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"I&039;VE GOT ONE," JAKE said as they ate their evening burritos

"Is it a foolish one?" Roland asked

"Nah It&039;s a real one"

"Then try me with it"

"Okay What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a head but never weeps?"

"A good one," Roland said kindly, "but an old one A river"

Jake was a little crestfallen "You really are hard to stump"

Roland tossed the last bite of his burrito to Oy, who accepted it eagerly "Not me I&039;m what Eddie calls an overpush You should have seen Alain He collected riddles the way a lady collects fans"

"That&039;s pushover, Roland, old buddy," Eddie said

"Thank you Try this one: What lies in bed, and stands in bed?/ First white, then red/ The pluets/ The better the old wo "A dork!" he yelled "Crude, Roland! But I like it! I liyyyke it!"

Roland shook his head "Your answer is wrong A good riddle is sometimes a puzzle in words, like Jake&039;s about the river, but so you look in one direction while it&039;s going somewhere else"

"It&039;s a double," Jake said He explained what Aaron Deepneau had said about the Riddle of Samson Roland nodded

"Is it a strawberry?" Susannah asked, then answered her own ques-tion "Of course it is It&039;s like the fire-riddle There&039;s a metaphor hidden inside it Once you understand the metaphor, you can solve the riddle"

"I metaphor sex, but she slapped my face and walked ahen I asked," Eddie told thee &039;gets&039; to &039;grows,&039; " Susannah went on, "it&039;s easy First white, then red Plurows, the better the old woman likes it" She looked pleased with herself

Roland nodded "The answer I always heard was a wenberry, but I&039;"

Eddie picked up Riddle-De-Duh it "How about this one, Roland? When is a door not a door?"

Roland frowned "Is it another piece of your stupidity? Because my patience-"

"No I pro, at least It&039;s in this book, and I just happen to know the answer I heard it when I was a kid"

Jake, who also knew the ansinked at Eddie Eddie winked back, and was a both eyes, and eventually gave up

Roland and Susannah,over the question "Itto do with love," Roland said "A door, adore When is adore not adore hmmm"

"Hhtful tone was perfect Eddie winked at Jake again Jake covered his mouth to hide a smile

"Is the answer false love?" Roland asked at last

"Nope"

"Window," Susannah said suddenly and decisively "When is a door not a door? When it&039;s a "

"Nope" Eddie was grinning broadly now, but Jake was struck by how far froic at work here, he thought Pretty co elephants, but- a siaht It was like playing blind-aive up," Susannah said

"Yes," Roland said "Tell if you know"

"The answer is a jar A door is not a door when it&039;s ajar Get it?" Eddie watched as comprehension dawned on Roland&039;s face and asked, a little apprehensively, "Is it a bad one? I was trying to be serious this time, Roland - really"

"Not bad at all On the contrary, it&039;s quite good Cort would have gotten it, I&039;m sure probably Alain, too, it&039;s still very clever I did what I always used to do in the schoolrooht past the answer"

"There really is so to it, isn&039;t there?" Eddie mused Roland nodded, but Eddie didn&039;t see; he was looking into the depths of the fire, where dozens of roses bloomed and faded in the coals

Roland said, "One ht on, we&039;ll stand a watch You first, Eddie, then Susannah I&039;ll take the last one"

"What about me?" Jake asked

"Later on you ht now it&039;s et your sleep"

"Do you really think sentry-duty is necessary?" Susannah asked