x
“You do,” I assured him quite calmly. “That is why I am here.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaG6K6x3s6w
“How are you acquainted with any of them?” He asked quite seriously, and only352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTAjyKCyFG
then did his eyes seem to notice my hair, which was blue all over except for its still352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkcEsANXf3
black tips. “You’re quite the odd one.” He admitted, while he was far from what anyone352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiOTJ8BF8k
would deem as ´normal´. “And I do not need my bigger glasses to see that.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsWKp6ktqm
“Here. This is for you,” I tried to hand him my big notebook, the one that had been352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGxhSK2pnq
resting safely beside me. Almost falling out of it was a whole compendium of drawings352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYacaThH5V7
and other poorly attached notes. “Father wanted you to have it.” I nudged it towards352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHoMj0Mg1v
him. “He also wanted me to go with you.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HmiIiRw0V
“Father, you say?” He cautiously asked as he refused the offer, “I am afraid I will have352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8z9LjrW8hL
to doubt that. You see little one, I am not one with many friends, let alone associates.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8G8kQUQlD9
He then took a few steps back “No, you must be mistaken. But fret not, you may352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLppmYNuGg
accompany me back to my place, if you so wish of course. After all, it is not proper to352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2KLppTRa0
leave one so small and meek behind, especially in a place like this. Old Gorliochi over352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iuhyt9CRK
there,” His eyes went straight towards that beast; this one was completely relaxed even352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJH2CGk2r6
if its jaws kept finding one thing or another to chew on, “he can easily carry the both352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2HxpjG6GG
of us for as long as necessary. He has been with me for many seasons now, lending a352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzymC7Hq4Bv
hand in the carrying of all sorts of things.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLttnhfPP3k
He smiled, but it was a ruse that could not hope to work on the likes of one such as352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ480EObBgK7
me. “Like all sorts of flowers and fungi that I so often like to come and find in these352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrmNcxSIW9
parts... Or even -”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOkMALwi1N
“You are no mere flower picker or mushroom gatherer.” I said as I kept forcing that352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBUn5sprgD
notebook onto him. “Go on, take it. You are the Thinker-Tinker, and you are meant352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdOzfAkvrJ
to read it.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpQtkVRxuJ
A short silence stood between the two of us ...352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2X28epkq2
“Your father, who is he then?” He eventually asked, even if his interests appeared352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5XDXgX2Id
to be dwindling the more he was going through those notes and drawings, “I know352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkWJwJqHCU
many of the names inscribed here.” He kept confessing, as he tipped his glasses just352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4lM0blo1r
in time to prevent them from falling off his curved nose; and then he looked at me352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfI3MqBUeC
with refulgent eyes: “Some of these people, they are in these drawings of yours as well!352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6g4UTX56j
And this man here; a Kharn. He is my friend. A dear one.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWYJHI2lDR3
“That is Father,” I said to his amazement ...352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcAGs7rmcv
A long pause took over his person.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSWsjuFn5J
Many of his past fears but also promises came to haunt him, and without a352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IlTDxe3X2
moment’s notice, his head became occupied with all sorts of questions and possibilities.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvL0uSzrsg
There were so many ´If ’s´ and ´Buts´ and ´What’s´ swirling in his mind - and in352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyMEUezSN9
the end all I heard him think to himself was: “This is likely to bring me quite the352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HIurk3UWa
unwanted trouble, but if there is any chance of truth to it, at all; of a real connection352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSbmIDrTcP
between this little one and that ol’ fool... What choice do I have?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYQD8giQvd
“Who are you girl?” his eyes swelled up as he confronted me again, “and how did352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzI9YWMTLlF
you get your hands on all this?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjf49yhzWv
“As I said, all of it was wrought by my hand.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzhBnQ4NN1
“You wrote...” His eyes travelled between note and drawing alike “all this?352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFQXOPP61K
What made you do such a thing?” He asked with his eyes now trembling with352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWe155qICe
restlessness.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa6GVD1fiP
“And then you will read it?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgBnXsF1fO
“Oh, I most definitely will. The spark of curiosity has already been lit inside me.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXNWYZOA11
He then reassured me further, “My interest has already peaked way past the point of352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchMZDSiYzV
arousal, don’t you worry.” And after he weighed all of it with both hands; “But I will352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wsuDSvfQ8
have to do so back at my place. You understand that this is quite a lot to go through?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzeGy9UK6e
“Quite,” I replied after I added a few extra notes I had on my person.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiAqHf68mW
“Besides, I don’t have my reading glasses on me.” He added somewhat flippantly352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBX0jIvIF5
“I mean why would I bring them; you know? It’s not like I get to meet little girls352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvi5dgWuts7
carrying tomes for me regularly.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNREwPO0jU0
I nodded in concordance, and then he suggested we should make haste. Insisting, as352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanXsHoxJVT
we made our way to that beast, that I should tell him, or rather prepare him, for what352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgc7Z5Hqf7
could be in store inside that notebook.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8kc7AkdIp
