Is there another road? asked Thomas.

The Dead Father lay down in the road, the whole great length of him.

They hurried to the spot.

Well now, said the chief Wend, arent you a pretty sight.

That should be sufficient. But youll be closely watched, now. No hanky-panky.

What does that mean, "not exactly"?

Thomas regarded the Wend army, in its thousands.

None, said the Wend, that will get you where you are aiming. I take it you seek the Fleece.

That is correct, said Thomas.

Then he is not properly dead.

Take my word for it, said the Wend, it is not more difficult than Christianity. The point is, we are not used to having flaming great fathers about to pick at and badger us. We havent the taste for it. In fact, we are violently prejudiced against it. Therefore this huge big carcass of yours is not something we care to have within our country, even briefly. Some of him might rub off.

Is there an odor?

Thats what I thought. Thats what I thought. About three thousand cubits, Id estimate.

Let me tell you about the Wends, the Wend said. We Wends are not like other people. We Wends are the fathers of ourselves.

Does he molest women?

You are skeptical, said the chief. That is because you are not a Wend.

In this as in everything.

Has it both ways does he?

We dont want him, the chief Wend said. N九九藏書o thank you.

Amazing, said Thomas, how is that accomplished?

You are?

Not a pot big enough in the wide world, said Thomas. May I suggest this: Well whack off a leg and barbecue same as an earnest of good faith and token of guaranteed non-contaminaciousness.

What if he were just a little more dead? Thomas asked, indicating the Dead Father. Would he then be transportable through the country of the Wends?

Tarry a bit, he said.

Yes, said the Wend, that which all men have wished to be, from the very beginning, we are.

Thomas drew his sword and approached the left leg, the leg mechanical, not human. He began to whack.

None.

The chief Wend returned to his men. Thomas ordering wood gathered for the great fire.

The men return with great bundles of firewood.

With your permission.

Not exactly.

A little tableau, said Thomas, you have the best part, lie down, close eyes, howl on cue, and stay stiff as a board after.

In a sense.

Edmund talking to Emma. Beam of Emma. Washing of socks in the small stream. Discussion of foot care (general). Thomas seated on the ground, back supported by tree, smoking, contemplative. Edmund telling Emma that, all things considered, she is the best. Beam of Emma. Julie and the Dead Father holding hands. Thomas smoking. The men playing whist, quoits, boccie. Terrain f九九藏書eatures being cut down to feed the fires. All the men wearing dark-blue suits with ties. Edmund wearing dark-blue suit with tie. Thomas wearing dark-blue suit with tie. The Dead Father wearing dark-blue suit with tie. Bending over spits rotating with spitted small animals. Edmund tapped on the cheek with Emmas fan. God Almighty. Emma tapped on the cheek with Edmunds thumb. God Almighty. Emma tells Edmund that he doesnt understand. Thumb not to tap cheeks with, she says. Thumb not gracile but rather stumpy, fat, she says. Index finger better if cheek is to be tapped and fan not available. Edmund fucks everything up, she says. Poor wooer, she says. May consider himself as having status of least-favored-nation, wooing-wise. Crushed Edmund. Edmund falls into flask. Thomas turns head, notices distress of Edmund. Thomas does nothing. Julie looks at Thomas and notices him doing nothing. Julie says to the Dead Father: Sometimes best to do nothing. The Dead Father replies: Maybe mostly. They continue to hold hands and the Dead Father also gropes a bare foot with the hahd that is not holding hands. Julie retracts foot. Thomas smokes. Events in the sky. Starfall scattering in the dark part. Clouds moving implacably (left to right) offstage, toward the wings. Thomas smoking. The Dead Father attemptiｒeａｄ.９9ｃsw.ｃｏｍng to insert hand (left) between waistband of Julies skirt and Julie. Repulsed (warmly). Julie takes the Dead Fathers watch fob and places it in her pocket. The Dead Father smiles. A gift, he says, for you. Thank you, Julie says, thank you thank you. Thank me, says the Dead Father, I am used to it. I do thank you, Julie says, and your shoe buckles are nice too. They are nice, says the Dead Father, that is why I have them there, on my shoes, because they are nice. Both regard the Dead Fathers silver shoe buckles. Thomas smoking. Edmund with most of his mouth around the mouth of the flask. Emma interviewing the men. How high are they? 61", 511", 42", and so forth. For my files, Emma says. Thomas smoking, scratches upper left cheekbone lightly with free fingers of left hand. Alarm arrives from the outpost. Alexander runs to Thomas. Whispers to Thomas. Thomas extinguishes cigar, rises, looks about for his sword. Finds same, buckles on sword belt, tucks orange tight (right) into top of orange boot.

Thomas was counting on his fingers.

Would you be hauling that great ugly thing there through the length and breadth of the country of the Wends?

The mechanics of the thing elude me, said Thomas.

It exists, Thomas said. In a sense.

Good day, Thomas said.

Monstrous of course.

Well of hｔｔｐs://read•９9cｓｗ.cｏmcourse if he were cut up and cooked, that would put quite a different face on the matter, the chieftain said. Then we could be sure.

The Wend chieftain sat down in the middle of the road, cross-legged.

Anxiety of Emma, Julie, Edmund, Alexander, Sam.

He pondered for a moment.

We hadnt in mind leaving him, said Thomas. Just passing through.

They are not mothers, Thomas said.

Meet you halfway, said the Wend, just boil him for a day and well give you free passage.

Why me no whys, said Thomas, quickly, stretch out.

Only the length, said Thomas. Not the breadth.

How do you get him around bends in the road?

No rigor mortis?

They sat. The nineteen. Emma. Julie. Thomas. The Dead Father.

He is articulated.

Excreta?

The road blockaded. The path barred. An army deployed across the way and far far up on every piece of high ground available.

Thomas did not answer.

A problem, said Thomas.

Probably they could learn very quickly, said the Wend, motherhood comes naturally to most.

Is it what I think it is? the Wend asked.

Thirty-two hundred.

Whats this? asked the Dead Father. What now?

You could of course fight your way through, the Wend suggested.

We are three-and-twenty, Thomas said. Counting Edmund.

Why? asked the Dead Father.

Further than Im prepared to go, said Thomas.

Your mothers are quite beautiful, said thhttps://read.99csw.come chieftain. Those two there, the light one and the dark-haired one. Very lovely.

Well now, the chief Wend said again, do you intend traveling more along this road?

We are not sure it exists, said the Wend.

He tries but I restrain him.

It is the Dead Father.

Nothing that cannot be enthusiastically ignored.

Julie lit a cigarette as did Emma.

It is accomplished by being a Wend, the leader said. Wends have no wives, they have only mothers. Each Wend impregnates his own mother and thus fathers himself. We are all married to our mothers, in proper legal fashion.

How is that done?

Does he converse and issue dicta?

Then the Wend army sat with a noise like land sliding.

Well, does he?

As closely as you like, said Thomas, but I cant be held responsible for the stench.

The odor of sanctimony, is all.

Rap to the forebrain.

The Wends are here, he said.

A leg? said the Wend.

This is just the Third Armored, the chief said, indicating his mailed and belted followers. The First Armored is way back over to the east. The Ninth Hoplites are over to the west. The Twenty-sixth Impi is in a blocking position, I cant tell you where. These are just the border troops. They would be delighted, were you to decide to fight your way through.

I see, said the Wend. Well, if it exists, it lies on the other side of the country of the Wends.