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“You do,” I assured him quite calmly. “That is why I am here.”138Please respect copyright.PENANAXK0mMmXq3L
“How are you acquainted with any of them?” He asked quite seriously, and only138Please respect copyright.PENANAXCgz1NJYYg
then did his eyes seem to notice my hair, which was blue all over except for its still138Please respect copyright.PENANAsTEq9VCzrf
black tips. “You’re quite the odd one.” He admitted, while he was far from what anyone138Please respect copyright.PENANA22ZTd50Pud
would deem as ´normal´. “And I do not need my bigger glasses to see that.”138Please respect copyright.PENANAcgqh2fMxxi
“Here. This is for you,” I tried to hand him my big notebook, the one that had been138Please respect copyright.PENANAJK6vEbzuLB
resting safely beside me. Almost falling out of it was a whole compendium of drawings138Please respect copyright.PENANAzicy3PqaKE
and other poorly attached notes. “Father wanted you to have it.” I nudged it towards138Please respect copyright.PENANAtoxbvyC86e
him. “He also wanted me to go with you.”138Please respect copyright.PENANAWNjwndf5Bu
“Father, you say?” He cautiously asked as he refused the offer, “I am afraid I will have138Please respect copyright.PENANAqW3yWWaH8i
to doubt that. You see little one, I am not one with many friends, let alone associates.”138Please respect copyright.PENANA5ZheT9cDQh
He then took a few steps back “No, you must be mistaken. But fret not, you may138Please respect copyright.PENANATYqV4BRrOO
accompany me back to my place, if you so wish of course. After all, it is not proper to138Please respect copyright.PENANAmH6Wn0y1Du
leave one so small and meek behind, especially in a place like this. Old Gorliochi over138Please respect copyright.PENANA9cXYytENvw
there,” His eyes went straight towards that beast; this one was completely relaxed even138Please respect copyright.PENANAXG6SonbZti
if its jaws kept finding one thing or another to chew on, “he can easily carry the both138Please respect copyright.PENANAYZsAqHA61v
of us for as long as necessary. He has been with me for many seasons now, lending a138Please respect copyright.PENANA5N60S5r1PZ
hand in the carrying of all sorts of things.”138Please respect copyright.PENANA0Pz0d5bEUo
He smiled, but it was a ruse that could not hope to work on the likes of one such as138Please respect copyright.PENANANshijGY6S1
me. “Like all sorts of flowers and fungi that I so often like to come and find in these138Please respect copyright.PENANAyBAKX0MV82
parts... Or even -”138Please respect copyright.PENANAVrnG20qWUB
“You are no mere flower picker or mushroom gatherer.” I said as I kept forcing that138Please respect copyright.PENANA94HzKKJ7MW
notebook onto him. “Go on, take it. You are the Thinker-Tinker, and you are meant138Please respect copyright.PENANAvG6pv3c9yM
to read it.”138Please respect copyright.PENANAXqPL3PUuyF
A short silence stood between the two of us ...138Please respect copyright.PENANArjnc8qwcj9
“Your father, who is he then?” He eventually asked, even if his interests appeared138Please respect copyright.PENANAgd9gSfexDn
to be dwindling the more he was going through those notes and drawings, “I know138Please respect copyright.PENANAv574GsL8nz
many of the names inscribed here.” He kept confessing, as he tipped his glasses just138Please respect copyright.PENANAydHfoFA8mB
in time to prevent them from falling off his curved nose; and then he looked at me138Please respect copyright.PENANApuGye7q53d
with refulgent eyes: “Some of these people, they are in these drawings of yours as well!138Please respect copyright.PENANA3bKsl5CCiL
And this man here; a Kharn. He is my friend. A dear one.”138Please respect copyright.PENANAEDaA7r4VEH
“That is Father,” I said to his amazement ...138Please respect copyright.PENANAuf8eXlFl44
A long pause took over his person.138Please respect copyright.PENANAJva82DCXph
Many of his past fears but also promises came to haunt him, and without a138Please respect copyright.PENANA69Pz9vI1Wq
moment’s notice, his head became occupied with all sorts of questions and possibilities.138Please respect copyright.PENANAMWw5093t3C
There were so many ´If ’s´ and ´Buts´ and ´What’s´ swirling in his mind - and in138Please respect copyright.PENANApVaR8aNM26
the end all I heard him think to himself was: “This is likely to bring me quite the138Please respect copyright.PENANAdaowm4pg9i
unwanted trouble, but if there is any chance of truth to it, at all; of a real connection138Please respect copyright.PENANA8phAHMpkRk
between this little one and that ol’ fool... What choice do I have?”138Please respect copyright.PENANADt8x3q28aT
“Who are you girl?” his eyes swelled up as he confronted me again, “and how did138Please respect copyright.PENANAu7HiE03CLh
you get your hands on all this?”138Please respect copyright.PENANAtguyOzIKLj
“As I said, all of it was wrought by my hand.”138Please respect copyright.PENANA3DNmC2BrGh
“You wrote...” His eyes travelled between note and drawing alike “all this?138Please respect copyright.PENANAOzN384jIzu
What made you do such a thing?” He asked with his eyes now trembling with138Please respect copyright.PENANAeKEbib0jNa
restlessness.138Please respect copyright.PENANAgB0B3teEyI
“And then you will read it?”138Please respect copyright.PENANAbvRFoHq2Zw
“Oh, I most definitely will. The spark of curiosity has already been lit inside me.”138Please respect copyright.PENANAWMnxfuGnMQ
He then reassured me further, “My interest has already peaked way past the point of138Please respect copyright.PENANA5WkfRcRnqR
arousal, don’t you worry.” And after he weighed all of it with both hands; “But I will138Please respect copyright.PENANAWAEcwIGCSm
have to do so back at my place. You understand that this is quite a lot to go through?”138Please respect copyright.PENANAuWyIQD8HY9
“Quite,” I replied after I added a few extra notes I had on my person.138Please respect copyright.PENANAbNnpNJKL2j
“Besides, I don’t have my reading glasses on me.” He added somewhat flippantly138Please respect copyright.PENANA4rNBXp2UEr
“I mean why would I bring them; you know? It’s not like I get to meet little girls138Please respect copyright.PENANA7dbXkonuB0
carrying tomes for me regularly.”138Please respect copyright.PENANARwRzxSJ4og
I nodded in concordance, and then he suggested we should make haste. Insisting, as138Please respect copyright.PENANAEEMDXBeKUn
we made our way to that beast, that I should tell him, or rather prepare him, for what138Please respect copyright.PENANAtPwxGba6Nz
could be in store inside that notebook.138Please respect copyright.PENANA40qDQ1Ugth