When I trundled my battle wagon across the bridge there was still no sign of pursuit. Fine. Time to go to ground. I turned off along the river bank, put the gears in low-low, angled toward the water and jumped down. The car ground steadily on, demolished a bench—sorry about that—and plowed majestically over the edge. There was plenty of burbling and splashing, then nothing. The river was deep here. Behind me I could hear the wail of distant sirens. I walked briskly through the park and into the nearest street. Though I was tired I needed to put some distance between myself and the river, in case there were tracks left which might be seen by day.
"Enough is enough, Jim!" I said, leaning against a wall and all too aware that I was drooping with fatigue, I had turned corners at random, lost myself completely, and the river was far behind me. There was a gate in the wall beside me, with Dun Roamin carved into the wood. Message received. Without hesitation I opened the gate, climbed the steps beyond and knocked on the front door. I had to do it a second time before there were stirrings inside and a light came on. Even after all the time here on Chojecki I still found it hard to believe that this was the correct way to meet strangers.
"Who is it?" a male voice called out as the door opened. "Jim diGriz, ofiworlder, tired."
The light came on and an ancient citizen with wispy gray beard biinked out myopically at me.
"Can it be? It certainly is! Oh what luck for old CzolgosczU Come in brave ofiworlder and share my hospitality. What may I do for you?"
"Thank you, thank you. For openers let's get these lights offjust in case there is a patrol around. And then a bed for the night…"
"My pleasure! Illumination off, follow closely, this way,
my daughter's room, now married and living on a farm, "forty geese and seventeen cows, here we are. Curtains closed, a moment, then the liehtsl"
2-M
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Old Czolgoscz, although he tended to talk too much,
was the perfect host. The room was pink with lace curtains and about twenty dolls on the bed.
"Now you wash up, right in there, and I'll bring you a nice hot drink, friend Jim."
"I would prefer a nice cold drink rich with alcohol, friend Czolgoscz."
"I have the very thing!"
By the time I had rinsed the last of the military muck away he was back with a tall, purple bottle, two glasses—he wasn't that old—-and a patf of pajamas ablaze with red lightning bolts. I hoped that they didn't glow in the dark.
"Homemade gingleberry wine." He poured two large glasses. We raised them, clinked, drank and smacked our lips. I sighed with happiness and a bit of nostalgia.
"I haven't had this since I was back on the farm. Used to have a bottle hidden out in the porcuswine sty. On dull days I used to get blotto on it and sing to the swine."
"How charming! Now I will leave 'you to your rest." A perfect host, vanished even before I could thank him. I raised my glass in a toast to the electronic benevolence of the portrait of Mark Forer upon the wall. Drained it. And went to sleep.
When consciousness reluctantly returned I could only lie and blink, drugged with sleep, at the sunlight behind the curtains. Yawning, I rose and opened them and looked out at a flower-filled garden. Old Czolgoscz looked up from his labors and waved his secateurs at me. Then scurried into the house. In a remarkably short period of time he knocked on the door, threw it open, and brought in a groaning breakfast tray. I don't normally have a liter of juice, large portion of wiffles with syrup and three eggs. I did today. "How did you know?" I lip-smacked satedly.
"Guessed. Young lad your age, been working hard, seemed natural. I talked to a few people and I am sure that you will be pleased to hear that the teams are in training all over the city for D-Day."
"D-Day?"
TUB eMIMI BCC efBBI •*? ARTC nBfKTBfl
"Desertion Day. Today, tonight. Extra trains have been scheduled and people all over the country are looking forward to welcoming the new citizens."
"Fantastic. I hope you will welcome me as well. My stay on Chojecki may be longer than originally planned."
"You are more than welcome, as is your knowledge. Would you like a teaching position at the university?" I smiled at the thought. "Sorry, I ran away from school, never graduated."
"I regret in my provincial ignorance that I do not know the meaning of either run away or graduate. Students here go to school when they want, stay as long as they want, study what they want, leave when they want. The only scholastic requirement a child has is to learn about Individual Mutualism, so he or she can lead a full and happy life."
