There wer Goodparley with his belly uncovert agen the same as when I took my scar from him. Which the scab wernt even off my E it wer only 4 days back I took that scar. Which the wood slid out from unner me that nite and I had to grab him and he said, “Take that for a blip.” There wer them jynt shadders wivvering and wayvering. Orfings han with the knife poyntit at Goodparleys belly.
Theres words for down stroaking a scar as wel as putting 1 on. Orfing said, “Wheres Eusa?”
Goodparley said, “Hes gone from my belly like Im gone from his hart.”
Orfing said, “Dont lissen for his voyce in you no mor.”
Goodparley said, “Iwl have the sylents I know that.”
Orfing said, “Dont talk for him out of your memberment. You cant talk for Eusa now hes going a head and leaving you behynt.”
Goodparley said, “I know that I know Im the 1 whats lef.”
Orfing said, “Its E to Z then.”
Goodparley said, “My blame my shame.”
Orfing cut the down stroak then. Goodparley took some mud off his boots and prest it in to the cut he said, “Inland be my healing.”
Orfing said, “That aint in the wording.”
Goodparley said, “It is now.”
Then we wer outside in the rain and the dark and Goodparley with a bloody clout roun his head. In my mynd I cud sill see that ax shyning and dantsing in the candl lite I wer a littl bit snuck wed come out of there a live. The handl of that ax ben what they blyndit him with. It all happent so fas and now there I wer with blyn Goodparley took on me. When I said Iwd stay with him I never give no thot to how long. A mooning? A year? The res of his life? I took his fit up on my back. The littl man all ways carrys the fit up the big 1 is the hevvy.
Goodparley said, “Let me carry the fit up Riddley its me as put this woal thing on our backs.”
I said, “Its me as took it on with you.”
He said, “Dont you see it aint going to hevvy me down its going to hol me up.”
I let him take the fit up and I took his bundel. Here come the Bernt Arse pack then with the black leader. Goodparley said, “I aint ben this close to dogs this long time.”
I said, “You myswel get use to it theyre the onlyes hevvys weve got.”
He said, “I dint noatis them doing no hevvying in there jus a littl wyl back.”
I said, “I think they knowit bettern to get ther selfs trappt in there.” What I wer thinking tho it cud wel be them dogs wunt come in with Goodparley til hed paid some thing. They had ther oan progams.
We headit out of Fork Stoan going Norf. Goodparley said, “Where we going?”
I said, “You tol me Granser done healing and curing.”
He said, “Gransers dead.”
I said, “No he aint hes berning chard coal in the aulders acrost the rivver from Good Mercy. He tol me to tel you he wer Drop John the Foller Man.”
Goodparley dint say nothing to that he wer qwyet for a long time. Jus walking a long keaping nexy but not holding on to me. In the dark I cud see the clout roun his head moving he wer shaking his head and tsissing thru his teef. Finely he said, “O yes why not. Why not him a live and riding my hump. I stuck that knife in him and I run. Looks like I dint have it in me to finish him. May be I never had it in me to start my self nyther.”
I said, “No 1 never starts his self.”
He said, “Yes they do. You dont start the life in you thats like a rivver running in you stil there comes a time when you push your oan boat out in to the middl of it.”
I said, “Or you put your self on the road to the hart of the wud.”
He said, “How dyou spel that?”
I said, “W-u-d.”
He said, “You think this is the road to the hart of my wud? You think I put my self on it?”
I said, “Seams like it dunnit. Them as ben progammit to bring you down you let them run luce til they done it. Thinking on it now you musve knowit Orfing ben ready to try it 1 way or a nother.”
He said, “Yes its funny how youwl do. I dont think I ever beleavit I wer man a nuff for what I wer. For Pry Mincer. Time that yellerboy stoan come in to Fork Stoan being Goodparley wer a hevvyness I wer pernear ready to put down. I dint have my hart in it no mor. I cudnt keap thinking on all them things you have to keap thinking on if youre going to stay on top. Time Id put Orfing on the road to Cambry and Lissener headit the same I musve ben perwel ready to let it happen. After you gone to Cambry this morning I thunk on it and I knowit I bes have a nother look at things in Fork Stoan. Id lef hevvys there to help the qwirys on them other bloaks what ben beckoning that boat only I hadnt stoppit to see to it my self. Wel I shudve knowit them hevvys all ben in it to gether and Orfing ready to take over with them. I had Belnot Phist in my mynd poor littl bloak.”
I said, “I dont think he knowit nothing of it nor I dont think them Fork Stoan hevvys ben beckoning. Theywdve ben looking a woal lot sharper a long that shoar if they ben waiting on a boat with all the storm there ben that nite. May be that bloak in the boat bint even heading for Inland may be he jus ben blowt here.”
