Terning tha Weel

KM WESTWOOD

Kim Westwood won a 2002 Aurealis Award for her first speculative fiction story, ‘The Oracle’, published in Redsine 9 then translated for Znak Sagite, a Serbian specfic magazine. Seven more stories have appeared since, in anthologies such as Agog! and Eidolon I, various Year’s Bests in Australia and the USA, and on ABC Radio National. ‘Terning tha Weel’ was also shortlisted for an Aurealis Award.

She lives in Canberra with her partner, her dog and her novel, the last of which she took on retreat, thanks to a Varuna Writer’s Fellowship. She has signed with HarperCollins for it to be published in 2008.

Kim writes: “Raz arrived, cocky like Brer Rabbit and ready for ‘advencha’, while I was walking one day through The Causeway, a less than salubrious part of Canberra down the hill on the river flats not far from the watered lawns and people barriers of Parliament House. She was, of course, impossible to resist; and so I followed her.”

* * * *

I

me gonna tell you this one story strate from ware it herts, an evry werd ovit is fair dinkum. Its about tha Wird an tha Narsties, an how Jilly an me ended up ragsharers for a wile, an how nuthing good larsts.

* * * *

Grabit usta say Jilly an me were joynd, but that wos befor tha Wird, so I didn take much notis. She wos alus talking shit - I jis neva knu it wos a Gift. Enyway, Grabit ended up ded an awl our sensables ternd arse-ova on tha day tha higround an lowground stopped meening enything difrent, both being eqwaly tox.

How far did tha Wird spred? I cudn say, cos wile evrything still werked, nobody anserd. Wot I do kno is that wen Cambra became a Wirdness, sum ovus were awlredy safe undaground. As soon as tha Terrarism Alarm went off in Parly House, tha pollies an thair staffers an awl tha perverts who did tha kitchin an maintinense jobs knu to qwiksmart run down tha tunnils to tha bunkas ware nuthing - not even bad air - cud get in. But tha rest ov them left out in tha Wird, Ime sorry to say, were caktis.

Tha pollies wernt happy about us perverts being in tha bunkas, but thay wernt about to open tha doors jis then eitha, even tho tha airgages sed NoTox. Finaly tha staffers pushed a cupple ov pervs thru tha airlock an wotched them on tha skreens. Wen thayde been out a wile an hadn carked it, tha staffers disingaged LockDown an back thay awl crept along tha metal coridors to thair offises to peek out tha windows at tha sky, wich looked tha same as eva. But nobody vencherd parst tha safety wall that had been bilt round Parly House afta tha larst terrarist atack, an nobody came nocking eitha, so ov corse we wunderd iffit cud be jis us left.

Strate away tha pollies started shoving for Priority an whos gonna sit in tha Bigsliot Chair, an pretty soon tha Nashnal Intrest Party had orgenized one ov thairs (who jis happind to be Jillys dad) into tha Chair, wile tha Blueys (tha Tru Blu Party) were left to fite ova whode get wich Opazishon chairs. An then awl ovus tagged for perverts were pushed rite out.

Tha staffers - Narsties, we called them - took us down to Fedarashon Gate, tha sequrity door in tha southwest wall, an slammed it afta us. Next thing, thayde opend it agen an Jilly came out awl brused thanks to her dad, who shede jis told in frunt ov evryone wot shede been doing with me behind his back.

Outside tha wall, nuthing moved. Not birds, or breeze -nuthing. Thare were drifts ov blackstuff like mold awl ova tha plase, an wareva it wos thare were peeple eaten away undaneath, so we kept well cleer ovit. A girly bunch ovus hedded for tha lake - exept it wosn enymore. Thayde reclamed tha land to make a new guviment suberb, an so parst Sorry Point wos a wide sqwelchy mudflat, ded qwiet til you got to tha Cambra river belting thru tha gulch. We crossed Commerwelth Bridge an set up unda tha dome ov tha War Emorial, wich had been closed down along with tha rest ov tha publik bildings becos ov terrarism.

Tha uthers - sum Corzway boys an a mixja ov pervs from Okes Estate - I dunno ware thay ended up. Mole rekond later she saw a bunch ova by Yarralubla Chiminy on tha behindside ov Parly House. She wos al us going off alone on expedishons, but she skrounged us sum good stuff so we didn mind wot she did, long as she kept away from tha ded peeple an tha Wirdstuff.

* * * *

Looking down onit from here on Mount Ainsly, my fayvrit vantige point behind tha Emorial Dome, youde think that Cambra had alus been a Wirdness - that itd cum coted in fungusy black an wos this qwiet on perpis. Tha hole city looks aynshent, with tha clouds bellied down perply an swollen on tha hills, Hiding for a storm that neva cums. Its hard to rememba how cleen it wos, from tha locked suberbs on tha higround neer Parly House with thair pryvit houses an gardins, to tha city centa on this side ov tha river ware tha money lorndrys (banks an stockbrakers an ashurense offises) usta do thair bizness behind sequrity wotchtowers an round tha clock hellipatrols.

I jis rememba dum stuff, like me mums bernt dinnas an wacko relatives, an how on tha lowground ware tha pervs lived, evry Corzway house had a Hills Hoist washing line ded middle inits yard an a concreet path going strate from tha back door to tha peg bag.

An I rememba how that larst day started out qwite normil, with me an Harley, my kid bruther, taking terns swinging on tha Hills Hoist an winding tha handle wile tha naybors big dog growld an wyned on tha uther side ov tha fense. We were alus skared one day that dog wud jump tha fense an bite us, but sumthing else much werse happind befor it got tha chanse.

Thay say sum good alus cums out ov bad, but I neva thort that nor saw eny sine ovit til Jilly. She showd me how even tha blackest bad had sum silver litening. We met becos ov Grabit, our naybor on tha upside. She werked tealady shift at Parly House, an thare wos nuthing she didn kno about that plase. Enyway, it wos Grabit who orgenized my reeding an riting seshons with Jilly - her being a teacha, an me being a pervert who wosn alowd to skool lern.

Even tho Jillys dad wos a Nashnal Intrest polly, she wos nuthing like him. She didn care I wos a Corzway pervert - she thort evryone shud reed an rite. Wich is why, on tha days I wosn getting trucked across tha Capital Territry borda with tha rest ov tha pervs to do factry werk in Qweenbein (nicknamed tha Qweerbin becos ovus), Ide be sneeking down tha persinhole Grabit had shown me outside tha Parly safety wall to go see Jilly. So on tha day ov tha Wird, me an Jilly were unda Parly House riting tha alfabet, an Grabit wos hedding off shift to gasbag with me mum in our kitchin. Thass tha tearable crulty ovit.

* * * *

Afta our girly bunch set up at tha Emorial Dome we chose a Hed Girl, an wen tha blud came awl at tha same time each month we chose a new one. Hed Girl gave out jobs to tha rest ovus, an this partikula nite I wanna tell about - wen things began to tern tha rong direkshon -Jilly an I were sposed to do a Parly supply run, but insted I wos out on me own, Jilly being crook from tha blud.

Ide jis got thru tha tunnils neer tha east servis exit wen one ov tha Narsties on gard juty cort site ov me. YOU TROLLY LITTLE WEASIL! he shouted at me sprinting like hell down tha tunnil, dufferbag full up an banging agenst me hip. I lept ova a fallen down blockade - one ov tha ones that usta keep us out ov Parly bizness befor thay bilt tha wall - an into tha carpark with tha showfers sitting in thair Commerwelth cars, harf eaten by Wirdstuff. Then I looked back, but I knu he wudn be following cos thay neva went out in ones - an enyway, tha speshal protekshon suits were too hard to run in. I larfed at that, tha grate git, standing in tha tunnil entrense dressed up in traffik orange with oxy tubes sticking out, shaking his big goaty fist. I gave him tha finga then an took off ova tha mudflats, hopping jis like Skippy on tha tussox, hedding for tha bridge.

Tha uthers were wating, fitcheting an skroungy in tha dark. Wotcha brort? thay aksed, trying to get into my dufferbag. I kept it closed, becos if I didn hand it to Hed Girl Arlee for propa sorting thared be trouble, an I reely didn wanna give her corz. She wos a lot bigga. An she gave Chinese berns that neerly skrewd yor arm off.

Back inside tha Emorial Dome, Arlee upended tha bag an pawd thru tha loot. Wossis then Razza? she sed, holding up a lethery ball tha size ov 2 fists. I dunno how that got in thare, I sed back. An I reely didn, but Ide seen sumthing like it befor wich I wosn going to menshon rite then, so I sed lets jis chuck it away. But Arlee sed thass for me to deside. She ternd it ovaranova in tha torchlite wile Jilly red sum riting on tha bottom then spoke up awl seerius. Its a militry divice, she sed. We looked at her an then at it. Thass probly wot it is, we were thinking, cos shes tha girly swot. Well, Arlee sed, iffits a militry divice, it shud go on tha Exhibishon Table. So we trapesd to tha middle ov tha Emorial Dome neer tha Fountin Ov Tha Hedless Solja, an solomly lade it on tha big table with tha uther Hardifacts.

Rite-O! anounsed Arlee from tha hed ov tha table, now its time to tern tha weel. An off we wooped down to tha belltower stuck in tha middle ov tha Cambra river, awl gosty wite in moonup.

It wos reely called tha Nashnal Capital Belltower, an thayde bilt it afta tha old carilyan had got nocked ova by a suiside plane aming for Parly House. Inside wos a big weel with numbas an bells onit that usta tern ovits own accord an bong difrent notes evry hour, but then it broke an thay neva botherd to fix it.

We climed tha stairs an sembled on tha ledge across from tha bellweel that hung down in tha deep water rushing thru tha kasm. Maglet, larst moons Hed Girl, took tha ferst go in acordinse with propa etiket. We set up tha chant an began pulling on tha ropes that brort tha weel round, an she started running to catch a bellspline wen it came parst. WEEL SWINGS WERLD TERNS! we hollerd as her hands hooked on. BELL RINGS WERLD BERNS! as down she swung with tha bell sounding BONG! parst tha hammer on tha wall, an into tha river gushing like fury at tha bottom.

We straned on tha ropes an wotched her disapear. If she wosn thare wen tha weel came full turn then she wudn be back for a wile, cos if you got swept thru tha funnilway thare wos only one plase to get out befor tha long drop ova tha old dam wall - a bit ov sand on a bend about a harf a kilameter away, with a track cut up tha bank.

Afta Maglets tern, we got shuving for tha next ride. Jilly went, her skinny arms wrapping a strangelhold on tha spline an legs kicking a fit, dress hoyked up an nickers showing her beutifull mussly arse to tha werld. THASS MY JILLY! I shouted, an it bounsed rite back at me ILLY! ILLY! ILLY! off walls that smelled ov unda-arms an salt. I luved Jilly in that belly herting eyes hot way then, an I wanned tha werld to kno it, that we were ragbound as tite togetha as figs an practikly splitting with ripe for each uther.

Down she went, an wen shede got safe back around an lept onto tha ledge, I ternd to tha josslers. Now Ime gonna sing youse awl a song, I sed. No! No! thay korused, we hate yor songs. I sed but this ones betta than usual. This ones about us - a jolly vencher song. Thay cudn say much to that, so I started up big an mouthy, tha sound booming agenst tha walls, wile thay held thair ears - even Jilly - but I didn mind. I cort site ov those perly shells cupped in her delikit hands, an I felt as full as crikey that shede chosen me for ragsharer. An I wanned her rite then an thare on tha wet concreet floor, with evryone round, yes I did.

I went next. Wotch tha glidyest pro ov awl my tresures, I sed. Wotch tha bellringa go. Tha chant started up agen, an I ran hell for tha wetha as tha weel came round with tha biggest bell onit. I reeched out, missed, an fell on tha next one down. It reely hert, but tha girlies were carrying on sumthing tearable so ov corse I didn show that itd cut into me stumick a bit. I jis manidged a larst breth in befor tha cold closed round my chest like a fist, an tha water started thrashing in awl direkshons.

As soon as tha weel swung out ov tha water on tha uther side, I shinned round to be reddy for wen it ternd tha 12 an started on tha down. I wos ditermind not miss tha drop onto tha ledge, cos that wud meen falling splat back in. Igmoninius, as Jilly wud say. She used those sorts ov werds a lot, like she had a dikshonry in her hed.

Wen I got back on tha ledge she came up to me reel slidy an coy, an so I stuck my hand up her jumper for a qwik feel. She sed Mind Yor Manners Raz McLane - jis like that, in her posh voise - an then I wanned her werse than eva, but etiket sed not in frunt ov tha uther girlies, cos sum ov them wernt as lucky as me to be ragbound.

Ragsharing with Jilly wos tha most beutifull thing I eva did in my life, an ment we wud alus be part ov each uther, no matta wot. Each full moon on tha blud wede pull out tha rags from inside us, splecked brite with tha ferst red, then push them up each uther, hers in me an mine in her. Afta that wede lock lips an suck in each uthers air til we both got dizzy, then press our cum bones togetha an fuck like fish.

* * * *

It wos close to liteup wen we got back to tha Emorial Dome an trotted parst tha Hedless Solja into tha Monsta Hall ware tha tanks an planes sat gray an lumbery in tha dark. Bombs Away! I shouted up at G for George wile girlies climed inside its grate big airoplane nose an buckled into fiterjets an toppled down tankholes jis like Gullivers in tha Land Ov Giants.

Wen tha giggling an snuffling had gone qwiet, an me an Jilly were snuggled in a submerine tube nice an smelly, she sed give me yor finga. How far up? I aksed. Awl tha way, she sed. An thass how we stayd til litefade.

Tha girlies neva vencherd out in britelite. It wos manely to keep cleer ov tha Narsties, who only came out then cos thay were skared ov tha dark. Thay wore fullbody traffik suits with gasmasks an oxypipes an big rubber boots, an went round poking tha Wirdstuff with vibratory sticks. We didn reely kno wot thay were afta, an we didn care partikuly, so long as it wosn us.

* * * *

Thare wos alus talk at Parly House about how tha Wird mite have happind. Us pervs thort it wos jis anuther terrarist atack, but tha Blueys were shure that sumone experamenting on smartbombs had axidently let one go on tha rest ovus. Tha Nashnals, awl sektritive, sed AN WE KNO WHO. That shat me to tears. I thort who cares who?

Jillys dad for one. Erly on hede made a speshal arangemint with tha Narsties, an thayde seen to it that hede been made Hed Man. Then hede shuffled tha Parly numbas to make shure that pervs got voted out ov Parly House. Jilly hated him. Reely hated - like wife hot. I didn aks, but tha bad blud between them went a long way back.

I neva got tha chanse to deside wetha I hated my dad. Mum told me that wen he discuverd she wos preggers an that a pervert wos gonna cum out, he skived off. Nobody wos sorry, but. Grabit usta say that tha only usefull thing tha pervless wunder eva did wos give me mum tha juse to make me. To tell you tha truth, I wosn much good for me mum eitha - alus getting into tha sort ov trubble that brort tha patrols round to tha Corzway, an mum having to cuver. But she neva made me feel bad for being born a pervert, cos she knu Ide had no say init.

I dont reely wanna tell you this part, but I mite as well, sinse awl tha wite litening that Jilly showd me has gone now.

I went back to tha Corzway strate afta tha pollies disingaged LockDown. Thay were saying to stay behind tha safety wall, but I thort up yorz an I climed out tha same way I usta clime in.

In Bartin, tha guviment suberb below Parly House, tha Wird had only begun to take hold so thare wosn much ovit to see - jis on tha ded peeple, little patches like soot cuming out ov splintas stuck in thair skin, an lots ov berst open 2-fist balls berning holes in tha ground. Peeple were lent ova crashed in cars, an lying on footpaths still holding thair breefcases, an heeped both sides ov offiseblock doors - nobody having eny idea wich wos betta, in or out.

I cut thru State Sircle, parst tha cathlic cathedril thatd been taken ova by tha Asembly Ov Jehova Evanjilists an ware perverts wernt alowd. Tha blackstuff had got rite to tha top ov its spires, like tha Wird had bernt God out ovit an now Satan had set up hell inside.

Harfway into Kingsten, I got to tha Tilopea Park fense. It usta be my fayvrit plase, with willows like giant fountins an popla leaves shining in tha sun, an soft green grass even in summer wen evryware else wos crackly brown. Only tha Kingsten peeple had keys to tha gate - wich neva stopped tha pervert kids getting in an using tha fasilities befor being chased back out by tha patrols.

But now tha Wird had got in. Thru tha fense I cud see itd dun sumthing tearable to tha trees an thay looked like big warty toes, black from frostbite. Thare were 2-fist balls skatterd about, shriviling into tha erth like rotted fruit, an peeple lying about too, neerly invizible for Wirdstuff, an nuthing green left.

Tha Corzway wos a stretch ov lowground down behind tha old railyards an tha city morchery. Eny ovus whode had tha pervert gene show at berth ended up thare, or Tuggers in tha south, or across tha wetlands in Okes Estate. I walked along tha concreet path cracked in awl tha usual plases, parst a man whode been getting his mail. Blackstuff had spred from tha splintas in his arm onto tha lettabox, an now it had a little fungusy roof. I thort then that sinse tha Wird spred from peeple onto things, tha Asembly Ov Jehova cathedril mustv been chokablok with Evanjilists to get that black.

Our house wos ezy to pick becos ov me mums wite pickit fense. She got tha idea from a pitcha in a House An Gardin that Ide filched from Parly House. Tha local perv kids usta sneek ova in tha middle ov tha nite with spraypaint, then shede heer tha rattle ov tha cans an cum rushing out with her dads shotgun that wede kept hidden from tha wepon amnisty drives, an thayde skatter, larfing. It wos tha Corzway joke, cos evrybody knu tha gun wos brokin.

I found them in tha kitchin kerld up togetha unda tha table, with our dog Busta snuck into me mums lap jis how he usta do on tha couch at nite wen she wotched telly. Tha Wirdstuff had shriviled black onto thair bones like in a pitcha Jilly onse showd me ov a plase called Pompey. I stood in tha doorway for a bit, notising how Harleys shoelases were undun an membring tha flowry blu tablecloth wos me mums fayvrit, awl tha wile nicking little peeces ov wood off tha door frame with my finganails. A big lump ov sumthing sat in my chest, an I had to clench hard down to stop my jaw wobbling. Afta I left, my hands started to hert reely badly an I saw that Ide ripped sum ov tha nails off me fingas, so now thay were bleeding.

It wos only later that I reelized Grabit wosn thare. But I neva went back to look agen.

* * * *

Tha nite afta Ide dun tha supply run on me own to Parly House, Gash shouted from tha Exhibishon Table for us to cum look. We rushed in an saw how tha 2-fist ball had a punkcha, an how a tiny bit ov blackstuff wos leeking onto tha wood.

Thass bad Jilly sed, dont tuch eny ovit. So we jis looked sum more. I wos thinking hard about splintas an wetha eny were gonna cum out wen Arlee sed in her Hed Girl voise did sumone go neer tha 2-fist ball? Afta a bit Mouse sed skaredy, yes I hit it with me war hammer - jis a little tap to see if thare wos enything usefull inside. Her face wos skrunching up to cry an Arlee wos gonna take a swing at her, but Jilly reeched out an held Arlees one tite fist in her 2 delikit ones. Arlee, she sed, I kno you can make Mouse show you her hands, parms up.

Only Jilly cud get a Hed Girl like Arlee to stop an do tha rite thing, an awl tha wile follow propa etiket. Mouse showd her hands an tho thay were black, it wos normil evryday black, nuthing like wot wos cuming out ov tha ball. You didn get eny ov that stuff on you then? Arlee aksed, an Mouse sed no cos it wosn cuming out befor. Well yor very lucky Jilly sed, an gave her a big sqweezy hug. Tha rest ovus jis stood thare a bit awkwid, seeing how Jilly still had sumthing inside her that wede awl gone an lost. I thort back to tha larst persin I dun that to. It wos Harley, wen tha tracta tire hede been swinging on in tha Corzway playground had brokin its chain an bounsed him on his face.

I wos awl set to tell jis then about Tilopea Park, but Mole piped up an sed Ive seen a hole lot more ov those balls unda tha Big Bird at tha Sqware Ov Apreshiashon. An wot were you doing unda tha Big Bird? Arlee aksed, getting angry awl ova agen. Rekinoytering sed Mole standing up taller than Arlee, an a fite cuming in her eyes. Mole, sed Jilly stepping qwiksmart inbetween, wot else wos down thare? A factry sed Mole, proud to have speshal informashon for Jilly. Well you betta not go neer that plase agen, Arlee growld. An that wos Hed Girl Final for awl ovus.

But afta I told Jilly about Tilopea Park, she perswaded Arlee to take tha 2-fist ball back to tha Big Bird - wich wos reely an eagel stuck on a tall pole looking down ova tha Sqware Ov Apreshiashon.

It wos a present from tha Merican goviment to tha Astralyans, Jilly sed as we pulled a rockit lorncher tube off a tank in tha Monsta Hall. Wot for? I aksed. For being such good allys, she sed. Like how? I aksed. Like wotching thair backs wen thay were envading uther peeples cuntries, an letting them put reserch bases in tha Astralyan desert on didginis ground. An becos ov that, thay bilt a Sqware Ov Apreshiashon in evry Astralyan city. With bird poles like ours? I aksed. Yes, she sed, but a difrent sort ov bird on each one.

Wen we got back to tha Exhibishon Table tha blackstuff had bernt a hole rite thru tha wood, so we qwikly poked tha 2-fist ball inside tha tube an plugged tha ends. Then off we went upriver to tha Big Bird.

Mole led tha way parst tha razer wire into tha Sqware Ov Appreshiashon to tha harfsize metal door hanging open at tha back ov tha bird pole. An then we climed down into tha Mericans undaground factry.

At ferst thare wos jis lots ov mashinery rooms but nuthing to see, an Arlee sed why arnt thare eny ded Mericans? wich is wot we were awl wundering. Then we got to an open spase with computas an maps ov difrent Astralyan cities on tha walls. Tha Cambra one had a cross for tha Big Bird, an lines with numbas (Trajektrys, sed Jilly) drawn from thare to tha Corzway an Okes Estate an Tuggers, wich were awl marked brite pink. Jilly red out sum uther riting that sed Target Sites, an I put one-an-one togetha. I sed thay shot those 2-fist balls out ov tha Big Bird, didn thay? I went ova an found Tilopea Park with my finga. Wot if thay were gonna drop them jis on tha perv suberbs, but sumthing went rong?

Jilly wos walking up an down tha map walls like she had bees in her bonnit. Tha Mericans left, she sed, becos thay reelized tha Wird wud spred like Mixamatosis, an thay cudn stop it.

I wos gonna aks about Mixamatosis wen Mole sed look thru thare, an pointed to a glass peephole beside a door marked with a hazid sine, like on hospital waystbins. An thass wen I saw Grabit. She wos dressed in a Merican uniform, sitting in a mashinery room filled with 2-fist balls. Tha one shede rapped her arms around had berst, an she wos cuverd in Wirdstuff.

We ditched tha rockit tube an footed it out ov thare to be back in tha Emorial Dome befor liteup. An wile we were following tha boundry fense behind Cambell, tha militry suberb on tha Qweenbein side ov Mount Ainsly, Jilly kept going ova to Mouse to see if she wos awlrite. I wos a bit anoyd about tha attenshon Mouse wos getting - speshly afta tha cuddle - so wen Jilly sed to me maybe we shud do sum reserch to find out more about tha 2-fist balls, I sed in me big loud voice DO NT BE SUCH A POLLY.

I wos sorry as soon as it left me mouth. I sed dont lissin to me Ime a fukwit an I didn reely meen wot jis came out. But she looked at me so darkeyed an silent that my hart jumped into me throte.

She went off on her own that same day, creeping out wile it wos still britelite - probly to go on reserch without me.

Afta shede been gone maybe harf a day, with me sick to tha stumick an swetting alone in our sleephole, I went to Arlee cuddled up in tha back ov tha comando truck with Daris, her ragsharer. I sed Jillys missing an Ime worried now. Arlee jis nodded, an called out awl tha girlies.

She orgenized us strate away into serch groups. Me an Maglet got tha neerby riverbank. We serched parst tha Anzak Perade monuments swollowd in weeds, then started upstreem along tha top ov tha gully, checking ova tha edge in case shede fallen. But I knu she hadn.

We found her in tha belltower, lent agenst tha concreet, draglines cuming an going from her body for evry time shede tryd to crorl for home an been forsed back. An jis so we knu who, tha Narsties had drawn thair sine on tha wall above her - a nuclea simbol with a snarly face in tha middle, same as on tha backs ov thair speshal protekshon suits.

I held her, my skinny girl, with her neck lolled back an gaping, an skreemed up at tha belltower shadow poking its poizin finga into tha sky. I skreemed til my throte wos raw an I wos choking on bits ovit, but thare wos no bottom to ware it wos cuming from.

I tryd to put her dress back on riteway round but it wos so ripped I cudn, so I kissed her beutifull cutup face til tha blud onit wos wet agen an I cud taste tha things that had been dun to her. Then I cuddled her up close an licked her like a newborn, as if wen I got tha blud off shede brethe agen. But it wos too late to tern tha bad around. ltd gone an blacked ova tha wite litening foreva.

* * * *

We beried Jilly jis by ware I am now. Tha uther girlies wanned to put her strate unda a pile ov granit stones, but I cudn bare to think ov her lying so close to awl tha bad. So I made them dig down with war vetrins shuvels to cleen soil, an I lade her in, dress tucked round her poor brused legs an hed resting on my duffercoat, wile Arlee sed werds ov consilayshon about Girlpower an tha Aftalife. Then evrything went blery in tha hole, like awlredy she wos mixing with tha erth.

Jilly alus looked so delikit, like she mite brake if enyone pushed on her tha rong way, but in her hed she wos tha strong one ov awl ovus. An she wudv told us why not to do wot we did next.

Tha girlies vowd a pact ov vengense on her Hed Man dad, becos badness alus bleeds from tha top down, an he wos at tha top. We stood round tha Fountin Ov Tha Hedless Solja, cutting into our arms with a Veetnam Vetrins mashetty from tha Exhibishon Table an smeering our blud on tha Solja. I stuck my arm agenst tha metal an sed tha vengense werds, but awl tha time I wos looking down a long tunnil from far away, jis wanning to go ware Jillyd gone. Afta that, Mole thort up tha idea to use tha 2-fist balls. But ferst we went to tern tha weel.

It wos a no moon nite, inbetween tha blud, an tha water rored unda us like a monsta inits hole. We stood on tha ledge in silense, wating our tern, then one at a time latched onto a bell an swung down into tha cold water, thinking ov Jillys poor brokin body an ravenge.

We went an got sum more rockit tubes from tha Monsta Hall an marched them to tha Big Bird, loding up sevral balls from tha edge ov tha Hazid Room away from Grabit, then 2 girlies to a tube we crept ova tha bridge, across tha mudflats, an down tha persinhole outside tha Parly safety wall.

Sneeking down tha coridors ov power into tha deeper chambas I thort ov Grabit left awl by herself unda tha Big Bird, an wetha she mite have dun a switcheroo on tha Mericans Trajektrys an Target Sites from tha perv suberbs to tha Parly Tryangle an city centa then pushed tha GO button becos she didn kno that tha Wird wud spred like mixamatosis. I wunderd how cum shede sed about Jilly an me being joynd, an not about tha tearible things afta that. But maybe shede jis told tha good bits cos thare wos nuthing she cud do to stop tha bad hapining evenshally.

Jillys dad wos in tha Priority Room in tha Bigshot Chair, snoring in his Hed Man robes. We tiptoed in an grabbed him so he cudn move or shout wile we tyde him to tha chair an stuck sum rags in his mouth. Then we rolled tha lethery 2-fist balls out an lade them like devils marbles round him. Wen we dropped one in his lap for good mesure, his eyes went so wide I thort his eyeballs wud pop out.

Choosing a ball each, we hit them awl at tha same time with tha Hardifacts wede brort - jis a little bit like Mouse had dun, so nuthing wud cum out strate away. I got to hit tha one on his lap becos I wos Jillys ragsharer. Then we stood in frunt ov him, chanting low an meen WEEL SWINGS WERLD TERNS, BELL RINGS WERLD BERNS, like we were laying a kerse. I cudn look on his face enymore, so I stared at his row ov polly medals ware soon it wud be jis as black as on tha inside. An then we left tha way we came.

* * * *

Pritty soon tha Narsties came afta us for wot we dun, an thay neva even botherd to sneek up. We herd them ferst at tha belltower, an a bunch ovus went down to spy. Thay were flame blarsting tha slabs ov concreet with our girl simbols on, an pushing woteva thay cud into tha river. Then thay got tha bellweel with tha pulling ropes, an tugged so hard that tha bells clanged agenst tha hammer like heaven wos anounsing Gabrial or God. But insted it wos tha Narsties dressed in traffik orange with snarly faces on thair backs.

I neva found out wot made them an Jilly’s dad hate pervs so much. Grabit usta say that thare wud be more pervs evry generashon, an altho sum peeple wernt happy about that, it wos jis Natral Selekshon. But I wudn kno enything about it. Wot I do kno is that tha Wird made evryone do things that shud neva be dun. Like wen tha Narsties got hold ov Mouse for being larst away from tha belltower, an stuck a pole awl tha way up her an put her onit in frunt ov tha Emorial Dome jis befor thay came in for us.

Tha fite didn larst long becos nun ov our Hardifacts werked very well as wepons, an tha Narsties had oxysuits with gasjets an speerguns. In tha middle ovit awl Arlee got skewerd rite thru an fell ded on top ov me, pushing tha barbs into my stumick, an then tha membrense tiles unda us calapsed an I fell into a serprise war trench. Thay torched her rite ware she wos an left her body plugging up tha hole with me still undaneath.

Afta thayde got thru with awl tha girlies an thare wos no more skreeming, tha Narsties took off. I pushed on Arlee til I cud crorl out, an then thare I wos unda tha Emorial Dome with tha silense an metaly smell ov blud, tha one whode brort trubble home in tha ferst plase an made Jilly go off by herself an get cort - tha one girly who didn dezerve to be left alive.

* * * *

So thass why its jis me now telling you this from harfway up Mount Ainsly, with Jilly ded unda tha stones, tha girlies gone, an no weel left to tern.

Grabit came parst a wile ago, spikanspan in her Merican uniform, saying that tha wife litening is cuming for me soon. An she shud kno - shes tha one with tha Gift. Meenwile Ive got an eyeballs vue to Parly House, tha flag flapping onits pole like a bird cort in tha clouds, but I carnt rememba if tha suns gone down awlredy. Ime jis thinking about Jilly, an ovus snuffling an larfing in our sleephole with tha wite litening awl around like an angels halo. An how nuthing - not even tha Wird - wos bad enuff to hert us that one time ov my life wen I thort good stuff cud happin, an that it mite even larst.