x
“You do,” I assured him quite calmly. “That is why I am here.”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuCL0mmFvK
“How are you acquainted with any of them?” He asked quite seriously, and only322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySo2wbi2qB
then did his eyes seem to notice my hair, which was blue all over except for its still322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbH1mxrdm1
black tips. “You’re quite the odd one.” He admitted, while he was far from what anyone322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdp2mH7j4yT
would deem as ´normal´. “And I do not need my bigger glasses to see that.”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlffkMCAbcF
“Here. This is for you,” I tried to hand him my big notebook, the one that had been322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xWaiHeb6V
resting safely beside me. Almost falling out of it was a whole compendium of drawings322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RwyCtg43D
and other poorly attached notes. “Father wanted you to have it.” I nudged it towards322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqobfFxXbe
him. “He also wanted me to go with you.”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvi5zDbfTA6
“Father, you say?” He cautiously asked as he refused the offer, “I am afraid I will have322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXBeMmJd2N
to doubt that. You see little one, I am not one with many friends, let alone associates.”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Xw0MhGsuJ
He then took a few steps back “No, you must be mistaken. But fret not, you may322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGH8pJX1qyQ
accompany me back to my place, if you so wish of course. After all, it is not proper to322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj3rM7HDuz
leave one so small and meek behind, especially in a place like this. Old Gorliochi over322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfbDc6E8tG
there,” His eyes went straight towards that beast; this one was completely relaxed even322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTOeaTR4SG
if its jaws kept finding one thing or another to chew on, “he can easily carry the both322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kXGZJrWGd
of us for as long as necessary. He has been with me for many seasons now, lending a322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9pylJwArE
hand in the carrying of all sorts of things.”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36W5RUzW2s
He smiled, but it was a ruse that could not hope to work on the likes of one such as322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQp7dCAY7of
me. “Like all sorts of flowers and fungi that I so often like to come and find in these322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzfH63nGnX
parts... Or even -”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpalMwu9kg
“You are no mere flower picker or mushroom gatherer.” I said as I kept forcing that322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveVXmT2MIl
notebook onto him. “Go on, take it. You are the Thinker-Tinker, and you are meant322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEVX7tdZvY
to read it.”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznqqqO85Rj
A short silence stood between the two of us ...322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSqr7cd3uZ
“Your father, who is he then?” He eventually asked, even if his interests appeared322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47N8Ch1z0H
to be dwindling the more he was going through those notes and drawings, “I know322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8eTnDJqmO
many of the names inscribed here.” He kept confessing, as he tipped his glasses just322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIBP70Oi9O
in time to prevent them from falling off his curved nose; and then he looked at me322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNz6hi4Oj4m
with refulgent eyes: “Some of these people, they are in these drawings of yours as well!322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lMUaTjrQd
And this man here; a Kharn. He is my friend. A dear one.”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmjJvuMXIQ
“That is Father,” I said to his amazement ...322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEy3S0nDs6X
A long pause took over his person.322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lhhiC9rkQ
Many of his past fears but also promises came to haunt him, and without a322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52OzINxefq
moment’s notice, his head became occupied with all sorts of questions and possibilities.322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlED4H7zSA
There were so many ´If ’s´ and ´Buts´ and ´What’s´ swirling in his mind - and in322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddPVBya5e1
the end all I heard him think to himself was: “This is likely to bring me quite the322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfCZE6t2xz
unwanted trouble, but if there is any chance of truth to it, at all; of a real connection322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dapaydlp1
between this little one and that ol’ fool... What choice do I have?”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fBGzk3Y1v
“Who are you girl?” his eyes swelled up as he confronted me again, “and how did322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3HTSLfGaC
you get your hands on all this?”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiggbtHddah
“As I said, all of it was wrought by my hand.”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlJ3Y51YW9
“You wrote...” His eyes travelled between note and drawing alike “all this?322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmt6X4CT9S
What made you do such a thing?” He asked with his eyes now trembling with322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnFATqHZw4
restlessness.322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDprMx0vTy
“And then you will read it?”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjYiudyICj
“Oh, I most definitely will. The spark of curiosity has already been lit inside me.”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8kQHhiZ36
He then reassured me further, “My interest has already peaked way past the point of322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmd6A2prpp
arousal, don’t you worry.” And after he weighed all of it with both hands; “But I will322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbbkepa40Y
have to do so back at my place. You understand that this is quite a lot to go through?”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWbE2gxQRw
“Quite,” I replied after I added a few extra notes I had on my person.322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKQ13LOKYw
“Besides, I don’t have my reading glasses on me.” He added somewhat flippantly322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlx4Dd8MPmD
“I mean why would I bring them; you know? It’s not like I get to meet little girls322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRr2d6DuXw
carrying tomes for me regularly.”322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3daiXMI00
I nodded in concordance, and then he suggested we should make haste. Insisting, as322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbpoD3KBlV
we made our way to that beast, that I should tell him, or rather prepare him, for what322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUZIQfFNR4
could be in store inside that notebook.322Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOeBWNqW8s
