Chapter 33 Nyke at the Bridge

Nyke came up the lane on the hundred-and-fiftieth day, and he came at dusk, and he came with his hat and his pack, and he came to the yard gate, and he stood at the gate, and he said, "I have a card." "I have a hall," said Kessin. "I have a card," said Nyke. "For whom," said Kessin. "For the hall," said Nyke. "For the hall," said Kessin. "For the hall," said Nyke. "And the hall has a board." "The hall has a board," said Kessin. "Then the hall has the card," said Nyke. "Then the hall has the card," said Kessin. He took the card from his pocket and he gave it to Kessin, and the card was white, and the card had no mark on it, and the card had no writing, and Kessin held the card, and she said, "This is the seventh card." "This is the seventh card," said Nyke. "This is the seventh card," said Kessin. "Then I am the seventh name," said Nyke. "Then you are not the seventh name," said Kessin. "Then I am not the seventh name," said Nyke. "Then who is the seventh name," said Kessin. "I do not know," said Nyke. "I do not know," said Kessin. "Then the hall will wait," said Kessin. "Then the hall will wait," said Nyke. "Then the hall will wait until the seventh name comes," said Kessin. "Until the seventh name comes," said Nyke. "And the seventh name will come," said Kessin. "The seventh name will come," said Nyke. "And the hall will write on the card," said Kessin. "The hall will write on the card," said Nyke. "Or the hall will let the card stay empty," said Kessin. "Or the hall will not write on the card," said Nyke. "Then the hall will wait," said Kessin. "Then the hall will wait," said Nyke. He took the card from Kessin and he put the card in his pocket, and he put his hat on, and he took his pack, and he said, "I will walk the road." "You will walk the road," said Kessin. "I will walk the road," said Nyke. "And the road is the road." "The road is the road," said Kessin. "And the hall is the hall," said Nyke. "The hall is the hall," said Kessin. "And the seventh name is coming," said Nyke. "The seventh name is coming," said Kessin. He went out through the gate, and the gate opened and closed behind him, and the sound of it went out into the lane, and the hawthorn was white, and the hedge was green, and the sun was going down behind the mill, and the chalk was white on the stones, and the hall had waited, and the hall was the hall, and the seventh name was coming. Peth stood at the foot of the wheel with his case, and he looked at the gate, and the gate was closed, and the yard was quiet, and he said, "He has the card." "He has the card," said Kessin. "He has the seventh card," said Peth. "He has the seventh card," said Kessin. "Then the seventh name is going," said Peth. "Then the seventh name is coming," said Kessin. "He has walked the road," said Peth. "He has walked the road," said Kessin. "Then he has the road," said Peth. "He has the road," said Kessin. "And the road has the seventh name," said Peth. "The road has the seventh name," said Kessin. "Then the seventh name is on the road," said Peth. "The seventh name is on the road," said Kessin. "Then the seventh name will come back," said Peth. "The seventh name will come back," said Kessin. She put the coffee on and she gave Peth a cup, and Peth drank the coffee, and he ate the bread, and he did not say anything, and Kessin did not say anything, and the donkey came through the hall door and stood at the foot of the stove, and the yard was quiet, and the lane was the lane, and the chalk was white on the stones, and the board had twelve cards on it, and the tenth was white, and the seventh was on the road. Turrel came out from the kitchen with the lamp and the cloth, and she took the cup from the table, and she wiped the wood, and she said, "He has the card." "He has the card," said Kessin. "He has walked the road for a year," said Turrel. "He has walked the road for a year," said Kessin. "And the road is the road," said Turrel. "The road is the road," said Kessin. "And the road has the card," said Turrel. "The road has the card," said Kessin. "And the card is the seventh card," said Turrel. "The card is the seventh card," said Kessin. "Then the seventh name is on the road," said Turrel. "The seventh name is on the road," said Kessin. "Then the seventh name will come back," said Turrel. "The seventh name will come back," said Kessin. "Or the seventh name will not come back," said Turrel. "Or the seventh name will not come back," said Kessin. "Then the hall will wait," said Turrel. "Then the hall will wait," said Kessin. "And the hall will wait until the seventh name comes," said Turrel. "Until the seventh name comes," said Kessin. "And the hall will write on the card," said Turrel. "The hall will write on the card," said Kessin. "Or the hall will not write on the card," said Turrel. "Or the hall will keep the card as it is," said Kessin. "Then the hall will wait," said Turrel. "Then the hall will wait," said Kessin. "And the hall has twelve cards, and the hall has the debt paid, and the hall has the spring, and the hall has the hawthorn, and the hall has the bread, and the hall has the boy, and the hall has the watch, and the hall has the man with the cart, and the hall has the donkey, and the hall has the stove, and the hall has the board, and the hall has the seventh name on the road." "Then the hall has the seventh name on the road," said Turrel. "And the seventh name will come back," said Kessin. "The seventh name will come back," said Turrel. "And the hall will have the card, and the hall will have the name, and the hall will have the seventh name." "Then the hall will have the seventh name," said Kessin. "And the hall will write on the card," said Turrel. "The hall will write on the card," said Kessin. "Or the hall will not write on the card." "Or the hall will not write on the card," said Turrel. "And the card will be white." "The card will be white," said Kessin. "And the white card will be white," said Turrel. "The white card will be white," said Kessin. "And the hall will wait," said Turrel. "Then the hall will wait," said Kessin. And the hall waited, and the yard was quiet, and the hedge was green, and the hawthorn was white, and the sun was going down behind the mill, and the chalk was white on the stones, and the board had twelve cards on it, and the tenth was white, and the seventh was on the road, and the seventh name was coming, and the hall had the card, and the hall had the seventh name on the road. ---