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I’vegotmylibrarycards.Creditcards.Things,"headded,desperately.
Attheoppositeendofthehall,Richardnoticed,withthedispassionateclaritythatcomeswhenalunaticisabouttoslityourthroatwithapieceofbrokenglass,peoplewerethrowingthemselvestotheground,bowinglow,andremainingonthefloor.Asmallblackshapewascomingtowardthemalongtheground."Ithinkamoment’sreflectionmightprovethatwe’reallbeingverysilly,"saidRichard.Hehadnoideawhatthewordsmeant,justthattheywerecomingoutofhismouth,andthataslongashewastalking,hewasnotdead."Now,whydon’tyouputthataway,and—excuseme,that’smybag,"thislasttoathin,bedraggledgirlinherlateteenswhohadtakenRichard’sbagandwasroughlytippinghispossessionsoutontotheground.
Thepeopleinthehallcontinuedtobow,andtostaybowed,asthesmallshapecamecloser.ItreachedthegroupofpeoplearoundRichard,althoughnotaoneofthemnoticedit.TheywerealllookingatRichard.
Itwasarat,whichlookedupatRichard,curiously.Hehadthebizarreandmomentaryimpressionthatitwinkedoneofitslittleblackoildropeyesathim.Thenitcluttered,loudly.
Themanwiththeglassdaggerthrewhimselfonhisknees.Sodidthepeoplegatheredaroundthem.So,too,afteramoment’shesitation,andalittlemoreawkwardly,didthehomelessman,theonetheyhadcalledIliaster.Inamoment,Richardwastheonlyonestanding.Thethingirltuggedathiselbow,andhe,too,wentdownononeknee.
LordRat-speakerbowedsolowthathislonghairbrushedtheground,andhechitteredbackattherat,wrinklinghisnose,showinghisteeth,squeakingandhissing,foralltheworldlikeanenormousrathimself.
