Speck loved to be by moving er. My strongest memory is of ed by ts, empatic to tripped to tting ucked beneater rolled around and tances, I ruck by tours of move. On anoto, ced by terfloc reflecting on t I did not act upon t intuition because of a fundamental lack of courage. t ed me from crossing at to camp. I sers.
to t of my first return. ted. t ts edge, and rusty cans, bottles, and ottered ted in t. Books lay t in our old candleevens , I spent t restoring order, pulling do t .
Vibrations above announced tarted ts creaking under t and tterns of tines. I could picture ttling at tations. An normal, I began to covered my papers, and I spent most of t first day reading ts and pieces in order, tying tries in McInness journal. So muc be, forgotten, and buried after ime. Reduced to a s pile, ted times passage tle existed, for instance, from tic notes. Years mention. After revieood the long chore ahead.
for trapdoor underneation. Unlike on oto pick out a ne, rato steal neing supplies. Bereasure: five long yello t of my life. to introduce a minor intrigue, I also resevens t had been missing.
ords spilled from te until my t Speck left, became tory moved backo t ensions of being a groopped. if sed me to go o stay, said t I lacked to run a a contrary idea pulled at my conscience. Perended for me to find out. S I loved doalk o anshe unknowables.
tes tossed and turned on t and started ing on a clean pad, determined to rid my mind of its darkest ts. ted one into t six montrying to piece togetory of my life to give to Speck. Our er ion sloired in December and slept until Marco to me.
Solemn-eyed Lucs and drained tea. it deliberation, t on eittling in for a long talk. Luc of rye poking tending to study t the branches.
quot;Good morning, lads. ’s on your minds?quot;
quot;eve been to t; said Smaolach.
quot; gone t; said Luchóg.
quot;e knooquot;
quot;Read tory of your life.quot;
Smaolacurned o;A ;
quot;?quot; I asked.
turned t know wo look.
quot;Youve got a feories ; Luc;May I ask o ;
quot; did I get ;
quot;My understanding is t an aut e a book ; Luc;One doesnt go time and effort to be t expects to be picked.quot;
Smaolac . quot;It ake, I to e a book t no one ;
quot;You are quite rig times dares to bring someto a ;
I stood and broke tion. quot;ould you please tell me,quot; I ;;
quot;Im afraid its your fat; said Luchóg.
quot;My fat about o ;
quot; w;
quot; my friend means to say is t t your fat all. t man is anot;
quot;Come ; said Luchóg.
As ried to untangle tions of to my book. First, ting to about tunately, tic cers, a bit eccentric, true, but steadfast allies in my adventures. tioning posed an intriguing concern, t ao actually get a book to Speck, or, more to t, about to e it all doy to e do all. te no books, painted not tural hers?
At sunset, epped out of cover and to a scattering of graves in a green space adjacent to tery enclosed by a stone back to safety, or pero a tranquil, overgroions on tones enants ook me on a opped s among to a plot and sone: ILLIAM DAY, 1917-1962. I knelt doters, considered t; ;
Lucly. quot;e ;
quot;I name in a w;
Smaolac;I still prefer Aniday. You are one of us.quot;
quot;;
quot;e t you srut see your fat nig t;
quot;And you understand,quot; Luc;t t be your fat;
I sat do to save myself from fainting. t, of course. By my calendar, fourteen years e on t gravestone. If long ago, illiam Day could not be illiam Day but o myself te, and calmly smoked it amid tones. tars came out to define tional secrets, but t I mig out for myself.
quot;Let us a; Smaolac;and tomorro;
e leapt te at trekked ion turning to smaller mistakes in my oory. Most of tions escaped scrutiny because my mind ed lanes. Speck old me of viee clearly t of ters. My fatotal void. Life existed before t sufficiently dragged te t nig, I sat aallized before me. e montigating t boy, finding out in excruciating detail ture and sory, s of mind—all to assist Igel in t ory, infinitely better t myself. No I knerue name, to ruto , and no of my o Luc, only to find it vacant. In t burroed to disturb their peace.
quot;Luc; I ell me a story.quot;
quot;Aniday, for t you see Im sleeping?quot;
quot;I need to kno;
By time, sirring as ed until tangled to eye level. quot; is it?quot; he demanded.
quot;You o tell me everyt ;
Co tal posit ion quot;Rigo bed. Ask me again in ting. But noo my pilloo my dreams.quot;
I off by eace my excitement, I dre tired glares at breakfast t morning, and only after their fill did I dare ask again.
quot;I am ing a book,quot; I announced, quot;about ory t Speck gave me before s, and noo fill in tails. Pretend Im about to make t on ;
quot;O; Onions began. quot;You t;
quot;No, no, no,quot; said Béka. quot;You are mistaken. t a all, but one of tical t;
quot;You are bot; said C;e, smart boy ip of t ers.quot;
quot;ts rig; said Luc;Mary and Elizabettle curly-tops, fat as lambc;
quot;You couldnt or nine,quot; said Chavisory.
quot;Seven,quot; said Smaolac;;
quot;Are you sure?quot; asked Onions. quot;Coulda s;
tion continued in t of tested bites of information, and trut tant cousin of trut to tely and togetimes an ansed a fact in my brain. Sloime, a pattern emerged, and my curned to me. But one tery.
Before ter, I off, intent upon climbing t peak in trees o to t, ty looked like toy building blocks. Off to t village cut in t, try beyond. to t, a farm or trees and stone. I sat on taintop and read, dreamt at niger, I fasted and reflected upon tence. On t in t my fat in t? botcartled by ted te lingered, taken my place wole me away?
I kne man ended for me. tealer of my story, thief of my life: henry Day.