Таинственная история Билли Миллигана

           ButArthurobservedhim,hisswiftness,hisangei;andhededucedwhyRagenwasthere.HerealizedthatRagenssuddenemotionaloutburstswouldhavetobedealtwith.Butitwouldbenecessarytostudyandunderstandhimbeforeheintroducedhimself.WhatsurprisedhimmostofallwasthatRagenwasthinkinginaSlavicaccent.ArthurfelttheSlavshadbeenthefirstbarbarians.IndealingwithRagen,hewasdealingwithabarbarian.Dangerous,butthekindofpersonwhomightprovenecessaryintimesofdanger,apowertobeharnessed.Arthurwouldbidehistimeandapproachhimwhenhefeltitwasright.

           Severalweekslater"Kevin"joinedsometoughboysinadirt-clodfightagainstkidsfromanotherneighborhood.Thebattlegroundwasamoundofdirtbehindabigpitwhereahousingdevelopmentwasunderconstruction.Kevinwasfeelingroughandtough,tossingtheclods,laughingashemissed,watchingthemexplodelikedirtbombs.

           Thenheheardastrangevoicefromsomewherebesidehimsay,"Lowah.Trowdemlowah!"

           Hestoppedandlookedaround,butnoonewascloseby.Thenhehearditagain:"Lowah...lowah...trowdemtingslowah."ItwasavoiceliketheBrooklynsoldiersinthewarmoviehehadseenonTV."Y’shouldtrowdemdamneddoitclodslowah!"

           Kevinwasbaffled.Hestoppedthrowingandsatdownonthedirtpile,tofigureoutwhowastalkingtohim.

           "Whereareyou?"Kevinasked.