Page 207 (1/1)

"There’s not nized Ordo’s voice

The chorus of voices encouraged him I knew he’d do it Caulder could never withstand the prospect of approval The boy was going to be horribly sick toht

I wanted to keep walking But so made me halt and turn a little, to witness this as if I had not seen enough grotesque spectacles for one night A brief opening in the crowd showedin theiron his feet But as I stared, he obediently lifted the bottle’s mouth to his and upended it His eyes were clenched as if in pain, but I saw his Adam’s apple bob repeatedly "Down, down, down, down!" the chant rose around hi the scene I started to walk away again There was a whoop, and a roar of approval from behind me "That’s a man, Caulder! You’ve done it!" They applauded hihter Jaris laughed and cried out, "That’s done it, lads! He won’t be following us anyht! Let’s off to Lady Parra’s She’ll let us in now that we don’t have the puppy trailing after us"

All five of thehing as they went I didn’t see Caulder a, and I wanted nothing to do with it I was sure that blame for this would fall on someone tomorrow, and that it wouldn’t be Caulder The farther away from him I stayed, the better for h the clusters of people to the spot where Caulder lay flat on his back on the ground

His one outflung hand still clutched the bottle’s neck It was cheap, strong drink, not wine or beer, and I flinched fro still His face in the uneven light of the square was the same dirty white as the trampled ice underfoot His led fro around his neck His belly heaved a little and he twitched, half choking The rejected liquor rose in hisdown his cheek He coughed weakly and drew in a wet, raspy breath Then he was still again He already stank of vomit and his trouser cuffs were spattered from an earlier mishap

I didn’t want to touch hi to death on their own puke after drinking too much I didn’t dislike him so much that I wanted him to die of his own stupidity So I crouched down and rolled him onto his side At my touch, he sucked in a sudden breath He was scarcely on his side before he vo out of his mouth onto the frozen crust of dirty snow that he sprawled on He heaved twice, and then rolled onto his back again His eyes didn’t open I was suddenly struck by how pale he was Pulling off love, I touched his face His skin was cold and claain, at my touch, he pulled in a slow breath

"Caulder! Caulder? Wake up You can’t pass out here You’ll be tra around us, uncaring and unround One woman in a fox mask tittered as she went past No one stopped or stared or offered help I shook him "Caulder Get up! I can’t stay here with you Get up and on your feet"

He dragged in another breath and his eyelids fluttered I seized hi position "Wake up!" I yelled at hiain "I did it," he said faintly "I did it I drank it all! I’ether, and his voice was little more than a mutter The color had not coood," he abruptly announced "I’o hoo home, Caulder"

He put both his hands over his mouth and then dropped theged shut again If I had not been holding hiround I shook him His head wobbled back and forth For the first time, a man stopped and looked down at us "Best take him home, son, and let him sleep it off there Shouldn’t have let the lad drink so much"

"Yes, sir," I replied reflexively, with no intention of taking Caulder anywhere But neither could I just stand up and walk away fro hiet stepped on or freeze to death For it was getting colder as the night grew deeper