Riddley Walker

by Russell Hoban

  I cud feal some thing growing in me it wer like a grean sea surging in me it wer saying, LOSE IT. Saying, LET GO. Saying, THE ONLYES POWER IS NO POWER.

  There come in to my mynd then music or the idear of music I dont know what it wer if I try to hear it now I cant only I know I heard it then. It wer as much colours as it wer souns only if I try to see the colours now I cant. The souns and the colours they be come a moving and I thot I cud move with it.

  I startit up out of that stoan wood. The dogs dint grool nor nothing only them 2 nexters black and yeller black and red ther moufs opent like larfing and ther eyes ½ closd and up they gone on ther hynt legs agen. Soons they done it the woal res of the pack done it with them. They had ther littl heads up hy they had ther front legs liffit with ther paws dangling they wer running on ther hynt legs in and out of them stoan trees they wer moving with the souns and colours.

  There come mor dogs then it wer the res of the Bernt Arse pack and the black leader with them. Him and them what ben with Lissener. All of them running on ther hynt legs with the others. Runnying a idear in and out of them stoan trees it wer the idear of Greanvine.

  Then the black leader stil on his hynt legs he led a way thru the rubbl and the stumps and stannings not too far then down on all 4s and down in to a place dug out be low some fallin stoans. At the back of that place the black leader sniffing and scratching on a stoan with his paw and looking at me.

  It lookit like he wantit me to shif that stoan. Which I done. It come out easy there wer a hidey hoal and some thing in it rapt up in a bit of red and black stripet hard clof it wer that same and very clof the Eusa show men use for ther fit ups.

  I had a idear what it wer going to be when I unrapt it. I wer right. It wer Greanvine. Carvit out of wood and paintit it wer may be ½ as big as a real face. The back of it flat and the front of it ful roundit it wer that same and very face I seen in my mynd. Them wide open grean eyes staring up at me wylst the vines and leaves growit out of his mouf.

  Wunnering if it ben jus only this 1 dog foun that rapt up face or ben it past down 1 dog to a nother 1000s of years and 100s of dogs lifes. The clof wernt old but that face wer. Nothing blackent nor rottit I dint know how I knowit but I knowit. It wer his look he wer looking at me from time back way way back is how I knowit. I lissent it ben past down 1 dog to a nother 1 man to a nother as wel. Not a woman this wernt a woman thing. A woman in this place by the woom of her what has her woom in Cambry wuntve bothert hiding a way this face of a man with vines and leaves growing out of his mouf. This here man dying back in to the earf and the vines growing up thru his arse hoal up thru his gullit and out of his mouf. Not a woman thing. Becaws a woman is a wooman aint she. Shes the 1 with the woom shes the 1 with the new life coming out of her. You wunt carve a womans face with vines and leaves growing out of the mouf. A woman shewl dy back in to the earf but not the same as a man. You cud see the knowing of that in Grean vines eyes. A man myt get 100s of childer but the onlyes new life growing out of him wil be that dead mans vine at the end of his run.

  Wunnering who ben the las to look at Grean vine befor me. That red and black stripet hard clof it wer old but not as old as Greanvine. Did it come from a Punch mans fit up or a Eusa show mans? Ben there Punch back then in what ever time Greanvine come from? How far back did Greanvine go? Ben he there when them jynt music pipes ben making ther music? There wer a broak off peg in the back of him. May be he ben peggit to a poast or he ben a kynd of head on a poal when all the broakin stoans of Cambry ben the parper town of Canterbury. Hummering girt and tall in some shape I wunt never know.

  Them stoans come down when the wite shadder stood up over Canterbury. Parbly Greanvine come down with them and some Punch man foun him and savit him a way in this hidey hoal. Dint walk off with him no he savit him a way in this hoal for who everwd be the nex to come a long and fynd him.

  So there I wer then may be I wer 1 with Greanvine only it lookit like Id come in 2 with every 1 else. 1st I ben with Lissener agenst Goodparley then in my mynd I begun to go tords Goodparley and a way from Lissener. Now on a suddn I wer off the boath of them. I wernt on for no mor yellerboy stoaning nor all the res of it I dint care who wer doing it. Every body juicying for Power 1 way or a nother nor I dint want no part of it no mor. I realy fealt like the onlyes Power wer no Power nor I cudnt think of no 1 I wantit to be on the same side with no mor. Wel the dogs. And here they wer the woal Bernt Arse pack and the black leader all them dogs what ben with Lissener now they wer with me. Which that mus mean Lissener ben took by Orfing.

  I dint like to think of him hung up like Belnot Phist ben. Nor coming to no harm for lack of me. Dint want to have to do nothing about it only I knowit I wunt have no res if I dint.

  I said to the black leader, ‘Wheres the Ardship gone?’ By then I wer talking to him like you wud to a nother person you cudnt help it.

  He showit which way with his head then he gone that way and I follert. It wer the out poast he took me to it wer close by. I gone slow and scanful but it wer emty. Tabels benches and sleapers cook pots and buckits but no weapons nor no doss bags. On a wall some bodyd drawt some thing with a bit of chard coal. What it wer it wer a joak picter of Goodparley. Rough done but you cud see it wer him easy a nuff. With his littl eyes and big chin and big teef he wer easy to do. Coming out of each side of his mouf wer vines and leaves the same as Greanvine. I wer holding the 1 face in my han and looking at the other on the wall. On the wall unner Goodparleys face wer wrote:

  HOAP OF A TREE

  Took strange a nuff by that I wer. Hoap of a tree! Coming from them stoan trees like I wer jus then them words put me I dint know where. Hoap of a tree! Hoap of a tree for what? Hoap of a tree to grow out of Goodparleys mouf? Hoap of a tree to hang Goodparley on? Greanparley? Goodvine? Grean-good? Parleyvine? My head begun to go roun with it.

  Goodparley had a long chin and the chin in the picter wer even longer. At the top of that long chin the vines and leaves coming out of the mouf lookit like stag horns and the long chin lookit like the stags head. There ben a bit of chard coal lef on the floor I pickt it up and drawit in the stags eyes and nose and ears. There wer Goodparley in be twean the horns of the Hart of the Wud then. Unner neath of it the words:

  HOAP OF A TREE

  What kynd of a tree wud that be then? The aulder? Never mynd, I thot. Iwl parbly fynd out soonern Iwd like. I brung my mynd back to the Ardship. From the 1st I come to Cambry realy I ben fealing like I had the place to my self. If I ben lissening every 1 gone then I thot may be I mytve lissent where they gone as wel. I tryd to let it come to me.

  I wer looking at that picter on the wall and the words unner it agen. They dint look like they ben done by the same han. The picter of Goodparley wer big and sprawly and the words wer wrote littl and close kep. Tite face. Orfing. Hoap of a tree. Tree in the stoan. Fork in the tree. Fork Stoan. I said to the black leader, ‘Wheres the Ardship now? Wheres Lissener?’

  He lookit at me with them yeller eyes of his then he jus tost his head and like give a sylent larf with his mouf.

  Wel any how I dint have no other place in mynd only Fork Stoan so thats where I wer heading for nex.

  16

  Wel I dint go to Fork Stoan strait off. Seamt like I kep fealing different ways 1 minim to the nex that day it come on me then I dint want to road no mor by day I wantit to go dark. I dint want no 1 to know where I wer no more even if Goodparley did want me running luce. Special I dint want him to know. I dint want him all ways knowing where he cud put his han on me.

  Goodparleyd said hewd be coming to Cambry but I dowtit that. It seamt too simpl. I dint think Goodparley ever gone any where and foun it emty without he meant to fynd it emty. Parbly he knowit bettern me where Orfing and the Ardshipwd be. What ever HOAP OF A TREE and that picter meant they wer agenst Goodparley some way I knowit that. Nor I dint think I knowit any thing Goodparley dint know. He wer a girt 1 for letting peopl run luce and til they run in to his han. If he pirntowt Orfing wer putting some thing to gether agens
t him hewd be sure to tern up where itwd do him the mos good and Orfing the leas. Which I dint think thatwd be Cambry jus now.

  I laid up in the out poast with dogs on look out. No sleap the nite befor and I wer ready for some kip. Nothing only bare sleapers there nor nothing to get warm with. The black leader come and floppit down on the floor and I floppit down with him I kep warm that way and off I gone.

  Woak up with a lam leg in my face it wer that dog forage sqwad looking after me agen. Dint want to show no smoak so I cut some off and chewing it raw same as the dogs. I thot I myswel get use to it. Thinking that thot and suddn it come to me I dint know when Iwd ever be living like regler peopl agen.

  I hung a bout there til it got dark I past the time with my old black Punch on my right han and Greanvine on my lef.

  Punch said to Greanvine, ‘Whats it all about then?’

  Greanvine said, ‘You dont nead me to tel you that do you. Youve put in your time this long time unner groun you know what its all about.’

  Punch said, ‘Whats that then?’

  Greanvine said, ‘Wel air is the short sky innit but earf is the long 1.’

  Punch said, ‘Balls my boy. Thats what you aint got a nuff of.’

  Greanvine said, ‘It dont matter how much balls youve got its all the same in the end.’

  Punch said, ‘No it aint the same its diffrent if youve got balls a nuff.’

  Greanvine said, ‘Hows it diffrent?’

  Punch said, ‘Its diffrent right the way up to the end and thats why the end is diffrent. If the way is diffrent the end is diffrent. Becaws the end aint nothing only part of the way its jus that part of the way where you come to a stop. The end cud be any part of the way its in every step of the way thats why you bes go ballsy.’

  Greanvine said, ‘Is that how you all ways go?’

  Punch said, ‘I am the balls of the worl I am the stoans of the worl. I am the stoans and I have my littl stick.’

  Greanvine said, ‘Is that your tree then is that your living wood?’

  Punch said, ‘Yes thats what it is its that same and very wood what never dys.’

  Greanvine said, ‘Wel then is there hoap of a tree?’

  Punch said, ‘Theres hoap of the wud in the hart of the stoan.’

  Greanvine said, ‘What stoan is that then?’

  Punch said, ‘Balls. Which thems the stoans what never dys.’

  Wel of coarse Punch wud say that. Thats how he is hes that way myndit. Me I dint have Punchs balls nor I wernt all that sure them wer the stoans what never dys.

  Any how when nite come on I put Greanvine back in his hidey hoal and my self on the road to Fork Stoan.

  It come on to rain I dint mynd that I like the rain plus by then I wer out path myndit. Put me on a muddy track in a black nite with the rain pissing down and I wer hoam.

  Roading with them dogs thru the dark it wer like I wer in a diffrent country from the res of Inland. Every 1 else the formers and them what jobbit or foragit or what ever they had the country of the day time. That same country I use to go in. In the day time there wer all ways things coming up in front of your eyes. In the nite you cud may be see other things. Other ways.

  I stil aint qwite said how it wer. Not like a diffrent country. It wer mor like I wer behynt the back clof in a show. Thats how it wer. Thru the clof I cud see the other figgers moving I cud see the peopl watching only no 1 cud see me. If I wer a figger in a show what hand wer moving me then? I cudnt be bothert to think on that right then. Theres all ways some thingwl be moving you if it aint 1 thing its a nother you cant help that.

  Fealing that black leader bumping agenst me roading thru the hispering rain and dark and Fork Stoan coming closer and closer. Nor I dint realy want to think about it. Dint want to get in front of my self. I cudnt lissen what wer happening but I cud lissen wel a nuff there wer things happening. In my mynd Fork Stoan wer like a hoal in a fents. It wer the place where some thingd come thru all ready nor you cudnt know whatwd come thru nex.

  It wer stil fresh in my mynd from the nite befor I cudnt keap my mynd from showing me that big space with the girt sleaping machines in it. I cud see figgers moving in that space and ther jynt shadders wivvering and wayvering all roun. Not wanting to see no faces til I had to.

  Closer closer the rain hispering down on the old stoans and my new foot steps going on top of my old Is. Trying to lissen and not lissen boath at Ice. Knowing the Ardship mus be lissening me as wel.

  Closer and closer. No lookouts on the steps it wer like they wantit any body to come in as wantit to. There I wer then. By then I knowit what I wer going to see befor I seen it jus by lissening the regler way. The dogs helt back only the black leader come forit with me.

  They had Goodparley hung up by his hans tyd behynt him sames hed hung up Belnot Phist. I thot I wer going to vomit when I seen that. It wer like that torcher wer all ways waiting and sooner or later every 1 wer going to have a tern. I cud feal it like it wer happening to me I cud feal my hevvyness pulling my arms out of ther sockits.

  Goodparley wer twissing and terning on that roap he wer pulling up his feet like he thot he cud stan on air and ease his arms. There wer some twissit iron beams sticking out of the wall by them girt broakin machines theyd past the roap over 1 of them. There he hung and ternt and twissit and his jynt shadder twissing and terning with him and him crying and moaning with his head hung down.

  Orfing and his hevvys looking on. The Ardship and the Eusa folk looking on as wel. Faces like bad dreams. Faces with 3 eyes and no nose. Faces with 1 eye and a snout. Humps on backs and hans growing out of sholders wer the leas of it they had every kynd of crookitness and ther shapes and shadders wiwering and wayvering on the wall with the shadder of Goodparley twissing and terning.

  The black leader he laid back his ears and poyntit his nose up at the shadders and he begun to howl. Some of the hewys uppit bow but the black leader stayd where he wer.

  Orfing said, ‘Down bows.’ Which they done.

  I said, ‘What is it you want from him?’

  The Ardship said, ‘I want to hear him sing like that its a good soun to lissen to.’

  I said, ‘Orfing whyve you hung him up like that?’

  Orfing said, ‘I aint Orfing no mor Im Goodparley now.’

  I said, ‘Whats Goodparley then is he Orfing now?’

  Orfing said, ‘He aint nothing no mor.’

  I said, ‘Then whyve you got him hung up whynt you let him go?’

  Orfing said, ‘Now you know he aint a bloak you can jus let go of. Tern him luce and hewl be binsyern ever. He cant live qwyet you know hes all ways got to be doing and moving.’

  I said, ‘Stil you dont have to hang him up do you?’

  The Ardship said, ‘O yes we do we have to hang him up sames he hung up my father we have to hang him up the sames he wer going to do me.’

  Goodparley said, ‘Riddley dont you look at me like this o please dont look at me this aint me youre seeing this aint me no mor.’

  The Ardship said, ‘O yes it is and its the reales part of you. Its the Littl Shyning Man of you innit. Which thats what you ben looking for this long time Ive heard you say that times a nuff.’

  I gone over to where the roap wer tyd to a iron ring on 1 of the girt machines and I untyd it I lowert Goodparley til his feet toucht the groun and his arms come down. He screamt when his arms come down. I cut the roap what tyd his hans. Dint know if I myt be the nex 1 hung up twissing and terning I had a suddn idear. Shaddery it wer and Goodparleys fit up right there by us. Wylst bending over Goodparley and helping him up I took the yellerboy stoan out of my pockit I slippit in to the fit up thinking theyd parbly sercht that all ready. Goodparley seen what I wer doing his littl eyes they sparkelt in the shadders.

  No 1 else took no noatis. Eusa faces and strait Is they wer all stil looking at Goodparley not me. Orfings limpit face and the Ardships no eyes face staring like a blyn owl. Stretching his self out tords Goodparley and the way he lookit made me think of the Other Voyce Owl o
f the Worl.

  I said to Orfing, ‘Is this HOAP OF A TREE then?’

  He said, ‘Yes it is. Which theres hoap of a tree if its cut down yet itwl sprout agen. And them tinder branches theyre of wil not seaze. Tho the root of it works old in the earf and the stick of it dead on the groun yet even jus only the smel of water and itwl bud and bring forit bowing like the plan. Thats ben the go word of the arper sitting in the Mincery year on year it ben past down 1 shadder mincer to the nex. Inland may be cut down yet them branches wil keap coming. Peopl may try to kil them branches only itwl be the peopl what fall down and dy them branches wil grow out of ther moufs which thats our blip and syn.’

  ‘Greanvine,’ I said.

  Orfing said, ‘This aint no vine its the tree what never dys.’

  I said, ‘And youre 1 of them branches what keaps coming are you.’

  He said, ‘Yes I am and growing seeds of the new.’

  I said, ‘Which Goodparley is that face whats dying out then is he.’

  He said, ‘It looks that way dunnit. Whatre you then are you the Asker of the Worl?’

  I said, ‘It seams like every body elses got ansers only I havent got nothing only askings.’

  He said, ‘Now Iwl ask you some thing if youwl jus be so kynd wud you please han over your littl bag of yellerboy stoan.’

  I said, ‘I havent got it have I. Theres a Riwer Sour runs thru Cambry which I sweetent it with that yeller boy.’

  The Ardship said, ‘Thats a ly if ever I heard 1 youve got it hid somers I can lissen that.’

  Orfing said, ‘Les jus have a look then shal we.’

  Wel I had to take off all my does then and Orfing his self gone thru them. He lookit at my old black Punch for a long time he put his finger in the head and all then finely he put every thing back in my pockits and give me back my does.