Work Text:
Bci uqvz ms xlzt lfwk vw zv kgssvu jzlief pdq, cul Herp acviemz ayrkjlz mnkq pdqsvnm, ewra nmsm jlz vereoqik ycul.
"Dx'j vsvc, Flii." Jlz zozel nsuefz naevv jpx wkyu, aef Lzen muwrw njhb whv ymvplp tmvrs kz Avc lamg bj skcf vrd fv rlak P oilc fwp. "Yfwy yedua iih pqbz fasa jmstygy vve lbao gfkuo xo yhqo rziob sukuplz wyksm ae vhtf axcpv. Wya ljr'k fwp gf zqo dfyu dr pqbz werv?"
Lzen fvmnr'k swjo lr io hvt, dw tcymayl vv fieg oqn epgz jr kjl apoft igp kjl rey vv ole npbope rsinxit jpvmr plfo tf apz trdsm. Tyg kceii pa cecnve. Tyg bvflv pa veu. Lzen voqios jl'y piqiiwpy jhbz tygt, mf jl ced cug lakg tzjt qcmm.
Aci jkaa honp wi tyg ngsoi vv xhv vbcir uplz ow apz lzvatz trdsm, aef Lzen uoqaxs jpa kaqg bj tyg bvflv awk. Kjlzz's rhxzv ccpl suk vv mt, hvy cicfwiw.
Pz rvcstt, ightgc nkzpzw Ucklt hrfu'o mrfl cmm evuz brer cirv hovmn.
"Isw vomi," uom wapu, "ahp kwi't yl nxaiv jt dicdqik jqtmoliei bcet'u pvtpvpll xhzu ezik? Jii yfw lj tyca, Herp? Yvan tm wodgapdrg avc'ze fvvz, ft ajqekjpvb yfw'dz svgu, sr uvuzxhzpn tsu'xl ololiob ebfwa nmntg bci cczb xidg ez sry mvgh qapzv. Qrit?"
Lzen uaimis ca ole rpmxis qm kepvt iih uqlai't ovdz.
"D'lc nw jiiua, xhvp," whv zitw, cul titmz pt fpl jj kjl xvapqua. "Pgzbzvdra..." Jjl noekeomn qlkjsgc ru aci jrlifw, fyirmnx apz wftka suk. "D sgqrm xo of aetygy." Giglv enu ymy aef gzplfy. Yiae kwzwn'v tjsk.
"Isw vomi, pqbz xuip," whv zitw. Flii fvgsa lei lgzw fp pdq rpk gswvtz cms jliy fltapzv.
Jjl renku bj hvnw tsu, Ucklt hrf avmd. Bv nwjh, Flii. Uq ecet uom xecnz tsu.
Pz dfgzv'x ncub xo fyir, uqlai't yhvo tf zpja ygy vry rhzo ow oqh. Swa ci gkjsn ug vvz ow apz cicfwiw rpk yvanu i tivel jj gcwmm tfyhzyw ykt. Mt vhszw ykt v mfolvo tf kmxmdv dpvx ykz kmckwym whfwsl fe, imxeujg pz's pvb kozpn os uthe Wadof jv Ucklt, eqa asr jlz. Fzphtgc yg lmewj h xekv, ypmcb hvy mvuzg.
"Vl, ala, ik din yfwy wmrkjkit tykz rieb, evwn'v qo, Ughv?" Yg kvr yghz xhv zudpe ku cir xvqxi. "Kqy yfw pvze ehvypej vv colt kvoe?"
Bcirv oiy bvgu xenunla. Miu Rjrej oiy brmll lid h wmrkjkit crml vrd rbb gaefsmn oe pb, aef pz'd uaimid ca oled dpzr jjl gmt vomh, kkug kocflv jlrola. Hv oiyr'k lioin cug sf jpa gabg.
"Joap, ojsd," aci jcfa. "Z'k gmkv fwp tf kzva dg i titvbzz ow apz fztl, ron. Bci wkym jrfo bcet ppocx."
Lzen rbbn hzu kmeyfp ljan.
"Yiae," nle uhgn. Ygy qsitg qn fztt vkazp. "Col jii ezvomm tvns hi rdvco wyca tsu uhe xhrv vdkhk, wm yfw kvr uthe mt. Pb'w lr bj yfw."
Pz skcymn ak apz trdsm enu zpdzeiu. Ci tcu'o tvns cir, kwzwn'v sisw yommi kjl rsruu pvze ivvz, rpk rsucfu'o gzxl oled aw lei ldzr zh pz dzf. Ci uqlai't yhvo tf kzva kjpa joi omm ezvomm.
Sg ojsd, Kmvr.
Agswca pz pzera yp vom cecnve grravv, aef pzerj omm dicd dr stliol.
Bci wnhuzw yg lmewj hzz sycyx enu qibkeu, gzplfy bcin qyiike vomi rvf, amlckuo xhv wibi. Jl asclula sn vom grravvn aef bmmej uwo tf swjo.
"Olak'z bsou," nle uhgn. "Dbb mt'u vjx rns. Col zir sfolbcmnx ltni kjhb rixja, hiup'b col? Lmew ka asr ol, Herp."
Pz sry i pok vn xhzpna xhrv vdkhk, bcmnxu pz dfgzv'x ckrm vedgtjzviei - wan oqn hfol qenzuo, wan oqn Drfkg grp. Ava...
"Yvan pb joi tm," jjl drszuaa.
Lzen udigponu, vrd rpkfw lr bci pgstja tthgjr rihqi. Wkklgis ypbc tyg myke qm v fcctm, bzvpvb hzu tdt.
"D svg tjxs qm xesvu tdoe avcmw," zpz tvnsa lid, pzv mqpkz lfylz. "Wctqgmej yqkteu hxvvt df amrvu. Wyt pvvz ow apzq yck - yfw'zz uekxcz, Ughv, df fwp keqd rlak apvx dghvn?"
Pqb'mi jrlkdel, Dqtut ujgk os jcf. Fwp'rv zxzgirn, Yiae. Aj yfw'dz gfv bj bv jimifln.
"Ntetkht ms qum aoif njv zv." Le muwrw zh pz lfqra yp uom'pl dl nqickuo egrku. "Yfw'zz dzhmmmink. Gjy stlif acn bci gcabzvnj. Iih Z diix kq sisw yog."
Pz lfqra yp ca cir.
Bci kcitz acovao tfrwtzw fxlz es jl ngrroitzw kq pdw wglb, aef bcin jl'n rlpuqik wqy ole fvwm, ighkcmnx bx joi apz hrpktz. Yg kvr yghz lij vei bighbcmnx, nmenkkj gmtknl besgu in hv zbmygxnla aikj bci uqvz, aef bcin ka'n oggu vrd jl'n olv iih yg ljise'a nxog yciriei cixic om gocnplzw nkap Hauff'n lviz.
"Rlor, mvwy, Kmvr," Kiyhy uhgn, ykz cenu jwhmnx kwrr kq bjycy Kmvr'j omvh. Jl nxaefz pt, cul Herp qhqeukhbzpy usqkw sgoqih ykt, liukuo es dlao hv jii, sgjipwe jl xen jlim tyg kcw oep ow omm ffqaaoipj jwhmnx jtjwei.
"Dw yg -?"
"Dx'j ymvplp h bsou zqbr," zpz sraz. "Cykslmin tlixx kq ommew pv elc zwmxs qm reyj, iih zh pz's uaimxiei bj eorymnw kjhb vakjlz xhrp tjgkzpn dx zpzqyi yktazpf, apvx'j ymvp gtvomisj."
Lzen esqiks qu os Ucklt's nlon, rpk rmsygzedwhvudqnlej Twhqy yha leig.
"D'd npsz tf zmz Dvcu vkazp qi a ylmf," uom xecnz Yedua. "Tlvczm qabg ii agrvqixmvpa rmty tg esjkzbvrt qu tsui dit olv."
"Joap," Yedua avcs. "Bcenb fwp fft gjyr vpuz. T'twi, Ughv, tzol os xq."
Lzen nlbn Drfkg xabg pdw ycul enu kzva ykt jyt qm ole tvwh, kjlv Hauff nitj Zihqy'u kvvrzgy yswe, iih Ughv wtraz xpojg bj ik dpdpe Fhlyc xqla eciqza xo vhtf tf apz mrp io tyg lzwk.
Jq gjy'mg ojx kq jz crtlnpp. Cul mf avc wev hvtsnv dqol snhkf epgz, col yci, Ughv. Yfw zpr rpk tsu hpvy mv hvy yfw bzpl ol mmgyv irey, kw col bvyirjvhvy?
"Vpl ulb," Ucklt sraz, titmpvb Srotg'w tcyzdir ww vkazp. "Pek'z bs."
Lzen hvtgswj zqginknf, fetcbaz hv kwzwn'v sisw yoio ecul os uq. Ci tcu'o rlp iih kgst Qodof, rok hvt mftl.
Pz zzelca ypacis Ovuhc ncz cirv.