Chapter To - The Hum
Well now a couple of other little forest critter-folk have did come along and done joined the line, and I being Sqiq was a little queasy, what with all the dirty poor behind me, but I also thinked that I felt a sort of big and rich for them because that I was higher up in the line. I found out that the little forest person behind me had a neat little name: Pligbo Spodd. I reckon I liked that name a little better than mine own, and Fint tells me it’s cause his name had more “sinnables,” which is just like when you clap when you say a word. Fint tells me his name used to be just Fint Qaq, but he longened it when he got in front of me in the line because it meant he was better and so did a longer name. So I did this: Sqiq Twazpup. Now that was my name.
I could almost see the end of the line on account of the moving forward we were all doing. Fint telled me that we were waiting in line to see the Mister in the Tower, and he said that the Mister was mighty smart and a sort of thing called “why’s,” but I didn’t know why. But Fint said that meaned he knew lots of things about the world, and so everyone wanted him to tell them some why’s words so they could live a better life. Fint also said that the Mister had a special kind of temper, so that if he didn’t like you, he pulled a string and you got to fall from the Tower, and when that happens everyone goes wild and crazy and cheers because they know it means there isn’t as much competition anymore. So everyone was always trying to get better than everyone and get to the front of the line and be perfect for the Mister.
Then nothing really happened for a few days, except for that I put a few more socks in Pligbo on account of me being better than him because I was closer to the front of the line. But one day there was a little hum from the front of the line where the little stick of the Tower was, which Fint told me was really tall, but I to me it looked like a little toothpick, but Fint says since he was better than me I ought to believe him, so I did. But anyways this hum I heard got louder and kindof hurt my ears, except that Fint said it was a good thing and after a while I realized I liked it. And it kept blaring louder every second, and eventually I realized it was people in the line who were screaming, and that must have meant that the Mister dropped someone. I could see hands in the distance waving in the air, and people were jumping and putting socks in everyone. A man a good few places in front of Fint was screaming a special loud. His eyes got sort of red and his veins woke up and poked their heads out of their beds, and the bubbles in his mouth were trying to escape. Fint said his name was Kraspus Chorspillo, and I thought that was just about the fanciest name I’d ever heard. Fint said Kraspus was destined to be great, and he’d get up to the front of the line in no time on account of him putting so many socks on people, and some special kind of socks that made people so afraid they just dropped over and let him pass, eyes closed, hands cold. And I said he sounded kindof like a horrorist to me, but Fint reminded me that horrorists were brown and had headwear. But I wondered if the Metal East was the only place for horrorists, but Fint told me not to think about such different things and just be common different like everyone else. And while I watched Kraspus slave his poor throat, I thought the man who the Mister had dropped from the tower must not have been as good and rich as Kraspus, and I hoped that if the Mister dropped me that Kraspus would be there to cheer for me too.
And Fint started cheering, too, and then before I even knowed it I was cheering too, and my fingers itched to put another sock on Pligbo, and so I jammed my fist in his throat and put in him the best sock of his life.
Well now a couple of other little forest critter-folk have did come along and done joined the line, and I being Sqiq was a little queasy, what with all the dirty poor behind me, but I also thinked that I felt a sort of big and rich for them because that I was higher up in the line. I found out that the little forest person behind me had a neat little name: Pligbo Spodd. I reckon I liked that name a little better than mine own, and Fint tells me it’s cause his name had more “sinnables,” which is just like when you clap when you say a word. Fint tells me his name used to be just Fint Qaq, but he longened it when he got in front of me in the line because it meant he was better and so did a longer name. So I did this: Sqiq Twazpup. Now that was my name.
I could almost see the end of the line on account of the moving forward we were all doing. Fint telled me that we were waiting in line to see the Mister in the Tower, and he said that the Mister was mighty smart and a sort of thing called “why’s,” but I didn’t know why. But Fint said that meaned he knew lots of things about the world, and so everyone wanted him to tell them some why’s words so they could live a better life. Fint also said that the Mister had a special kind of temper, so that if he didn’t like you, he pulled a string and you got to fall from the Tower, and when that happens everyone goes wild and crazy and cheers because they know it means there isn’t as much competition anymore. So everyone was always trying to get better than everyone and get to the front of the line and be perfect for the Mister.
Then nothing really happened for a few days, except for that I put a few more socks in Pligbo on account of me being better than him because I was closer to the front of the line. But one day there was a little hum from the front of the line where the little stick of the Tower was, which Fint told me was really tall, but I to me it looked like a little toothpick, but Fint says since he was better than me I ought to believe him, so I did. But anyways this hum I heard got louder and kindof hurt my ears, except that Fint said it was a good thing and after a while I realized I liked it. And it kept blaring louder every second, and eventually I realized it was people in the line who were screaming, and that must have meant that the Mister dropped someone. I could see hands in the distance waving in the air, and people were jumping and putting socks in everyone. A man a good few places in front of Fint was screaming a special loud. His eyes got sort of red and his veins woke up and poked their heads out of their beds, and the bubbles in his mouth were trying to escape. Fint said his name was Kraspus Chorspillo, and I thought that was just about the fanciest name I’d ever heard. Fint said Kraspus was destined to be great, and he’d get up to the front of the line in no time on account of him putting so many socks on people, and some special kind of socks that made people so afraid they just dropped over and let him pass, eyes closed, hands cold. And I said he sounded kindof like a horrorist to me, but Fint reminded me that horrorists were brown and had headwear. But I wondered if the Metal East was the only place for horrorists, but Fint told me not to think about such different things and just be common different like everyone else. And while I watched Kraspus slave his poor throat, I thought the man who the Mister had dropped from the tower must not have been as good and rich as Kraspus, and I hoped that if the Mister dropped me that Kraspus would be there to cheer for me too.
And Fint started cheering, too, and then before I even knowed it I was cheering too, and my fingers itched to put another sock on Pligbo, and so I jammed my fist in his throat and put in him the best sock of his life.