Shudderchild by Warren Norwood

Author:Warren Norwood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Published: 2019-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

THREE - The approaching vehicle was a pickup truck that slowed and almost seemed to stop when it got within a mile of them.

“Guns ready,” Nyllan said.

Goodfox stuck his pistol in his belt and pulled his coat over it, hating the thought of having to use it, but recognizing in himself the excited tension of anticipation that told him he would use it if he had to. As he watched the truck approach, he wondered again if there was some deeper significance in the events of the past two days than he had so far recognized. Surely God had reason for allowing those events, and even though Goodfox knew he would never understand even a fraction of God’s reason, he also knew there was holy merit in searching for that meaning.

From the time Nyllan had spotted the vehicle until the truck came to a slow stop beside them, almost ten minutes had passed. The driver, a red-bearded man with long shaggy hair, looked up at Goodfox. “You two taking that wagon to Saint Jo?”

“Might be,” Goodfox said, knowing that Nyllan had her pistol under the blanket in her lap pointed at the man.

‘That’s the only town this road goes to,” the man said with a grin. “Couldn’t interest you in a six-volt radio battery or two, could I?”

Goodfox fought to control his face. “You have some for sale?”

The man laughed. “That I do, Father. Old man Eagil swore it really was you, but I had to hear your voice for myself to believe it.”

“You talked to Mr. Eagil?” Nyllan said.

“Indeed I did. I got a place ’bout three miles this side of Saint Jo and he called me on the radio. Said you would be heading this way but wasn’t sure you’d take this road like he told you to, so I thought I’d better come take a look while there was still some good light left, ’cause to tell you the truth, Eagil’s been known to exaggerate the truth every once and again and I really didn’t expect to find the famous Father Goodfox coming down my road.”

Once the man got started, Goodfox wasn’t sure he would ever stop his run-on explanation, but when he did, Goodfox asked, “Do you really have batteries for sale?”

“For you, Father, they’re free. Come on to my place. There’s stew on the stove, a warm fire burning, and a boosted antenna you can hook your radio up to.”

“You are one of the faithful?”

“The wife and me listen to you every week. We ain’t Nimenim you understand,” the man said with a laugh, “but we sure are believers in what you say. Name’s Varginik A. Shearina—and don’t ask where I got a name like that. Folks gave it to me and then died, and I was stuck with it, but it ain’t so bad, because it gets conversations going with people, and pretty soon when we get to know each other they all call me Vargin*_which I’d be pleased if you would, Father—and you, too, of course, Miss …” ,

“Nyllan, but my friends call me Rhondasue.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.