Why was worth that Penny Kasparov, 8 years old, ascended the hill across the valley ... The path Hello guys, back to post on the blog after quite a while that I did. I'm still reading all your contributions, and following the stories of the Omega team, and bounty hunters. Congratulations to all. Public following a short story I've just finished writing, I hope you enjoy. The title is a bit long in the form of a question ... Waiting for comments and suggestions!
soon and Happy Easter to all
Luigi PS: In Rome, at the conference on Aristotle's Poetics, I met Peter and Alex (the latter, however, does not write to WA). Interesting reflections with Piazza Navona, on the future of fiction and philosophy ... I wonder whether, sooner or later be able to write something on the blog ...
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Why valse Penny worth that Kasparov, 8 years, ascended the hill across the valley to get to the house of the old Snibbs? [...]
The house of the old Snibbs was a legend throughout the region. Few really knew him, but his figure was the result of a wide variety of stories, which over the years were fused together to draw this figure fearful and anxious. The horrid Snibbs was a tough guy: he had one eye perpetually half-closed and I peered with each other, which was large and yellowish. He had a dark past and ran through the house to himself gridacchiando unrepeatable words. Snibbs was a genius, or perhaps a magician, potions to be developed by the prodigious effects, so much so that some said was a sorcerer. In reality it probably was. He was only a garden of herbs believed to be sufficiently rare magic. He had brought himself from the lands of the East where he had traveled many years, seeing wonderful things and terrible living meetings, which had made him so feared and closed. Penny
But Kasparov did not have time to build up fantasies, since the only mother who was very ill, and would leave very early if you, Penny, had not done something.
And when the last of the five doctors had gone, he shrugged and mumbled sorry that the disease was beyond his knowledge, Penny realized that there were two possibilities. Sad sit before the fire, waiting for mom to die, or go to the old Snibbs you looked at the yellow eye, and asked a few leaves of one of its plants, the only remedy against the pneumotoxic from which her mother was suffering. In Kasparov
cabin life went on, punctuated by ball Smooders of five years, repeatedly hurled against the wall, and the agony of coughing that haunted the mother from morning to evening and overnight. Only at dawn to calm down a bit, and then the mother could speak in a low voice, feebly.
"I'll be away soon, Mom. It'll come back with the remedy. "
"Penny, take care of yourself: your life is important than my ' the mother replied in a faint voice, smiling with tears in his eyes, which shone in the face excavated.
"My life is not yet ready to go on without you." Penny finished, and glanced at Smooders asleep in the next bed, with the ball close to a hand under the pillow, left the cabin without a sound. Quick
on the path that led away from home Penny went on the reef, watching the sea and sighed: "When you get Dad? Who knows where you are, now that the mother would need you ...».
The old house was surrounded by high hedges Snibbs: Penny climbed over the gate that gave access to the garden and walked toward the door. It was a door Solid wood, with a peephole in the middle.
The peephole opened and a huge yellow eye peered out. "Who?".
Penny swallowed a couple of times. Despite the determination was really scared.
"I'm Penny Kasparov," he answered firmly.
"What do you want?"
want to speak with you, old Snibbs. The old
Snibbs opened the door with a creak, and there stood the little girl, unarmed and with a cape that made her look like Little Red Riding Hood.
"Well?" Said Snibbs after it squared with the one good eye.
Penny looked at him in the face: it was not as bad as described. He had gray hair quite long and unkempt, his face with few wrinkles, like a rich green apron dress. a pair of glasses, perched in the middle of the nose magnified in the left eye and right eye half-closed decidedly yellowish in color.
"I must ask you something: I enter?" Asked Penny, and began to take the first step beyond the threshold of the house.
"What you ask?"
"I live across the valley. I came all this way because my mother has pneumotoxic. was visited by five doctors, one of the most talented of the city and found no solution. "
"What have I to do?". Snibbs asked squinting eye.
"Do not pretend not to understand, old Snibbs: she has remedies for all evils, in his garden. What it makes of its concoctions, if you do not need to heal those who genuinely need it? "
" What do you know of my concoctions? "Replied the old man starting to speak out," What do you know me? And how dare you come to my house to insult you with that little red riding hood capes? Do you realize that I could kill you and no one would notice anything? ". She said it to scare them, it was clear immediately thought Penny, and the terror caused by the initial words eased. "I am willing to pay," she added, trying not to show fear.
'Pay? And with what money? ".
"I will work, if necessary. But I'm not leaving here until I have given the medicine. "
Snibbs looked for that little girl had liver. Slowly he walked to the shelf where they were neatly placed the jars full of medical leaves. He put a hand on the jar Tucara Erbix. "And what would you be willing to pay?"
Penny was silent for a moment: he had no idea how much things cost, then the idea was: "At least twice what you would pay to save the life of his mother. "
Snibbs taste laughed: "Little naughty that you are nothing, you think you pity me with your words? It is easy to pity the old Snibbs "and so saying, looked at his eye, studying the reactions.
Penny watched the jar of Tucara through the glass he saw the dried leaves, light brown. Few of those leaves would be enough perhaps to restore the health of his mother, and the serenity of the family. A flash of lightning flashed in the mind.
"I do not want pity, old Snibbs. I came to ask you a favor, if you do not want to do me the favor I am willing to pay. And if you do not even want to sell: be ', then go to hell. "
Penny with a lightning shot grabbed the jar of Tucara and fled from the house before the old Snibbs could nab them.
With bated breath he reached the gate and jumped the climbed. He started running down the path when a chilling cry of the Snibbs froze. "Stop." Penny stopped, panting. "You might regret what you are doing, come back immediately," cried Snibbs.
Penny thought for a moment. But between the death of his mother's wrath and the wrath of Snibbs Snibbs chose and began to run at breakneck speed. She moved her legs as fast as he could. on the path down the slope and down, until he came to the valley. The ran across, and now not holding up almost forces when he began to trace the path that led to the big cliff: this time did not look at the sea and dreamed of his father, as all time I was passing by. This time not to have another thought that the house, Mom. Cuddle the jar with the precious leaves Tucara Erbix, which now puts all that remained last hopes.
The cabin door opened with a creak, and Penny was greeted by a cough that agony.
"I'm back, Mom, I have with me the medicine." The mother smiled and said nothing, because she lacked the strength. Aided by Smooders, Penny put a pot of water on the fire, and waited to boil. He looked forward to the water in the hope that the desire to make her boil boil first.
But he was shaken by a sudden thud. The door was wide open, and rectangle light loomed the figure of the old Snibbs.
Smooders paled. Despite his five years he had heard many stories about the old Snibbs, enough to know the risk they ran all three.
Snibbs panting for the journey in a hurry. He was still wearing the green apron, and had his glasses on his nose. Shoulder carrying a gray bag.
steps on the wooden floor of the cabin sounded terrible to the ears of Smooders, and also to Penny, who had put in front of the mother to protect her. The mother was just watching from his sunken eyes, which had been covered by a flash of fear for her children.
"Little brat naughty! - Snibbs began - how absurd logic you thought Tucara would you steal that helped save your mother? Only you are so ignorant not to know that Tucara Erbix can be a lethal substance? Once or twice would be enough to breathe the fumes to leave the skin and now deviating. " In a gesture put
decided by Penny and approached the pot where the water begins to boil. Closed up and moved the jar Tucara. From his knapsack he drew two or three small jars, from which it took the leaves, which fell into the water. Within seconds the cabin was filled with a bitter smell and strange, that neither Penny nor his brother had ever heard. The old man looked Snibbs water with one good eye. Every now and then shook his head and looked at Penny. Then he lifted the kettle and placed it on the table in front of the mother. It to him gently taking her head reached the kettle from which rose a plentiful steam: "Take a deep breath," he said, in a tone that Penny had never heard.
