Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban Read Free Book Online

its the nite after my dads berning. The nite I took the scar.
    It ben pissing down rain since befor we lef Widders Dump. I all ways liket the rain. Liket on the back track coming up to hy groun in the dark. Seeing our nite fires thru the rain and smelling the meat smel from the divvy roof.
    After meat I gone up on the hy walk and looking out for Goodparley & Orfing. Lissening to the rain dumming down on my hard clof hood and thinking how itwd soun on dog skin. Persoon I heard the horn blow "Eusa show" then the poynt hevvys come out of the rainy dark in to the lite of the gate house torches. 1 of them lookit up at me and said, "Trubba not. Eusa show." I never knowit Goodparley & Orfing say ther oan Trubba not they all ways sent a hevvy in front of them. I said, "No Trubba" then I opent and in they come hevvys 1st. Goodparley & Orfing dint come thru the gate til ther oan men wer in the gate house. They wunt walk unner a gate house other whys.
    Soons they come in the littl kids all come sploshing thru the puddls in the torch lite singing:
    No rumpa no dum
    No zantigen Eusa cum
    All of them running to touch the fit up and fealing for the figgers in it. Goodparley smyling with his big sqware teef like he lovit childer and Orfing shoving them out of the way. The hevvys gone to the divvy roof all but 2 as come to my shelter with Goodparley & Orfing for the wotcher. 1st 1 hevvy gone in then the Big 2 then the other hevvy then me.
    When Dad ben a live I all ways ben there when he done the wotcher. This time doing it my self and with the Big 2 not jus regler Eusa show men it took me strange. Dads things all roun the shelter. His weapons and his anrack hanging on ther pegs. His paper and ink and pens on the locker. His doss bag. Even his smel stil there. His smoak and his sweat but no Dad. The black and red spottit dog skin peggit on the wall with the 4 legs out stretcht and the candl flame shimmying in the wind.
    Orfing unslung the fit up and leant it agenst the wall. Goodparley put down his weapons and we all sat down. 1 hevvy sqwatting by the door and the other stanning gard outside.
    Goodparley said, "Wotcher?"
    I said, "2 cuts hash and 50 rizlas each. Our meat your meat 2ce. Eat here sleap here eat for the out path and safe crowd to the nex fents." Not that the Big 2 ever meatit nor slep at our fents but thats what you said.
    Goodparley said, "Done."
    I give the hash and the rizlas then we all roalt up and smoakit. Smelling the rain and lissening to it dumming on the thatch. Outside the littl kids wer sill zanting in the puddls they wer singing:
    No rumpa no dum
    No zantigen Eusa cum
    Goodparley said, "Its too bad about your dad Riddley."
    I said, "Yes it is."
    He said, "Wel thats behynt us now innit. Now youre going to be the new connexion man and making new connexions."
    I said, "No it aint jus behynt us its all roun us. Over and unner as wel." That wer the hash talking.
    He said, "Wel yes every thing is innit. Now youwl be taking the scar tho and looking a head."
    I said, "Yes theres a lot to look a head to. Like croaking iron at Widders Dump. We do the croaking and they get the iron."
    He said, "Riddley theres other things to do as wel."
    I said, "Yes and they all smel of cow shit dont they."
    He said, "Riddley theres a time for every thing and the time for moving crowds is past innit. You take a crowd of 30 or 40 out foraging naminals and moving 1 place to a nother theyre using up mor groun nor 100 may be 150 living on the lan and forming it with stock and growings. You jus cant have all of Inland for your forage groun no mor."
    I said, "Looks like we cant have none of it. Them forms ben largening in our forage groun and sqweazing us out littl by littl whynt you jus finish the job and be done with it. If our times pas whynt you just wipe us out all to gether?"
    The hevvy by the door lookit over to Goodparley like asking with his eyes shud he stomp me. Orfing said to me, "You bes not work your jaw too hard your head myt come