Page 73 - Folio Only
P. 73

Kinderslüka wasn't about to take out his eyes. He could just let Damiano
leave.

         “Oh, hello there,” said Kinderslüka. “Did I -- did I not tie you up tightly
enough?”

         “You didn't tie me up at all.” Don't talk to him. Surprise him! Get him
to throw his eyes!

         “Ah. Yes. I see now. That's still tomorrow’s breakfast and lunch waiting
there,” he said, pointing to the other two Vierspitzeans tied to stakes and
gagged. The lads were wild-eyed, suddenly with hopes of rescue which they
hadn't had, moments before. “So...can I help you?”

         Help me? Yes, you could stop eating my friends, thank you very much.
Stop thinking, Damiano. Surprise him! Hurry, before it's too late. “Nyagkh!”
shouted Damiano.

         “Oh. Nyagkh yourself, but I'm afraid I don't speak that language. I
assumed you spoke German, nein?”

         Damiano stomped up and down and made a grotesque face.

         Damiano saw that Kinderslüka's eyes were indeed very peculiar. Each
one was pure blood red; there was no pupil, like those painted Greek statues
with eyeball-less stares. Very unsettling. More disturbing still, his right eye
was smooth, like a jewel, while his left eye was crusty or crumbly, as though it
might at any moment sift out of its socket in a trail of red powder out the
corner of the eye, down his cheek and, when it reached the corner of his
mouth, follow a track down his chin.

         “I see. Are you trying to frighten me, is that what you're doing? It would
probably take more than that. Maybe weaponry of some kind.”

                                                         73
   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78