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Four
"Dowehavetogoacrossit?"heasked."Can’twegettothemarketsomeotherway?"Theypausedatthebaseofthebridge.
Anaesthesiashookherhead."Wecangettotheplaceit’sin,"shesaid."Butthemarketwouldn’tbethere."
"Huh?Butthat’sridiculous.Imean,something’seitherthereorit’snot.Isn’tit?"
Sheshookherhead.Therewasabuzzofvoicesfrombehindthem,andsomeonepushedRichardtotheground.Helookedup:ahugeman,crudelytattooed,dressedinimprovisedrubberandleatherclothesthatlookedliketheyhadbeencutoutoftheinsideofcars,staredbackdownathim,dispassionately.Behindthehugemanwereadozenothers,maleandfemale:peoplewholookedliketheywereontheirwaytoaparticularlylow-rentcostumeparty."Somebody,"saidVarney,whowasnotinagoodmood,"wasinmyway.Somebodyoughttowatchwherehe’sgoing."
Once,asasmallboywalkinghomefromschool,Richardhadencounteredaratinaditchbythesideoftheroad.WhentheratsawRichardithadrearedupontoitshindlegsandhissedandjumped,terrifyingRichard.Hebackedawaymarvellingthatsomethingsosmallhadbeensowillingtofightsomethingsomuchlargerthanitself.NowAnaesthesiasteppedbetweenRichardandVarney.Shewaslessthanhalfhissize,butsheglaredatthebigmanandbaredherteeth,andshehissedlikeanangryratatbay.Varneytookastepbackwards.HespatatRichard’sshoes.Thenheturnedaway,and,takingtheknotofpeoplewithhim,hewalkedacrossthebridgeandintothedark.
