Read Online The Stuff of Dreams by Hideyuki Kikuchi - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Hideyuki Kikuchi
Ads: Link
to say you were a dangerous man as you walked along. Even though you didn’t actually come right out and say it, I could definitely tell.”
That was probably the best way to describe him.
“Thanks for the tea,” D said simply, and with that he left her home.
“Godspeed to you,” the old woman called from the porch. “We’ll meet again soon. Next time, you’ll have to listen to one of the songs I wrote. It’s a good one, since I made it back when I was young.”
Saying nothing, D mounted his horse, gave a single kick of his heels to its sides, and was off.
When the house was hidden behind the hill, a hoarse voice snapped, “I can’t believe how stupid you can be sometimes. Drinking that tea of all things! It was probably poison.”
“You mean to say you don’t know what was in it?”
“Well, I could make out the tea well enough, but there was some other unknown substance in it.”
“You’ll have to do better than that,” D said as if the matter didn’t involve him at all. “A dangerous man, am I?” he muttered.
“That’s for sure, as far as anybody’s concerned. But remember what the old lady said—she said the whole village felt the same thing.”
What they felt was that he was clearly a dangerous man. Dangerous for them , that is.
The voice continued, “That would mean the folks in the village called you here even though they think you’re a threat to them. It’s possible they called you here to kill you. If that’s the case, what that farmer did would stand to reason . . . But I don’t think that’s it. Despite what the old lady said, I’m not so sure every last person in town felt the same way. It’s pretty clear they weren’t hostile. After all, this is a peaceful village.”
“A peaceful village, is it?” As he rode, the words D muttered sailed off on the wind and the scenery streamed by on either side. To any bystander, this conversation would’ve been unparalleled in its weirdness.
“You were gonna leave town . . .” the hoarse voice continued indifferently. “On your way out, you were attacked, but your attacker was killed with an arrow from your dreams. He must’ve wanted to keep you alive. And as a result, you wound up staying here. It may very well be the farmer who attacked you was part of his plan, you know.”
Then suddenly, the hoarse voice was gone. Without a single world, D kept gazing straight ahead. The young man didn’t seem to be concerned about the uncanny ring of this voice that seemed to come from nowhere, nor did he seem the least bit worried about the subject of its discourse. Perhaps the weirdness that existed beyond the mortal realm was something the inhuman never even noticed.
.
Back at the house, Old Mrs. Sheldon watched her departing guest until both he and his mount had vanished behind the hill. Then, in a manner that was totally unbecoming for her age, she seductively winked in their direction, before stepping off the porch and heading around to her back yard.
Mrs. Sheldon’s yard was a fenced-off plot of over a thousand square feet, where colors beyond numbering competed in a floral arena. Stopping at a certain patch of pretty flowers with the same blue petals that were floating in the tea, the old woman said to herself, “Oh, he’s a dangerous man all right, but I wouldn’t mind getting into danger with him. In some ways, I want that tea to work, but in other ways I suppose I don’t. Lordy me, it’s been a long time since I felt like a mixed-up schoolgirl.” And then, casually glancing down at the blue flowers at her feet, she said, “Well, this is certainly where that tea was picked . . . but I wonder how long it’s been growing here? I’ve never seen it before .”
And just as the old woman bent over to pick a bit more of it, she heard the strident sound of something whistling through the air right by her ear.
THE SHERIFF
CHAPTER 3
.
I
.
After D galloped over a mile in under five minutes, a vast ranch suddenly
That was probably the best way to describe him.
“Thanks for the tea,” D said simply, and with that he left her home.
“Godspeed to you,” the old woman called from the porch. “We’ll meet again soon. Next time, you’ll have to listen to one of the songs I wrote. It’s a good one, since I made it back when I was young.”
Saying nothing, D mounted his horse, gave a single kick of his heels to its sides, and was off.
When the house was hidden behind the hill, a hoarse voice snapped, “I can’t believe how stupid you can be sometimes. Drinking that tea of all things! It was probably poison.”
“You mean to say you don’t know what was in it?”
“Well, I could make out the tea well enough, but there was some other unknown substance in it.”
“You’ll have to do better than that,” D said as if the matter didn’t involve him at all. “A dangerous man, am I?” he muttered.
“That’s for sure, as far as anybody’s concerned. But remember what the old lady said—she said the whole village felt the same thing.”
What they felt was that he was clearly a dangerous man. Dangerous for them , that is.
The voice continued, “That would mean the folks in the village called you here even though they think you’re a threat to them. It’s possible they called you here to kill you. If that’s the case, what that farmer did would stand to reason . . . But I don’t think that’s it. Despite what the old lady said, I’m not so sure every last person in town felt the same way. It’s pretty clear they weren’t hostile. After all, this is a peaceful village.”
“A peaceful village, is it?” As he rode, the words D muttered sailed off on the wind and the scenery streamed by on either side. To any bystander, this conversation would’ve been unparalleled in its weirdness.
“You were gonna leave town . . .” the hoarse voice continued indifferently. “On your way out, you were attacked, but your attacker was killed with an arrow from your dreams. He must’ve wanted to keep you alive. And as a result, you wound up staying here. It may very well be the farmer who attacked you was part of his plan, you know.”
Then suddenly, the hoarse voice was gone. Without a single world, D kept gazing straight ahead. The young man didn’t seem to be concerned about the uncanny ring of this voice that seemed to come from nowhere, nor did he seem the least bit worried about the subject of its discourse. Perhaps the weirdness that existed beyond the mortal realm was something the inhuman never even noticed.
.
Back at the house, Old Mrs. Sheldon watched her departing guest until both he and his mount had vanished behind the hill. Then, in a manner that was totally unbecoming for her age, she seductively winked in their direction, before stepping off the porch and heading around to her back yard.
Mrs. Sheldon’s yard was a fenced-off plot of over a thousand square feet, where colors beyond numbering competed in a floral arena. Stopping at a certain patch of pretty flowers with the same blue petals that were floating in the tea, the old woman said to herself, “Oh, he’s a dangerous man all right, but I wouldn’t mind getting into danger with him. In some ways, I want that tea to work, but in other ways I suppose I don’t. Lordy me, it’s been a long time since I felt like a mixed-up schoolgirl.” And then, casually glancing down at the blue flowers at her feet, she said, “Well, this is certainly where that tea was picked . . . but I wonder how long it’s been growing here? I’ve never seen it before .”
And just as the old woman bent over to pick a bit more of it, she heard the strident sound of something whistling through the air right by her ear.
THE SHERIFF
CHAPTER 3
.
I
.
After D galloped over a mile in under five minutes, a vast ranch suddenly
Similar Books
