? ? tp-e? ="re? h" content="? rl=http://sn? tumor.bl? ot.com/2007/07/broken-mo? hp" />
? ky T? ? oken mol? itle>
<styl? pe="? ? " media=? een">
? border-bottom:dotted? #000000? ? om:0?
h2 {margin-bottom? ;}
h2#arch? ? addi? op:10px;marg? op:40px;bord? op:dotte? x #999999;}
h3 {padding-top:30px;c? :#555555;padding? tom:0px;margin-botto? x;}
bo? ? -family:? gia,Serif;fo? ize:1em;margin:3%;paddin? x;ba? ound:#ffffff;color:#0000?
div.blogPost {paddingt:5%;padding-right:1?
div.byline {c? :#555555;}
p#blogg? ? addi? op:20px;}
.blogCom? ? addi? op:30px;color:#555555;padding-bottom? ? gin-? om:0px;font-weight:b?
.blogComm? ? line {fo? ize:1em;? -weight:normal;c? :#555555? gin-right:10px;display:inline}
.blogComment {font-size:1em? gin:3%;c? :#000000;font-we? ? ?
.deleted-comment {font-styl? alic;color:gray;}
#blogf? ?
#postfeeds { }
.paging-? rol-? ainer {
float: right;
margin? ? ? ? x;
font-size: 80%;
}
.unneeded-paging-? rol {
visibility: en;
}
<? le>
? ? ? pe="? ? ? ipt"? nction()? ar a=window;function c(b){th? ={};? .tic? nction(d,i,e){e=e?e:? ? e).getTime();this.t[d]=[e,i]};th? ick("start",null? var f=new c;? timi? Timer:c,load:f};? var ? ll;if(a.chrome&&a.chrome.csi)g=Math.floor(a.chrome.csi().pageT);if(g? ll)if(a.gtbE? nal)g=a.gtbE? nal.pageT();if(g? ll)if(a.external)g=a? ernal.pageT;if(g)a.jstiming.pt=g? ch(h){};a.tickAboveFold=function? b=b;var d=0;if(b.offsetParent){do d+=b.offse? ;while(b=b.offse? ent)}b=d;b<=750&&a.jstiming.load.tick("aft")};var j=? ? nction k(){if(!j){j=true;a.jstiming.load.tick("f? ScrollTime")}}a.addE? ? ? ?a.a? entListener(? oll",k,false):a.atta? ent(? croll",k);
})()? ? t><meta ? ? iv="? ent-Type" conten? ext/html; charset=UTF-8" />
? a name="MSSmartTagsPreventParsing" content="true" />
<meta name="gen? or" ? ent="Blo? " />
<li? el="icon? pe="e/vnd.mi? oft.icon? ef="? ? ww.blogger.com/favicon.ico"/>
<link rel=? ernate" type? plicatio? ? ml" title="Snark? mor ? om" href? tp://snarky.tumo? b-ab? .com/atom.xml" />
<link rel=? ernate" type? plicatio? s+xm? itle="Sn? Tumor - RSS? ef="? ? nark? mor.usb-abacus.c? ? ml" />
<link rel="see.post" type? plicatio? ? ml" title="Snark? mor ? om" href? tp:/? .blo? .com/feeds/51310623995325731? ? /def? " />
<li? el="? URI"? e="applicati? ? ml" title="RSD" href? tp:/? .blo? .com/rsd.g?blogID=5131062399532573109" />
<link rel=? ernate" type? plicatio? ? ml" title="Snark? mor ? om" href? tp:/? .blo? .com/feeds/5131062399532573109/3433257868149834820/comments/default" />
<li? el="stylesheet" type="text/css" href? tp:/? .blo? .com/static/? ? /50269083-blog_c? ols.css"/> <link rel? ? ? ? pe="? ? ? ef="? ? ww.blogger.com/dyn-css/authorization? ? getBlogID=513106239953257310? =b7db-a8e1-46d2-a611-bd4d1edf53a3"/>
</head>
<body>
<!-- To aid wi? he Blogger NavBar -->
<div i? rap4">
<!-- Header -->
<h1>? ky T? </h1>
<!-- Blog ? s -->
<h3>Monday, July 23, 2007</h3>
<a name="3433257868149834820">&? ;</a>
<h2>
? oken mold</h2>
<div c? ="blogPost">
<div style="c? ? h;"></div>What does it mean to be wicked? /><br />A golem won? ? /><br />He works his mouth and still feels the ? of dry paper. H? allowed it long ago when he began to speak.<br /? />T? ed. Sorc? . A cand? ? ? ="fo? tyle? alic? zele? pan>. Hi? other in Prague, a life without stairs. But the ? t le? had bee? ased, so--what is life?<br /? />He moves with the? ? ome creak of? ed clay. The others ? ees--the? e clay, too,? ? hing? ? when they move.? hands are afire, his body a shadow.? s he? ses, and? ses again, a? ? ? and col? eeze are? footprints.<br /><br />? hinks of the Jin? ? eople of wind and flame.? ld he be an ifrit? Were ? wicked? He ? be,? ? ed imitation of ? e little ani? tha? eak,? tle,? ch, hug,? e in the bright air and ? sha? ? /><br />Didn't the Jinn gra? ishes? M he ? ld, too.<br /><br />Wishes. ? ? a little girl, sudd? ? the? end of a school playground. She is alon? itting on a swing. Absent-faced,? t in? tho? s. Nobody comes ? ? ? /><br /? ? tyle="fo? tyle? alic;">Hmm,</spa? he golem thinks. He watches.<br /><br />A be? ? somewhere. She ? he last student inside, speaking to no one. Soon, the yard is de? ed, and he c? lip insi? ? chool unobserved. Doors opening and ? ing ? ? own tend to, he's discovered, attract attention? /><br /? ide is all cold ? e linoleum a? teely blue-gray walls. He feels almost c? ? hobi? teels himself. The golem? ? er been in a school before, so does not feel luc? hat each doo? ? ? h a wide window, providing a cle? iew of each ? sroom and th? udents i? cerated ? ein.? tead, a dull? tain? hat ? is how all schools are ? in his hollow head with? ? lar <spa? yle="fon? yle: italic;">thunk</span>.<br /? />He takes a good five ? tes at each window, scanning each face caref? and thoroughly, looking? the? l--<span? le="? ? le: italic;"? ? an> girl, he? ? ? beg? o think. He exam? one side of the hall first, then th? her. It ? ? e takes him ? ly an ho? o compleis c? it of the first floor. No sign of his girl. ? tand? ock-still for a moment, wondering if he has ? emembered her face, then sees a sign at the far end ? he hall ? to a formidable steel door ? ? ith ? sh-bar: "Stairs.? /><br />He trudges ? he end of the hall, makes certain no one is watching, an? ? the doo? en. ? ly, ? ily, he begi? o climb the concrete-and-iro? aircase. When he rea? the second floor, a sign on the steely-blue cinderblock wall po? up and ? ? ? , saying "Administration? hile below it, a? ? p sheet ? ? ? ? reads "Lowe? ? ," complete with? hick black a? pointing to the door on the left.<br /><br />He pulls i? en a? ees ? her hallway.? tuna? ? takes only three cl? ? before he f? ? ? /><br />Thi? hen, is ? e he waits.<br /? />Three? rs l? , the be? ? ? eating an echoing clango? and? n the hall and a? s the golem'? one skin. The vi? ion ? npleasant, b? he golem? ? this when a? eam of children begi? ouring out of each door and ? s into a gre? ? of shriekin? ? ing babb? hat barely c? up ? he golem? ? ? /><br /? t, finally, ? , his girl leaves. Sad a? ilent, h? read is ? , her shoulders bowed. He fo? s her do? ? ? s, down hall? t the door, and ? the chain-link gate. She walks ? two blocks before e? ing a na? doo? in ? imy bric? ilding, and he follows. The ? ? ? case provides difficult climbing? the golem, ? e chest is a? oad as his girl ? all.<br /><br />She reaches the ? d floor, where a hal? lies, i? ? yellowed wi? ? and cig? ? moke. There are ? two doors, and she chooses the one ? he left. The gol? uick? ? in behind her, but has to hold the ? open long enough for him to? er. ? ? ely,? ? l th? the rug? ? ten caught in the doorjamb, and spen? ? ? econds a? ting? ? itio? recious secothe gole? ? o slide into the apartme? ? iced? /><br />The apartment is fi? ? oken? liances and old ? papers e? ? e. It sm? of stale cigare? and, vaguely, of cat piss, ? ? he golem hears no meowing. The living room is the foyer,? orn-out old green couch positioned i? ont ? he TV, a fad? laid armchair ne? ? ? st i? ont ? he door. In it is a man,? , goatee? earing a gray sleeve? undershirt (it was once white), and? ers with such enormous h? that the golem ? ? know how his genitals are n? isible.<br /? />Though he? ? tle experien? ith normal living co? ? , the golem how,? ? ically, ? s th? his is not a good home. ? is not his girl? roper place. He ? the open can of beer in the man's left hand, poised over a pile of ? hed ? cans of sim? make, and k? this ma? ? in his right mind.<br /? />Still, he is ? rised wh? he m? right hand ? ? t an? abs hold of the girl? ? arm. Sh? ? in shock, a? o do? he golem? /><br />The man bel? , giving vent to? rodi? sly flammable vapor. "You're an ? ? e," ? ays,? speech not,? ? ? ite ? ell-defined as human speech ? ld be.<br /><br />The gi? ays nothing.<br /><br />"Well?" he asks. "Gonna be a smass bitch? Too go? o ta? o your ol' d? ms?"<br /><br />She maintains her silence, looking away. The gol? enses th? he k? this will not e? ell, no ? ? hat she chooses to do. So she does nothing. It is going to happen an? ? /><br />"Smart-ass bitch, huh?" the man growls. He jerks her cl? to him and grin? howi? ? al gaps. "Not a fucking sound. That's gonna chan? ? ? ? ? ? ." With ? ick, con? ive move? , he pul? he l? that cl? ? recline? ? the? l in front of him, a? ? s her on the? ch. Stil? ? ays nothing.<br /><br />? ? ? over an? lls down? ? ? ? s.<br /><br />The golem has had ? gh. He g? the man? houl? ? lls him off ? he girl, gri? he m? ? er jaw, the man's flesh ? ling in the golem's burning ? , an? pan style="font-style: italic;">? ts</span>. A dull snap is heard, and then nothing.<br /><br />The golem ? the body fall.<br /? />His girl still does n? . Sh? ? at the ? se, her ? ? en, stunned. She waits. When no motion is forthcoming, a? ? ealizes ? he is no lo? breathing, she ging? climbs off ? he couch, and pokes his arm with the toe of her shoe. Nothing.<br /><br />She pokes him harder. Nothing. Still harder, and a? ? lash? ? ? he gloom? artment. Startle? he golem realizes th? his new soun? ? ob. His girl kee? oking the lifeless <span? le="? ? le: italic;">thing</span> on the floor--and here, the golem begi? o wo? what the di? ence? ween himself and the mea? ing at his feet really is--harder, and harde? ntil she is no longer poking? kicking. Vi? sly her tenn? hoe stabs the cooling flesh as h? eeping becomes louder and more--somehow-? ltant.<br /><br />Wh? he girl finally ? ? inding down like a broken toy, her father's face is ? ined? lpy ? , and his body is covered in? ? ? once again silent, except for a? tain? ch in he? eath. She sits back down on the couch, a? uddenly, she thinks ? ? hing? /><br /? someone there?" she calls out. It is the first time the golem h? ? voice.<br /? />He considers for a mo? . Finally, he sa? ? ly, "I am here."<br r />"Where? I can't see you.? are? ? e?"<br /? />"I am a golem," he says b? ly. ? hing of ? . You ca? see me because I do? want to be seen. I am here because..." His voice fades. He ? ? kno? reci? , why he is here? /><br />"Be? e why?" Her voic? plaintive.<br /? />I? as good an ? er as any. "Because you needed me."<br /? />She i? iet for a mo? . Th? he asks, "Can I see you?? /><br />"No."<br /><br />She does n? ay anything. Fin? , the golem ? , "Y? hould ca? ? olice. Tell them? ? ? ed a man in here? saulting? r fa? . He? ld not bring himself to ? a child, sod."<br /? />She nods,? ing nothing.<br /><br />"I am going to go," ? ays hesi? ly. ? will not see me again." Something in him makes him ? e, a? hen say, "Ma? he most ? his.? /><br />She nods si? ly again? /><br />He ? s th? artment, leaving the? l nothin? t a warm breeze and a do? hat opens and cl? by itself.<br /? />He le? the building, j? the crowd o? ? ? hing? ? ? t the doorway, a? ealizes ? he has ? killed ? man. He has ? ? ? tyle="fo? tyle? alic;">ended? an>. The end of a golem comes about by either one of two means. ? t, in smithereen? econd, b? asing a singetter on? iece of paper.<br /><br ? that ea? than snuffi? ? apient flame? He thinks it i? ch easier to erase a hum? han a golem. Does that make him a wicked cre? e?<br /><br />What does it mean to be wicked? /><br />A golem won? .<di? yle="clear:both; padding? tom:0.25em">v><br />
<div ? s="bylin? oste? Hugh Va? ? z &? ;# <? ef="? ? nark? mor.usb-abacus.com/2007/07/broken-mo? hp" titl? erma? link">9:42 AM</a> <span class="item-control blog-admin pid-1556466247">? tyle="bo? :none;" href? tp:/? .blo? .com? t-edit.g?blogID=5131062399532573109&? ID=3433257868149834820" title="Edit ? "><img c? ="icon-action" alt="? c="http:? w.blogger.com:80/img/icon18_? _allbkg.gif" height="18" width="18"></a>? an> </div>
</div>
? class="blogComm? ">
<a name="comments"></a>
Comm? :
<a class="com? -link" href=? ps:/? .blo? .com/com? .g?blogID=5131062399532573109&postID=3433257868149834820">Post a Com? </a>
<p id="? feeds"></p>
<br /> <br />
? /> <br />
<a href=? p://? ? ? .usb-abacus.com/index.php"><< Home</a>
</div>
<!-? ? e Links -->
<h2 id="arch? ? ? es</h2>
<p>
<a href? tp://snarky.tumo? b-ab? .com/2007_05_01_archive.php"? 2007</a> &? ;
<a href=? p://? ? ? .usb-abacus.com/2007_06_01_archi? hp">June 2007</a> &? ;
<a href=? p://? ? ? .usb-abacus.com/2007_07_01_archi? hp">? 2007</a> &? ;
<a href=? p://? ? ? .usb-abacus.com/2007_08_01_archi? hp">? st 2007</a>&? ;
<a href="http://sn? .tum? sb-a? s.com/2007_09_01_archive? ">September 2007</a>? p;
<? ef="? ? nark? mor.usb-abacus.com/2007_10_0? ? e.php">October 2007</a>&? ;
<a href="http://sn? .tum? sb-a? s.com/201_01_archive? ">Ja? y 2008</a> ? p;
<a href? tp://snarky.tumo? b-ab? .com/2008_03_01_archive.php"? ch 2008</a>&? ;
<a href="http://sn? .tum? sb-a? s.com/2008_04_01_archive? ? ril 2008</a>? p;
<? ef="? ? nark? mor.usb-abacus.com/2008_07_0? ? e.php">July 2008</a>? p;
<? ef="? ? nark? mor.usb-abacus.com/2008_09_0? ? e.php">Septe? 2008</a> &? ;
<a href=? p://? ? ? .usb-abacus.com/2008_12_01_archi? hp">Dece? 2008</a> &? ;
<a href=? p://? ? ? .usb-abacus.com/2009_01_01_archi? hp">? ary 2009</a>? p;
<? ef="? ? nark? mor.usb-abacus.c009_02_0? ? e.php">F? ary 2009</a>? p;
<? ef="? ? nark? mor.usb-abacus.com/2010_04_0? ? e.php">April 2010</a> &? ;
? ? ? pe="? ? ? ipt" language="J? ? t">if (l? ion.href.indexOf? ? e")!=-1) documen? ite(? rong><a href=\"http://sn? .tum? sb-a? s.com/index.php\? rrent Posts</a><? ong>? ipt></p>
<!-- In accordan? o the Blogger terms ? ervice, please leave thi? tton somewhere on your blogg? ? ? age. Thanks! -->
<p id="bloggerBug"><a href=? p://www.blogger.com"><img width="88" height="31" src? tp:/? ? .blo? .com/blo? ? on1.gif"? der="0" alt="This page is powere? ? ? n't ? s?" /></a></p>
<p id="blogfeeds">Subscri? o Posts [<a target="_blank" href? tp://snarky.tumo? b-ab? .com/atom.xm? ype=? lication/atom+xml">Atom</a>]</p>
</div>
<sc? ? ? ext/javascript" src=? p://www.blogger.com/? ? 1/common/js/38242495? itai? "></script>
? ipt type="text/j? ? t">BLOG_? Csi(? _blogspot');</sc? ></body>
</html>