x
“You do,” I assured him quite calmly. “That is why I am here.”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3kZpPTMic
“How are you acquainted with any of them?” He asked quite seriously, and only263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLUOIiWHj5
then did his eyes seem to notice my hair, which was blue all over except for its still263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBpW5Hf2R9
black tips. “You’re quite the odd one.” He admitted, while he was far from what anyone263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxumZR4Td7
would deem as ´normal´. “And I do not need my bigger glasses to see that.”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6ookbYKvk
“Here. This is for you,” I tried to hand him my big notebook, the one that had been263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17duSCZmZG
resting safely beside me. Almost falling out of it was a whole compendium of drawings263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCjGVHy5Ag
and other poorly attached notes. “Father wanted you to have it.” I nudged it towards263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvm4Oc4kGs
him. “He also wanted me to go with you.”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZCBMwoBKV
“Father, you say?” He cautiously asked as he refused the offer, “I am afraid I will have263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpgQoUaoIO
to doubt that. You see little one, I am not one with many friends, let alone associates.”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyDUTH70iIU
He then took a few steps back “No, you must be mistaken. But fret not, you may263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpTKWI9OPC
accompany me back to my place, if you so wish of course. After all, it is not proper to263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMoLc9dEmx
leave one so small and meek behind, especially in a place like this. Old Gorliochi over263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZUEU3R5U2
there,” His eyes went straight towards that beast; this one was completely relaxed even263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhebEdheV4k
if its jaws kept finding one thing or another to chew on, “he can easily carry the both263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNR6mv6d4bO
of us for as long as necessary. He has been with me for many seasons now, lending a263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAseoO8dKK
hand in the carrying of all sorts of things.”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dMY8hLq5j
He smiled, but it was a ruse that could not hope to work on the likes of one such as263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVx0BEtQey
me. “Like all sorts of flowers and fungi that I so often like to come and find in these263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4zxEJzKIS
parts... Or even -”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzt4q4CEIJX
“You are no mere flower picker or mushroom gatherer.” I said as I kept forcing that263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJeAULEJR7
notebook onto him. “Go on, take it. You are the Thinker-Tinker, and you are meant263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgOeQK4jzu
to read it.”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTF4xmSrgG4
A short silence stood between the two of us ...263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPGGwDHugq
“Your father, who is he then?” He eventually asked, even if his interests appeared263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqS01S3TjS
to be dwindling the more he was going through those notes and drawings, “I know263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHdr3Ykp0V
many of the names inscribed here.” He kept confessing, as he tipped his glasses just263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEM2rdGrFFo
in time to prevent them from falling off his curved nose; and then he looked at me263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPWFzOZLZJ
with refulgent eyes: “Some of these people, they are in these drawings of yours as well!263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohvclfuuxF
And this man here; a Kharn. He is my friend. A dear one.”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOW4LPpdW0D
“That is Father,” I said to his amazement ...263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4bmgJxxMe
A long pause took over his person.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5Q8KJZz12
Many of his past fears but also promises came to haunt him, and without a263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5d203Ckc1
moment’s notice, his head became occupied with all sorts of questions and possibilities.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2f6Wl4QoEh
There were so many ´If ’s´ and ´Buts´ and ´What’s´ swirling in his mind - and in263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnj39GRzX9
the end all I heard him think to himself was: “This is likely to bring me quite the263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpmkJcy0K6
unwanted trouble, but if there is any chance of truth to it, at all; of a real connection263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhy2s7XodQ
between this little one and that ol’ fool... What choice do I have?”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRIZ6QOXD7
“Who are you girl?” his eyes swelled up as he confronted me again, “and how did263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjaI4gRSEl
you get your hands on all this?”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9ciuRLJBc
“As I said, all of it was wrought by my hand.”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3gbJLr2Wn
“You wrote...” His eyes travelled between note and drawing alike “all this?263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtvvEVZWKX
What made you do such a thing?” He asked with his eyes now trembling with263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzWQOFnyoZ
restlessness.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4QHcw5PS4
“And then you will read it?”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF04gaWznvl
“Oh, I most definitely will. The spark of curiosity has already been lit inside me.”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMUvFDgaPM
He then reassured me further, “My interest has already peaked way past the point of263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzk27z3Xw0B
arousal, don’t you worry.” And after he weighed all of it with both hands; “But I will263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkZGGY6T4P
have to do so back at my place. You understand that this is quite a lot to go through?”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxMdCInuGz
“Quite,” I replied after I added a few extra notes I had on my person.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YInxWuyf4
“Besides, I don’t have my reading glasses on me.” He added somewhat flippantly263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNuGg2Jjuz
“I mean why would I bring them; you know? It’s not like I get to meet little girls263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSopeUhkuL
carrying tomes for me regularly.”263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUwU8V9nqA
I nodded in concordance, and then he suggested we should make haste. Insisting, as263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhEORg6yfB
we made our way to that beast, that I should tell him, or rather prepare him, for what263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SCt3YEIje
could be in store inside that notebook.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVlSRsIcP4
