Russell Hoban - Riddley Walker

Soons they come in the littl kids all come sploshing thru the puddls in the torch lite singing:

All of them running to touch the fit up and fealing for the figgers in it. Goodparley smyling with his big sqware teef like he lovit childer and Orfing shoving them out of the way. The hevvys gone to the divvy roof all but 2 as come to my shelter with Goodparley & Orfing for the wotcher. 1st 1 hevvy gone in then the Big 2 then the other hevvy then me.

When Dad ben a live I all ways ben there when he done the wotcher. This time doing it my self and with the Big 2 not jus regler Eusa show men it took me strange. Dads things all roun the shelter. His weapons and his anrack hanging on ther pegs. His paper and ink and pens on the locker. His doss bag. Even his smel stil there. His smoak and his sweat but no Dad. The black and red spottit dog skin peggit on the wall with the 4 legs out stretcht and the candl flame shimmying in the wind.

Orfing unslung the fit up and leant it agenst the wall. Goodparley put down his weapons and we all sat down. 1 hevvy sqwatting by the door and the other stanning gard outside.

Goodparley said, “Wotcher?”

I said, “2 cuts hash and 50 rizlas each. Our meat your meat 2ce. Eat here sleap here eat for the out path and safe crowd to the nex fents.” Not that the Big 2 ever meatit nor slep at our fents but thats what you said.

Goodparley said, “Done.”

I give the hash and the rizlas then we all roalt up and smoakit. Smelling the rain and lissening to it dumming on the thatch. Outside the littl kids wer sill zanting in the puddls they wer singing:

Goodparley said, “Its too bad about your dad Riddley.”

I said, “Yes it is.”

He said, “Wel thats behynt us now innit. Now youre going to be the new connexion man and making new connexions.”

I said, “No it aint jus behynt us its all roun us. Over and unner as wel.” That wer the hash talking.

He said, “Wel yes every thing is innit. Now youwl be taking the scar tho and looking a head.”

I said, “Yes theres a lot to look a head to. Like croaking iron at Widders Dump. We do the croaking and they get the iron.”

He said, “Riddley theres other things to do as wel.”

I said, “Yes and they all smel of cow shit dont they.”

He said, “Riddley theres a time for every thing and the time for moving crowds is past innit. You take a crowd of 30 or 40 out foraging naminals and moving 1 place to a nother theyre using up mor groun nor 100 may be 150 living on the lan and forming it with stock and growings. You jus cant have all of Inland for your forage groun no mor.”

I said, “Looks like we cant have none of it. Them forms ben largening in our forage groun and sqweazing us out littl by littl whynt you jus finish the job and be done with it. If our times pas whynt you just wipe us out all to gether?”

The hevvy by the door lookit over to Goodparley like asking with his eyes shud he stomp me. Orfing said to me, “You bes not work your jaw too hard your head myt come luce all on a suddn.”

Goodparley said to Orfing, “Hes all right Erny he jus gets easy stoand.” Then he said to me, “I dont mynd taking a littl time with some 1 if I think theyve got the mynd for it. Riddley youre going to be taking the scar you mus know your Eusa. Dyou have Eusa 31 in memberment?”

I said it off the same:

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 you 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.

Goodparley said, “Wel said Riddley. Now tel me this. If Eusa cant wake up out of it then whats he got to do?”

I said, “Wake up in to it.”

He said, “Thats it. And if Eusa cant dy out of it then whats he got to do?”

I said, “Live in to it.”

He said, “Very good. And wheres he going to fynd that Littl Shyning Man?”

I said, “In the wood or on the water or in the stoan.”

He said, “O yes thats what it says in Eusa 31 youve learnt it off all right. Wel what about it then? Youve seen stoans and wood and water. Have you seen that Littl Shyning Man?”

I said, “How dyou mean that?”

He said, “I mean it like I say it. With your eyes. Have you seen that Littl Shyning Man in the wood or on the water or in the stoan?”

I said, “No.”

He said, “Ben looking for him have you?”

I said, “No.”

He said, “Why not? Wunt you be interstit to see him? See if hes in 1 peace or 2 or what ever?”

I said, “I dont know how youre asking that.”

He said, “Im asking strait.”

I said, “The Littl Shyning Man aint nothing Iwd look for. Not with my eyes any how.”

Goodparley said, “You dont think hes nothing real do you. You dont think hes nothing only a idear.”

I said, “Do you?”

He said, “Riddley what if I tol you Im looking for that Littl Shyning Man. Looking for him to put him to gether. Wud you call that good or bad?”

I said, “Good.”

Goodparley said to Orfing, “You see what I mean Erny? Every body wants it put to gether. You ask any 1 theywl say the same thing its the naturel way to feal.”

Orfing said, “He aint talking on the same Littl Shyning Man as you and wel you know it.”

Goodparley said, “Theres jus only the 1 Littl Shyning Man and wel you know it Erny. It dont matter what you think youre talking on he is what he is. His self he never claimt he wer the knowing of it he jus only said he wer the showing of it.”

“Which is blip,” said Orfing. “Like Ive all ways said.”

“Which is blip and moren that its realness and all,” said Goodparley.

Orfing said, “Hes realness right a nuff but he wont never be your kynd of realness Abel. He aint nothing you can dig up like old iron he wernt never meant to be that.”

Goodparley said, “Now weare coming to the curse roads of it Erny now weare getting down to terpitation. Youre the man for that are you. Youre the man for what it all means.”

Orfing said, “Yes Im the man for what it all means any body is as looks at whats there nor dont look at what aint there. What the Littl Shyning Man is hes jus what ever cant never be put to gether. There aint no moren that to it nor you cant make it be mor. Any thing as can be put to gether aint the Littl Shyning Man its some thing else.” The hash musve had him perwel lucent up I never heard him say that much befor.

Goodparley said, “Erny youre such a downer youre going to down your self right in to the groun 1 day. You can say what you like Im saying wewl get it put to gether weve got it all in front of us and going to make it happen. Youre looking sideways but Im looking frontways and going to get every body moving that way form and fents boath. I dint come Big 2 to stan in the mud and sing for boats in the air. Weare going to do things here weare going to get things moving.”

It soundit to me like the 2 of them wer each 1 talking to his self not to the other I dint realy want to get mixt in with it. I jus kep shut.

Goodparley looking over to me then he said, “Riddley dyou think Im stupid?”

I said, “Why wud I think that?”

He said, “I dont know. Becaws Ive got littl eyes and I smyl too much. Becaws youre yung. Wel never mynd. You mus be getting perwel tiret of us 2 sitting here and moufing Mincery binses back and forth you mus be boart to death with it. Persoon you wont even want to be no connexion man you wont want no part of all that foolishness.”