x
“You do,” I assured him quite calmly. “That is why I am here.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOuhq5zZwX
“How are you acquainted with any of them?” He asked quite seriously, and only324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9C3K6b37S
then did his eyes seem to notice my hair, which was blue all over except for its still324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RZ2SfNRAI
black tips. “You’re quite the odd one.” He admitted, while he was far from what anyone324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gtU7GWZOL
would deem as ´normal´. “And I do not need my bigger glasses to see that.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HGxTAgGqX
“Here. This is for you,” I tried to hand him my big notebook, the one that had been324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcVVfkM97W
resting safely beside me. Almost falling out of it was a whole compendium of drawings324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGaXL6kLKs
and other poorly attached notes. “Father wanted you to have it.” I nudged it towards324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFA0SLTqp1O
him. “He also wanted me to go with you.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSw0klrHEVU
“Father, you say?” He cautiously asked as he refused the offer, “I am afraid I will have324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMICtZFUAY
to doubt that. You see little one, I am not one with many friends, let alone associates.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHDCT7KSJh
He then took a few steps back “No, you must be mistaken. But fret not, you may324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgtjvZyhx2
accompany me back to my place, if you so wish of course. After all, it is not proper to324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQnvsZTdyu
leave one so small and meek behind, especially in a place like this. Old Gorliochi over324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2NKnWmW1x
there,” His eyes went straight towards that beast; this one was completely relaxed even324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGr1vB6Pwq
if its jaws kept finding one thing or another to chew on, “he can easily carry the both324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSCvb8GYh0
of us for as long as necessary. He has been with me for many seasons now, lending a324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PVehp9Eru
hand in the carrying of all sorts of things.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXq6Zff7QqG
He smiled, but it was a ruse that could not hope to work on the likes of one such as324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYuEeWQKcf
me. “Like all sorts of flowers and fungi that I so often like to come and find in these324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4c84TicBPv
parts... Or even -”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIn4enaJUuo
“You are no mere flower picker or mushroom gatherer.” I said as I kept forcing that324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdx1XBY2st0
notebook onto him. “Go on, take it. You are the Thinker-Tinker, and you are meant324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMP5ZjXJzr
to read it.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhm8Vdgn38v
A short silence stood between the two of us ...324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUxfvcXGSv
“Your father, who is he then?” He eventually asked, even if his interests appeared324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAX0CTbylf
to be dwindling the more he was going through those notes and drawings, “I know324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLm9UlRTrw3
many of the names inscribed here.” He kept confessing, as he tipped his glasses just324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjLrP2RLxA
in time to prevent them from falling off his curved nose; and then he looked at me324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHDDrPf9sC
with refulgent eyes: “Some of these people, they are in these drawings of yours as well!324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwjjQpCKQ8
And this man here; a Kharn. He is my friend. A dear one.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYat0vtSUVw
“That is Father,” I said to his amazement ...324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNy9YSN0NE
A long pause took over his person.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefU7eUVS9W
Many of his past fears but also promises came to haunt him, and without a324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhw1tZV2B8O
moment’s notice, his head became occupied with all sorts of questions and possibilities.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡey7HOrbJ21
There were so many ´If ’s´ and ´Buts´ and ´What’s´ swirling in his mind - and in324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrt5APebohP
the end all I heard him think to himself was: “This is likely to bring me quite the324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQocXkj5xH
unwanted trouble, but if there is any chance of truth to it, at all; of a real connection324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq922mFmxy
between this little one and that ol’ fool... What choice do I have?”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSuvqZgMdP
“Who are you girl?” his eyes swelled up as he confronted me again, “and how did324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoTRogzFvp
you get your hands on all this?”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssLbkZ28SV
“As I said, all of it was wrought by my hand.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZH880Hpng
“You wrote...” His eyes travelled between note and drawing alike “all this?324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MeRHrGSo6
What made you do such a thing?” He asked with his eyes now trembling with324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBPRh8KgFE
restlessness.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgyrmegXb5
“And then you will read it?”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATjUAThT1h
“Oh, I most definitely will. The spark of curiosity has already been lit inside me.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWnHGp4nQd
He then reassured me further, “My interest has already peaked way past the point of324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkpWuLBnXv
arousal, don’t you worry.” And after he weighed all of it with both hands; “But I will324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQztFny0dA
have to do so back at my place. You understand that this is quite a lot to go through?”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0UgcQxusE
“Quite,” I replied after I added a few extra notes I had on my person.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkOrd7TCDz
“Besides, I don’t have my reading glasses on me.” He added somewhat flippantly324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGK7afZ8GB
“I mean why would I bring them; you know? It’s not like I get to meet little girls324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LhowvebV8
carrying tomes for me regularly.”324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZxBGPgAmW
I nodded in concordance, and then he suggested we should make haste. Insisting, as324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJ0LqCwrlv
we made our way to that beast, that I should tell him, or rather prepare him, for what324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsVVSDz3dp
could be in store inside that notebook.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHw4Sq3sDNe
