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was about to start when he stopped suddenly.
Everything had to be changed. Not one life or two lives, not one fate or
harder with his elbow and his knees. just get there, just a little more,
toad.
and holding on to each other. Redrick saw the peeling pick-up truck, sagging
rags over there? You're looking the wrong way! Over there, to the right."by its warm textured handle, tossed it up in the air, and caught it.
"You pour. Just a little for pops, just cover the bottom."
hurt. His nose was swollen, but his brews and lashes, strangely enough, were
backpack, crawl over to Arthur, who was still lying motionless some thirty "I wish I could wash up. Everything's sticking."
order, you're unhappy, Red, under any order, any system. You're not happy
clothes had stuck to his body, to his burned skin, and now something was
"All right, don't worry, everybody knows about it," Redrick said.
gotten into the mosquito mange on the left, or he could have gotten turned
it's getting light!"
get the words out. "The ore cars have a history--they've been here a long "Look at that, Mr. Schuhart," he said, livening up. "Father must have
seconds later the great hulk of the ore cars loomed ahead of them.
always been that way, and it would have continued, if he had not ended up inahead. And then the real work would begin.
of his hand and casually asked: "What's new at the institute? Have they
crazy old man turned out to be his only hope, the only meaning of his life.
over their heads an intricate lightning bolt danced furiously, barely
is like his father's, he does. If you only knew how things were turning out,
when she was still a girl, desired and untouched, and her face appeared, butThey probably would have gotten the old man away, because it looked as if
engineer he had drowned in vitriol that day.
Redrick silently took him by the hair and turned his head in the
watched as the green wash dimmed and quickly turned to pink. The sun'slost. He realized immediately that they had to go that way, where the black
shoulder, and pointed: keep right of the rock and keep your head down.
was still low in the sky, and finally blocking the entire eastern sky. At
stick--a minesweeper. In those days many stalkers used mine sweepers, buying
hill except the intense sunlight, but on the right slope, in the shade, pale
"We made it!" Arthur rasped deliriously. "Mr. Schuhart, we did make it,
knees. And as for the piece, they all bring guns on their first time in theArthur bent over in fright, and a clap of thunder shattered the air. Right
pursed lips, and nodded in the direction of the kitchen.
knows me. Buzzard knows that I don't go for jokes. And he knows what I'mreally low. Ah, the hell with it. Does it matter? I went. So here I am. Why
to him. Noonan had already adjusted to the new situation. It was a game,
"Glad to meet you, Mr. Schuhart. How are you? You know, we've met
saw each other once, but very briefly, of course."
Arthur was also gingerly touching his face. Now that the horrible mask
was still low in the sky, and finally blocking the entire eastern sky. Atwillows are a little thicker. That's the way. You're off!"
"The backpack. You forgot the backpack, Mr. Schuhart."
saw each other once, but very briefly, of course."
grabbed the old man like a log when they were called in--and dropped him onAnd that icicle was the luxurious Dina Burbridge, who resembled neither her
ruts and furrows made in the mask--the tracks of stones and sticks. Then he
him, I can't manage without him, he's my hostage for Monkey. I didn't save a
him, I can't manage without him, he's my hostage for Monkey. I didn't save a
mirror-smooth mosquito mange, with many arms, like a starfish-far away, no
eyes, and took several slow sips.
that contained the tightly rolled balloon. "I followed you and when I sawreminisce, and maybe just dream and drowse and rest.... Arthur jumped up,
They drank. Redrick looked over at his father and a shudder crossed his
arms through the straps. It felt as though the skin on the burned places hadthank God he had at least crawled in the right direction. He could have