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He really was interested in what such a young boy, a schoolboy just
Lord God himself, and then two stalkers were killed within a few days,
unbuttoning his jacket with limp fingers, and Redrick leaned his backpack
did not often fly over the Zone; and right by the path there were two
as he poured more whiskey. "It's called Witches' Jelly, I'll make you one
Something big and motionless. Harmless. Redrick care fully sniffed the air.taken care of. "What's that in your back pocket?" he asked casually.
watched as the green wash dimmed and quickly turned to pink. The sun's
ago by the treads and wheels of heavy vehicles. To the right was a white
steep slope, cracked by the heat; the next slope was half excavated, and "That was Four-eyes," he said. "And on the left hill, you can't see
scared, and when it got so hot--I lost my head. I'm very much afraid of
"Put the backpack on my back. We'll go like before," he said, shifting
leaned against the moulage and put her head on his shoulder. Noonan went on
face into the mud without any backtalk. And button your jacket. Ready?"
the past some sweet mirage, a feeling of tenderness or cheerfulness. He
"Look at that, Mr. Schuhart," he said, livening up. "Father must havefrom here, lies Poodle. In the same condition. Do you understand? Forward."
"Guta!" he shouted. "Are you going to starve us much longer? She's
think I'll thank you for letting me live and not drowning me? You get zilchpaws holding glasses, thundering laughter, and open jaws filled with yellow
"All right, don't worry, everybody knows about it," Redrick said.
stood over him.
"See that depression between the hills?" he asked.
felt a chill: he thought that he had lost his way. But he had not gotten
looking at Redrick for orders. The floor of the depression was covered withwas like the buttons on his mother's blouse--they were amber, he remembered,
winking among yourselves, and leading me by the nose, dragging me, hauling
that he had managed to scramble up on, and leave him to wallow in filth.
know better than to believe Father about you being friends. Andhad been washed away, his face--also contrary to expectation --turned out to
yard, you won't he without a job in Harmont. Buzzard trapped me, lured me
told the story did not remember how he ended up on the street. The red devil
wasn't green back then, we still had the square royal bills with some
dampness, erosion, all kinds of things like that."
"We made it!" Arthur rasped deliriously. "Mr. Schuhart, we did make it,
lower lip was split. But all in all, okay. "Why don't you get up?" Redrick said without turning around toward him.
him, I can't manage without him, he's my hostage for Monkey. I didn't save a
forbidden! Have we suddenly become plague-ridden during the last two years?"on top of the backpack, Redrick took out his flask, opened it, closed his
Arthur stretched his arms, straightened his shoulders, grimaced, and
it, and named the locations of abandoned cottages that were being sold for a
a rotten green slime that glinted oilily in the sun. A light steam rose
The fog was disappearing before their eyes. It was completely gone from
squeezed it, he gazed into the thinning fog. A psyche, he thought He's nuts.Getting dumber. But what am I saying, I've been dealing with fools all my
What had I brought that time? An empty, I think. Straight from the Zone,
"Phoo-oo-ey." He shook his head, scattering dirty drops of water.
was still low in the sky, and finally blocking the entire eastern sky. At Arthur moved on. Redrick let him get ten paces ahead and then followed.
off his work clothes and tossed them to his mother, pulled off his huge,
walked knee-deep in the swirling mists. The air smelled of rust, and the
it, that he wanted to go up to it, to touch it, pat it, and suddenly the
half-naked dame wearing a cape and a wreath. I waited, put away the money,
your briefcases and speeches and good deeds and employment opportunities,
"What?" Redrick asked, coming out of his reverie.man in a completely natural manner. Redrick impatiently clinked his glass
seemingly perfectly smooth and perpendicular. The near end was marked by
designs made by rust on the cabin's red roof.on top of the backpack, Redrick took out his flask, opened it, closed his