his wyf & 2 littl suns gon lukin for a nuther plays tu liv.

19 . Evere thing wuz blak & rottin. Ded peapl & pigs eatin them & thay pigs dyd. Dog paks after peapl & peapl after dogs tu eat them the saym. Smoak goin up frum bernin evere wayr. Eusa with his famile gon tu the cappn uv a boat & Eusa giv him munne tu tayk them a way. The cappn sed, Munne is no gud enne mor. Eusa thot he lookit lyk the Littl Shynin Man he wuzn shur tho. Thayr wer hevve men on the boat thay tuk Eusas wyf thay thru Eusa & his 2 littl boys off. Eusa stanin on the shor wachin that boat pul a way with his wyf & nuthing he cud du.

20 . Bad Tym it wuz then. Peapl din no if they wud be alyv 1 day tu the nex. Din even no if thayd be alyv 1 min tu the nex. Sum stuk tu gether sum din. Sum tyms thay dru lots. Sum got et so uthers cud liv. Cudn be shur uv nuthing din no wut wuz sayf tu eat or drink & tryin tu keap wyd uv uther forajers & dogs it wuz nuthing onle Luck if enne 1 stayd alyv.

21 . Eusa & his boys on thear oan thay wernt with enne 1 els. Eusa wun go near no uthers he wuz afeard if enne 1 myt no him. Eusa dursn sleap much thay boys wer tu littl tu stan gard long. Mosly Eusa jus closd his iys a littl at a tym nevver long. He din lyk tu sleap much enne how he wuz afeard he myt pul his self in 2 lyk he dun the Littl Shynin Man. Plus menne tyms he seen 2 grayt dogs on thear trak he din wan tu get snuck by them.

22 . 1 day Eusa wuz holt up in a barmt owt plays by the rivvr. He wuz so tyrd he tol his 2 littl boys tu keap luk owt & he closd his iys. Eusa herd a sylens then lyk his ears closd up. He opend his iys he thot he wuz dreamin. He seen the Littl Shynin Man in 2 peaces. The Right syd uv him had the nek & hed the Left syd uv him had his cok & bauls. Each ½ wuzn hopin on its 1 leg it wuz waukin lyk it wuz tu gether with the uther ½. Thay 2 peaces uv the Littl Shynin Man wer waukin be twean thay 2 grayt dogs wich wer Folleree & Folleroo the saym.

23 . The taukin ½ uv the Littl Man sed tu Eusas 2 littl boys, Ar yu hungre? Thay sed, Yes. He sed, Cum with me then I wil giv yu sumthing. 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.

24 . Eusa sed, This is a dream. He opent up his iys but thay ben open aul redde. Eusa cudn wayk up no moren he aul redde wuz. Eusa cault thay dogs by naym he wisselt them bak but thay wun com. He cault the Littl Man but nyther ½ wud tern roun. He cault his 2 boys thay kep goin as wel thay wun luk bak.

25 . Eusa run after them as wer hedin tords the rivvr. Thay gon in tu the water & swimin acros & Eusa after them. Eusa tryd tu swim but his arms gon hevve & no strenth in his legs. He had tu tern bak then evere thing gon blak for him.

26 . Eusa wuz lyn on the groun by the rivvr. Thayr apeerd tu him then the Littl Shynin Man he wuz in 1 peace. Eusa sed, Wy arn you in 2 peaces? The Littl Man sed, Eusa I am in 2 peaces. It is onle the idear uv me that cum tu gether. 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. I aint the noing uv it Im jus onle the showing uv it.

27 . The Littl Man sed, Eusa wut is the idear uv yu? Eusa cudn say enne thing. The Littl Man sed, Yu doan hav tu say wut it is. Jus say if it is. Eusa stil cudn say enne thing.

28 . Eusa sed, Nevver myn that wayr ar my 2 littl boys? The Littl Man sed, Eusa thay gon 2 diffren ways a way frum yu. Eusa sed, Yu tuk them a way. The Littl Man sed, Wel Eusa it mayks a chaynj dunnit. Eusa sed, Wut dyu mean?

29 . The Littl Man sed, Eusa yu wantit thay Master Chaynjis & this is 1 uv them. In the wud in the hart uv the stoan yu pult me in 2 yu opent me lyk a chikken. Yu let thay Nos. uv thay Master Chaynjis owt. Now yu mus go thru them aul.

30 . Eusa sed, I no I dun wut I dun & I wish I hadn but Im thru with aul that now I jus wan tu liv qwyet. The Littl Man sed, Eusa yu ain thru with aul that yur onle jus beginin. Yuv got aul thay Master Chaynjis in frun uv yu. Yuv got them aul tu go thru.

31 . Eusa sed, Is this a dream? The Littl Man sed, No. Eusa sed, Wuz the uther a dream then? Wen I had a wyf & childer? The Littl Man sed, No Eusa that wuzn no dream nor this ain no dream. Its aul 1 thing nor yu cant wayk up owt uv it. Eusa sed, I can dy owt uv it tho cant I. The Littl Man sed, Eusa yu dy owt uv this plays & yul jus fyn me in a nuther plays. Yul fyn me in the wud yul fyn me on the water lyk yu foun me in the stoan. Yu luk enne wayr & Iwl be thayr.

32 . Eusa sed, Wuz it yu the cappn uv the boat that tuk a way my wyf? The Littl Man sed, Probly it wuz. Eusa sed, Wy cant yu leav me aloan? The Littl Man sed, Eusa wear 2 ½s uv 1 thing yu & me. I cant leav yu aloan no moren yu cud leav me aloan. I nevver cum lukin for yu did I Eusa. It wuz yu cum lukin for me that tym wen yu kilt the Hart uv the Wud in the hart uv the stoan & yu foun me. Yu let thay Chaynjis owt & now yuv got to go on thru them.

33 . Eusa sed, How menne Chaynjis ar thayr? The Littl Man sed, Yu mus no aul abowt that I seen yu rite thay Nos. down in the hart uv the wud. Eusa sed, That riting is long gon & aul thay Nos. hav gon owt uv my myn I doan remember nuthing uv them. Woan yu pleas tel me how menne Chaynjis thayr ar? The Littl Man sed, As menne as reqwyrd. Eusa sed, Reqwyrd by wut? The Littl Man sed, Reqwyrd by the idear uv yu. Eusa sed, Wut is the idear uv me? The Littl Man sed, That we doan no til yuv gon thru aul yur Chaynjis.

This what Im writing down now its the nite after my dads berning. The nite I took the scar.

It ben pissing down rain since befor we lef Widders Dump. I all ways liket the rain. Liket on the back track coming up to hy groun in the dark. Seeing our nite fires thru the rain and smelling the meat smel from the divvy roof.

After meat I gone up on the hy walk and looking out for Goodparley & Orfing. Lissening to the rain dumming down on my hard clof hood and thinking how itwd soun on dog skin. Persoon I heard the horn blow “Eusa show” then the poynt hevvys come out of the rainy dark in to the lite of the gate house torches. 1 of them lookit up at me and said, “Trubba not. Eusa show.” I never knowit Goodparley & Orfing say ther oan Trubba not they all ways sent a hevvy in front of them. I said, “No Trubba” then I opent and in they come hevvys 1st. Goodparley & Orfing dint come thru the gate til ther oan men wer in the gate house. They wunt walk unner a gate house other whys.