respect the other. Same way with books and ideas and all that kind of thing the grown-ups talk about—aint good if it all get muddled up with staying alive I reckon.
“How many dogs are there?” It’s the girl asking me.
“Bout six.”
She stand all quiet, but she lean down and pick up one of my torches.
“That’s right,” I say. “Hold it tight like that and if a dog come near poke it in his face. Don’t get too scared. They only dogs after
all—you got to think like that cos they can smell fear and that makes them really good and hungry.”
She give a small nod.
The little fire of paper blaze up for a second and it give out a warm glow that make a good feeling in that dingy dread room. Girl sense that too I reckon and she stand near it to soak up some heat like it been the first warm day or something. Probably one day long ago people sit in front of that fire reading that big book about Adam, all happy and calm, and the house aint got boarded windows or dogs outside then either. It kind of make you sad knowing that.
I got to light the torches quick though before that little fire go out. Time like this you just got to go, aint no good thinking on it too long and letting all that fear in your stomach get your legs weak and useless.
“Get on my back,” I tell the girl.
I bend over and she climb on light as a feather. She’s coughing cos the room near filled with smoke by now.
Got to face the pack.
“Are you ready?” I say.
“Yes.”
11
The light outside blind me for a second.
Big dog jump up from the snow. He been mighty surprised cos I start shouting to the sky and waving those torches around. I got to get really big and loud and mean cos dogs sense it. The just-grown pups turn and hide their tails at the god of fire and anger I become right then, so the Number One dog got to show them why he been Number One, and he curl his lip real nasty.
I know that. I know he gonna come at me straight with his dirty red mouth all angry. His lip pull back and I see the bloody teeth and spittle for the second time today.
He come fast and straight across the snow.
I flail my torch at him, the girl shrieking on my back.
“Keep on tight, Mary!”
The big dog bounding through the snow loud and nasty. My heart screaming to run but I got to stand. Number Two bitch coming from behind clever and sneaky again.
The girl scream and sway, hang on with her legs and near take the breath out of me.
Big dog circling and snapping for a weak spot. I strike out. He sway to the left but lunge at my arm. Snap. The bitch get real close and hungry seeing that scrawny girl on my back. She-dog gonna bring down my flank if I aint clever.
I lash out, the blazing arc of fire rushing in the air. The torch crash down on her shoulder blade. I smell the singed fur. She-dog stumble and scream. Big dog leap to her side and come in at me. But I got that bitch hurt and I strike out again.
“Down there!” Mary scream again. Young runt full of teeth come in low and fast like a spear. He grab that bony Mary on the leg but he just get rags and he’s pulling and she’s screaming and I thrash out with the other torch but the weight of the girl and the dog tugging on her pull me down to my knees in the snow.
Down on my knees surrounded by the pack.
Aint today though. Aint gonna get me today.
I beat at the runt with my stick. I been so close I can look right in those eyes. There aint nothing there.
The she-dog take a lunge but this time I got angry inside from somewhere—and the anger make me strong, and I rise up from the ground as the slathering bitch leap up and when she do I hold the torch high and bring it down.
This is the book of the generations of Adam.
The chair leg been sharp under the flame.
She been soft between her shoulders.
I bring the point down and she fall at once—legs just crumple—and she wimper loud and high.
The big dog stop when he see her down. Cos now it been dog blood on the snow—
I shout out the
“How many dogs are there?” It’s the girl asking me.
“Bout six.”
She stand all quiet, but she lean down and pick up one of my torches.
“That’s right,” I say. “Hold it tight like that and if a dog come near poke it in his face. Don’t get too scared. They only dogs after
all—you got to think like that cos they can smell fear and that makes them really good and hungry.”
She give a small nod.
The little fire of paper blaze up for a second and it give out a warm glow that make a good feeling in that dingy dread room. Girl sense that too I reckon and she stand near it to soak up some heat like it been the first warm day or something. Probably one day long ago people sit in front of that fire reading that big book about Adam, all happy and calm, and the house aint got boarded windows or dogs outside then either. It kind of make you sad knowing that.
I got to light the torches quick though before that little fire go out. Time like this you just got to go, aint no good thinking on it too long and letting all that fear in your stomach get your legs weak and useless.
“Get on my back,” I tell the girl.
I bend over and she climb on light as a feather. She’s coughing cos the room near filled with smoke by now.
Got to face the pack.
“Are you ready?” I say.
“Yes.”
11
The light outside blind me for a second.
Big dog jump up from the snow. He been mighty surprised cos I start shouting to the sky and waving those torches around. I got to get really big and loud and mean cos dogs sense it. The just-grown pups turn and hide their tails at the god of fire and anger I become right then, so the Number One dog got to show them why he been Number One, and he curl his lip real nasty.
I know that. I know he gonna come at me straight with his dirty red mouth all angry. His lip pull back and I see the bloody teeth and spittle for the second time today.
He come fast and straight across the snow.
I flail my torch at him, the girl shrieking on my back.
“Keep on tight, Mary!”
The big dog bounding through the snow loud and nasty. My heart screaming to run but I got to stand. Number Two bitch coming from behind clever and sneaky again.
The girl scream and sway, hang on with her legs and near take the breath out of me.
Big dog circling and snapping for a weak spot. I strike out. He sway to the left but lunge at my arm. Snap. The bitch get real close and hungry seeing that scrawny girl on my back. She-dog gonna bring down my flank if I aint clever.
I lash out, the blazing arc of fire rushing in the air. The torch crash down on her shoulder blade. I smell the singed fur. She-dog stumble and scream. Big dog leap to her side and come in at me. But I got that bitch hurt and I strike out again.
“Down there!” Mary scream again. Young runt full of teeth come in low and fast like a spear. He grab that bony Mary on the leg but he just get rags and he’s pulling and she’s screaming and I thrash out with the other torch but the weight of the girl and the dog tugging on her pull me down to my knees in the snow.
Down on my knees surrounded by the pack.
Aint today though. Aint gonna get me today.
I beat at the runt with my stick. I been so close I can look right in those eyes. There aint nothing there.
The she-dog take a lunge but this time I got angry inside from somewhere—and the anger make me strong, and I rise up from the ground as the slathering bitch leap up and when she do I hold the torch high and bring it down.
This is the book of the generations of Adam.
The chair leg been sharp under the flame.
She been soft between her shoulders.
I bring the point down and she fall at once—legs just crumple—and she wimper loud and high.
The big dog stop when he see her down. Cos now it been dog blood on the snow—
I shout out the
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