x
“You do,” I assured him quite calmly. “That is why I am here.”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcB1mAk1o6G
“How are you acquainted with any of them?” He asked quite seriously, and only436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NcSogOoDo
then did his eyes seem to notice my hair, which was blue all over except for its still436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbvOjQ4zHg
black tips. “You’re quite the odd one.” He admitted, while he was far from what anyone436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMfhA0Suwh
would deem as ´normal´. “And I do not need my bigger glasses to see that.”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92HIGOu4yF
“Here. This is for you,” I tried to hand him my big notebook, the one that had been436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKMrdITvUy
resting safely beside me. Almost falling out of it was a whole compendium of drawings436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh80tCDU6qG
and other poorly attached notes. “Father wanted you to have it.” I nudged it towards436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEVRIGcR6Q
him. “He also wanted me to go with you.”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9Ox8R59aG
“Father, you say?” He cautiously asked as he refused the offer, “I am afraid I will have436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpelGGI43JM
to doubt that. You see little one, I am not one with many friends, let alone associates.”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS74C5ghXQ6
He then took a few steps back “No, you must be mistaken. But fret not, you may436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTwyyeK80a
accompany me back to my place, if you so wish of course. After all, it is not proper to436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEs0ChDpXmY
leave one so small and meek behind, especially in a place like this. Old Gorliochi over436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmToAqI8Dz
there,” His eyes went straight towards that beast; this one was completely relaxed even436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNYOvdG610
if its jaws kept finding one thing or another to chew on, “he can easily carry the both436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7m7HhV02W
of us for as long as necessary. He has been with me for many seasons now, lending a436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpK1d3hHRj1
hand in the carrying of all sorts of things.”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HcI0Kbrhq
He smiled, but it was a ruse that could not hope to work on the likes of one such as436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRZ17XOE8k
me. “Like all sorts of flowers and fungi that I so often like to come and find in these436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXtzMyCT9c
parts... Or even -”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3alfZt94n
“You are no mere flower picker or mushroom gatherer.” I said as I kept forcing that436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFX11hzt0N
notebook onto him. “Go on, take it. You are the Thinker-Tinker, and you are meant436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHstJm3PUK
to read it.”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfZKiK0DuJ
A short silence stood between the two of us ...436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvcAspQ1wx
“Your father, who is he then?” He eventually asked, even if his interests appeared436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnu5wZx3KjR
to be dwindling the more he was going through those notes and drawings, “I know436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCx5emvqBp
many of the names inscribed here.” He kept confessing, as he tipped his glasses just436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Gp1ie4r2w
in time to prevent them from falling off his curved nose; and then he looked at me436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwyAzAqHvr
with refulgent eyes: “Some of these people, they are in these drawings of yours as well!436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ84b4bKBgq
And this man here; a Kharn. He is my friend. A dear one.”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8nBCSABrG
“That is Father,” I said to his amazement ...436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3eOZ6yExH
A long pause took over his person.436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUutQeiTBM
Many of his past fears but also promises came to haunt him, and without a436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssXNoCQJDZ
moment’s notice, his head became occupied with all sorts of questions and possibilities.436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScHvOsJftc
There were so many ´If ’s´ and ´Buts´ and ´What’s´ swirling in his mind - and in436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZbFfR18ol
the end all I heard him think to himself was: “This is likely to bring me quite the436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qfN1mZ8ie
unwanted trouble, but if there is any chance of truth to it, at all; of a real connection436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHFXUOTJIW
between this little one and that ol’ fool... What choice do I have?”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQ3xgwBcrS
“Who are you girl?” his eyes swelled up as he confronted me again, “and how did436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUN9aLLTCN
you get your hands on all this?”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWHiXDvFKw
“As I said, all of it was wrought by my hand.”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmD6BBNi3z
“You wrote...” His eyes travelled between note and drawing alike “all this?436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1hkeThEcd
What made you do such a thing?” He asked with his eyes now trembling with436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dWGOGRIOw
restlessness.436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ216wPQYvzJ
“And then you will read it?”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAG3iYEkGG
“Oh, I most definitely will. The spark of curiosity has already been lit inside me.”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6E1osByWz
He then reassured me further, “My interest has already peaked way past the point of436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4jh7jqTSk
arousal, don’t you worry.” And after he weighed all of it with both hands; “But I will436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhko7kPitj
have to do so back at my place. You understand that this is quite a lot to go through?”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqSHYLe6uS
“Quite,” I replied after I added a few extra notes I had on my person.436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8mh0ZpCd1
“Besides, I don’t have my reading glasses on me.” He added somewhat flippantly436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqJgUwZWTl
“I mean why would I bring them; you know? It’s not like I get to meet little girls436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhuupbKiUA
carrying tomes for me regularly.”436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSDqSs4OSq
I nodded in concordance, and then he suggested we should make haste. Insisting, as436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAlPjsB763
we made our way to that beast, that I should tell him, or rather prepare him, for what436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmSCeQQSEp
could be in store inside that notebook.436Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN84gVpSYko
