x
“You do,” I assured him quite calmly. “That is why I am here.”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSC1UiUlzYf
“How are you acquainted with any of them?” He asked quite seriously, and only319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVUwR5h3dI
then did his eyes seem to notice my hair, which was blue all over except for its still319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5x9xSblYn8
black tips. “You’re quite the odd one.” He admitted, while he was far from what anyone319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRwZrqj31B
would deem as ´normal´. “And I do not need my bigger glasses to see that.”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0VGd4ECjV
“Here. This is for you,” I tried to hand him my big notebook, the one that had been319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdcP6Xp4rj
resting safely beside me. Almost falling out of it was a whole compendium of drawings319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEQ1IWvfx8
and other poorly attached notes. “Father wanted you to have it.” I nudged it towards319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjB7mYy5Sv
him. “He also wanted me to go with you.”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVpzuW7v7k
“Father, you say?” He cautiously asked as he refused the offer, “I am afraid I will have319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrLskpGXsU
to doubt that. You see little one, I am not one with many friends, let alone associates.”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpzoIixEAg
He then took a few steps back “No, you must be mistaken. But fret not, you may319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPe3RXMJWw
accompany me back to my place, if you so wish of course. After all, it is not proper to319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOVydgorg8
leave one so small and meek behind, especially in a place like this. Old Gorliochi over319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9syXMlFeO
there,” His eyes went straight towards that beast; this one was completely relaxed even319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VlVgLZ7Zk
if its jaws kept finding one thing or another to chew on, “he can easily carry the both319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxtrHw6y0Go
of us for as long as necessary. He has been with me for many seasons now, lending a319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXm57Lu8fDm
hand in the carrying of all sorts of things.”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecZA6BP6zQ
He smiled, but it was a ruse that could not hope to work on the likes of one such as319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYk0ItFcbN
me. “Like all sorts of flowers and fungi that I so often like to come and find in these319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9pSxoGwqL
parts... Or even -”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ212u8MM5FT
“You are no mere flower picker or mushroom gatherer.” I said as I kept forcing that319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmnrrsC8Xs
notebook onto him. “Go on, take it. You are the Thinker-Tinker, and you are meant319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeutZDkLDGB
to read it.”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxejp7VgYf
A short silence stood between the two of us ...319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAE0k6SZmSn
“Your father, who is he then?” He eventually asked, even if his interests appeared319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQQFKCFNti
to be dwindling the more he was going through those notes and drawings, “I know319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcEWE5U07i
many of the names inscribed here.” He kept confessing, as he tipped his glasses just319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTB2OuucCC
in time to prevent them from falling off his curved nose; and then he looked at me319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQouERmXP0m
with refulgent eyes: “Some of these people, they are in these drawings of yours as well!319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyh14GylHbD
And this man here; a Kharn. He is my friend. A dear one.”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimsEysZNwJ
“That is Father,” I said to his amazement ...319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6wDONfhyj
A long pause took over his person.319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2M1mMQ7mn
Many of his past fears but also promises came to haunt him, and without a319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMSuJ5Dsf7
moment’s notice, his head became occupied with all sorts of questions and possibilities.319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SEwpU1BIK
There were so many ´If ’s´ and ´Buts´ and ´What’s´ swirling in his mind - and in319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWq7nm1wrNC
the end all I heard him think to himself was: “This is likely to bring me quite the319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjlnNMpusO
unwanted trouble, but if there is any chance of truth to it, at all; of a real connection319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmofb8zJsc
between this little one and that ol’ fool... What choice do I have?”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNz85CVajuz
“Who are you girl?” his eyes swelled up as he confronted me again, “and how did319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumFhlZr2BI
you get your hands on all this?”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRI3EfVqI3
“As I said, all of it was wrought by my hand.”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOnkBdyvb3
“You wrote...” His eyes travelled between note and drawing alike “all this?319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4lhMTJPsk
What made you do such a thing?” He asked with his eyes now trembling with319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYt9jPPCWo
restlessness.319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2PDwCGzsZ
“And then you will read it?”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGspuGE2SXO
“Oh, I most definitely will. The spark of curiosity has already been lit inside me.”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77mXcZif71
He then reassured me further, “My interest has already peaked way past the point of319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglhZhkYauf
arousal, don’t you worry.” And after he weighed all of it with both hands; “But I will319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSk27u4snR7
have to do so back at my place. You understand that this is quite a lot to go through?”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsG28HzWHoO
“Quite,” I replied after I added a few extra notes I had on my person.319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDf3qje5NJ
“Besides, I don’t have my reading glasses on me.” He added somewhat flippantly319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4YhpCjAPw
“I mean why would I bring them; you know? It’s not like I get to meet little girls319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYakbMecUP
carrying tomes for me regularly.”319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicAIDR9E2f
I nodded in concordance, and then he suggested we should make haste. Insisting, as319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEO93X1X14U
we made our way to that beast, that I should tell him, or rather prepare him, for what319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEj6rkky1b
could be in store inside that notebook.319Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5N3QVPgor
