Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” – Vocabulary List | Vocabulary.com

wake

stop sleeping

When he
woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he’d reach out to touch the child

sleeping beside him.

onset

the beginning or early stages

Like the
onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the world.

precious

of high worth or cost

His hand rose and fell softly

with each
precious breath.

plastic

synthetic material that can be molded into objects

He pushed away the
plastic tarpaulin and raised himself in the stinking robes

and blankets and looked toward the east for any light but there was none.

raise

move upwards

He pushed away the plastic tarpaulin and
raised himself in the stinking robes

and blankets and looked toward the east for any light but there was none.

wander

move or cause to move in a sinuous or circular course

In the dream from which he’d

wakened he had
wandered in a cave where the child led him by the hand.

pilgrim

someone who journeys in foreign lands

Like
pilgrims in a fable swallowed up and lost among the inward parts of some

granitic beast.

fable

a short moral story

Like pilgrims in a
fable swallowed up and lost among the inward parts of some

granitic beast.

cease

put an end to a state or an activity

Tolling in the silence the minutes of

the earth and the hours and the days of it and the years without
cease.

ancient

belonging to times long past

Until they stood in a great stone

room where lay a black and
ancient lake.

creature

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

And on the far shore a
creature that raised its dripping mouth

from the rimstone pool and stared into the light with eyes dead white and sightless as the eggs of

spiders.

stare

look at with fixed eyes

And on the far shore a creature that raised its dripping mouth

from the rimstone pool and
stared into the light with eyes dead white and sightless as the eggs of

spiders.

scent

any property detected by the olfactory system

It swung its head low over the water as if to take the
scent of what it could not see.

translucent

allowing light to pass through diffusely

Crouching

there pale and naked and
translucent, its alabaster bones cast up in shadow on the rocks behind it.

alabaster

a fine-textured white gypsum used for carving

Crouching

there pale and naked and translucent, its
alabaster bones cast up in shadow on the rocks behind it.

brain

the organ that is the center of the nervous system

The
brain that pulsed in a dull glass bell.

pulse

the rhythmic contraction and expansion of arteries

The brain that
pulsed in a dull glass bell.

dull

so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

The brain that pulsed in a
dull glass bell.

lurch

move suddenly or as if unable to control one’s movements

It swung its head from side to side

and then gave out a low moan and turned and
lurched away and loped soundlessly into the dark.

lope

run easily

It swung its head from side to side

and then gave out a low moan and turned and lurched away and
loped soundlessly into the dark.

squat

sit on one’s heels

With the first gray light he rose and left the boy sleeping and walked out to the road and

squatted and studied the country to the south.

studied

produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation

With the first gray light he rose and left the boy sleeping and walked out to the road and

squatted and
studied the country to the south.

barren

completely wanting or lacking

Barren, silent, godless.

calendar

a system of timekeeping that defines divisions of the year

He hadnt kept a
calendar for years.

surviving

still in existence

There’d be no

surviving another winter here.

valley

a long depression in the surface of the land

When it was light enough to use the binoculars he glassed the
valley below.

segment

one of several parts that fit with others to make a whole

The
segments of road down there among the dead trees.

trace

an indication that something has been present

Any
trace of standing smoke.

ashen

pale from illness or emotion

Then he

just sat there holding the binoculars and watching the
ashen daylight congeal over the land.

congeal

solidify, thicken, or come together

Then he

just sat there holding the binoculars and watching the ashen daylight
congeal over the land.

warrant

formal and explicit approval

He knew

only that the child was his
warrant.

essential

basic and fundamental

In the knapsacks were
essential things.

abandon

forsake; leave behind

In case they had to
abandon the cart and make a run

for it.

handle

touch, lift, or hold

Clamped to the
handle of the cart was a chrome motorcycle mirror that he used to watch the road

behind them.

shift

move very slightly

He
shifted the pack higher on his shoulders and looked out over the wasted country.

empty

holding or containing nothing

The

road was
empty.

serpentine

resembling a snake in form

Below in the little valley the still gray
serpentine of a river.

precise

sharply exact or accurate or delimited

Motionless and
precise.

burden

weight to be carried or borne

Along the shore a
burden of dead reeds.

entire

constituting the full quantity or extent; complete

Then they set out

along the blacktop in the gun-metal light, shuffling through the ash, each the other’s world
entire.

concrete

capable of being perceived by the senses

They crossed the river by an old
concrete bridge and a few miles on they came upon a

roadside gas station.

ford

cross a river where it’s shallow

The weeds they
forded fell to dust about them.

rumor

gossip passed around by word of mouth

The cap was gone and the man dropped to his elbows to smell the pipe

but the odor of gas was only a
rumor, faint and stale.

stale

lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration

The cap was gone and the man dropped to his elbows to smell the pipe

but the odor of gas was only a rumor, faint and
stale.

intact

undamaged in any way

The windows
intact.

service

an act of help or assistance

The door to the
service bay

was open and he went in.

manual

of or relating to the hands

Some old automotive
manuals, swollen and sodden.

swollen

abnormally enlarged, bloated, or expanded

Some old automotive manuals,
swollen and sodden.

sodden

wet through and through; thoroughly wet

Some old automotive manuals, swollen and
sodden.

leak

enter or escape as through a hole or crack or fissure

The linoleum was stained and curling from the
leaking roof.

tilt

lean over; tip

He pushed the cart off the road and
tilted it over where it could not be seen and they

left their packs and went back to the station.

decant

pour out

Then they sat in the floor
decanting them of

their dregs one by one, leaving the bottles to stand upside down draining into a pan until at the end they

had almost a half quart of motor oil.

dregs

sediment that has settled at the bottom of a liquid

Then they sat in the floor decanting them of

their
dregs one by one, leaving the bottles to stand upside down draining into a pan until at the end they

had almost a half quart of motor oil.

drain

emptying something by allowing liquid to run out of it

Then they sat in the floor decanting them of

their dregs one by one, leaving the bottles to stand upside down
draining into a pan until at the end they

had almost a half quart of motor oil.

pan

shallow container made of metal

Then they sat in the floor decanting them of

their dregs one by one, leaving the bottles to stand upside down draining into a
pan until at the end they

had almost a half quart of motor oil.

motor

machine that creates mechanical energy and imparts movement

Then they sat in the floor decanting them of

their dregs one by one, leaving the bottles to stand upside down draining into a pan until at the end they

had almost a half quart of
motor oil.

dusk

the time of day immediately following sunset

Oil for their little slutlamp to light the long gray
dusks, the long gray

dawns.

dawn

the first light of day

Oil for their little slutlamp to light the long gray dusks, the long gray

dawns.

stark

severely simple

On the far side of the river valley the road passed through a
stark black burn.

trunk

the main stem of a tree

Charred and

limbless
trunks of trees stretching away on every side.

stretch

extend one’s limbs or muscles, or the entire body

Charred and

limbless trunks of trees
stretching away on every side.

whine

a complaint uttered in a plaintive way

Ash moving over the road and the sagging hands

of blind wire strung from the blackened lightpoles
whining thinly in the wind.

meadow

a field where grass or alfalfa is grown to be made into hay

A burned house in a

clearing and beyond that a reach of
meadow-lands stark and gray and a raw red mudbank where a

roadworks lay abandoned.

abandoned

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

A burned house in a

clearing and beyond that a reach of meadow-lands stark and gray and a raw red mudbank where a

roadworks lay
abandoned.

advertising

the business of drawing attention to goods and services

Farther along were billboards
advertising motels.

weather

atmospheric conditions such as temperature and precipitation

Everything as it once had

been save faded and
weathered.

shape

a perceptual structure

He got the binoculars out of the cart and stood in the road

and glassed the plain down there where the
shape of a city stood in the grayness like a charcoal

drawing sketched across the waste.

sketch

preliminary drawing for later elaboration

He got the binoculars out of the cart and stood in the road

and glassed the plain down there where the shape of a city stood in the grayness like a charcoal

drawing
sketched across the waste.

adjusted

altered to accommodate to certain requirements

The boy leaned on the cart and
adjusted the wheel.

slope

be at an angle

They left the cart in a gully covered with the tarp and made their way up the
slope through

the dark poles of the standing trees to where he’d seen a running ledge of rock and they sat under the

rock overhang and watched the gray sheets of rain blow across the valley.

huddle

a disorganized and densely packed crowd

They sat

huddled together wrapped each in a blanket over their coats and after a while the rain stopped and there

was just the dripping in the woods.

vanish

become invisible or unnoticeable

The gray shape of the

city
vanished in the night’s onset like an apparition and he lit the little lamp and set it back out of the

wind.

apparition

a ghostly appearing figure

The gray shape of the

city vanished in the night’s onset like an
apparition and he lit the little lamp and set it back out of the

wind.

crest

the top or extreme point of something

Then they walked out to the road and he took the boy’s hand and they went to the top of the hill

where the road
crested and where they could see out over the darkening country to the south, standing

there in the wind, wrapped in their blankets, watching for any sign of a fire or a lamp.

mote

a tiny piece of anything

The lamp in the rocks on the side of the hill was little more than a
mote of light and after a

while they walked back.

tired

depleted of strength or energy

He’d brought the boy’s book but the boy was too
tired for

reading.

streak

a narrow marking of a different color from the background

His face

in the small light
streaked with black from the rain like some old world thespian.

thespian

a theatrical performer

His face

in the small light streaked with black from the rain like some old world
thespian.

bleak

unpleasantly cold and damp

The

ashes of the late world carried on the
bleak and temporal winds to and fro in the void.

temporal

of or relating to or limited by time

The

ashes of the late world carried on the bleak and
temporal winds to and fro in the void.

void

an empty area or space

The

ashes of the late world carried on the bleak and temporal winds to and fro in the
void.

scatter

cause to separate and go in different directions

Carried forth and

scattered and carried forth again.

sustained

continued at length without interruption or weakening

Sustained by a breath, trembling and brief.

brief

of short duration or distance

Sustained by a breath, trembling and
brief.

opaque

not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy

Slow and half
opaque.

descend

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

He
descended into a gryke in the stone and there he crouched coughing and he coughed for a long time.

whisper

speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

Are you there? he
whispered.

throttle

a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine

Have you a neck by which to
throttle you?

fossil

the remains of a plant or animal from a past geological age

Fossil tracks in the dried

sludge.

track

a line or route along which something travels or moves

Fossil
tracks in the dried

sludge.

corpse

the dead body of a human being

A
corpse in a doorway dried to leather.

grimace

contort the face to indicate a certain mental state

Grimacing at the day.

brace

a support that steadies or strengthens something else

The old man’s feet in their black kid shoes
braced against the uprights.

cradle

a baby bed with sides and rockers

He turned to take a sight on the far

shore,
cradling the oarhandles, taking the pipe from his mouth to wipe his chin with the back of his

hand.

edge

a line determining the limits of an area

The
edge of the lake a riprap of twisted stumps, gray and weathered, the windfall trees of a

hurricane years past.

windfall

a sudden happening that brings good fortune

The edge of the lake a riprap of twisted stumps, gray and weathered, the
windfall trees of a

hurricane years past.

drift

be in motion due to some air or water current

His

uncle turned the boat and shipped the oars and they
drifted over the sandy shallows until the transom

grated in the sand.

shallow

lacking physical depth

His

uncle turned the boat and shipped the oars and they drifted over the sandy
shallows until the transom

grated in the sand.

grate

reduce to shreds by rubbing against a perforated surface

His

uncle turned the boat and shipped the oars and they drifted over the sandy shallows until the transom

grated in the sand.

perch

an elevated place serving as a seat

A dead
perch lolling belly up in the clear water.

loll

be lazy or idle

A dead perch
lolling belly up in the clear water.

anchor

a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving

They left their shoes

on the warm painted boards and dragged the boat up onto the beach and set out the
anchor at the end of

its rope.

center

an area that is in the middle of some larger region

A lardcan poured with concrete with an eyebolt in the
center.

float

be on or below a liquid surface and not sink to the bottom

He

picked one out and they turned it over, using the roots for leverage, until they got it half
floating in the

water.

periodic

happening or recurring at regular intervals

Just the slow
periodic rack and shuffle of the oarlocks.

perfect

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

This was the

perfect day of his childhood.

bore

make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool

They
bore on south in the days and weeks to follow.

dogged

stubbornly unyielding

Solitary and
dogged.

timber

the wood of trees prepared for use as building material

At times they could see stretches of the interstate highway below them

through the bare stands of secondgrowth
timber.

gap

an open or empty space in or between things

Just beyond the high
gap in

the mountains they stood and looked out over the great gulf to the south where the country as far as

they could see was burned away, the blackened shapes of rock standing out of the shoals of ash and

billows of ash rising up and blowing downcountry through the waste.

gulf

an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land

Just beyond the high gap in

the mountains they stood and looked out over the great
gulf to the south where the country as far as

they could see was burned away, the blackened shapes of rock standing out of the shoals of ash and

billows of ash rising up and blowing downcountry through the waste.

shoal

a stretch of shallow water

Just beyond the high gap in

the mountains they stood and looked out over the great gulf to the south where the country as far as

they could see was burned away, the blackened shapes of rock standing out of the
shoals of ash and

billows of ash rising up and blowing downcountry through the waste.

billow

a large sea wave

Just beyond the high gap in

the mountains they stood and looked out over the great gulf to the south where the country as far as

they could see was burned away, the blackened shapes of rock standing out of the shoals of ash and

billows of ash rising up and blowing downcountry through the waste.

cauterize

burn, sear, or freeze using a hot iron or electric current

They were days fording that
cauterized terrain.

terrain

a piece of ground having specific characteristics

They were days fording that cauterized
terrain.

fang

canine tooth of a carnivorous animal

The boy had found some crayons and

painted his facemask with
fangs and he trudged on uncomplaining.

trudge

walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud

The boy had found some crayons and

painted his facemask with fangs and he
trudged on uncomplaining.

encounter

come together

Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to

be had and the nights were long and dark and cold beyond anything they’d yet
encountered.

frail

physically weak

He held the boy shivering against him and counted each
frail breath

in the blackness.

distant

separated in space or coming from far away

He woke to the sound of
distant thunder and sat up.

quiver

shake with fast, tremulous movements

The faint light all about,
quivering and

sourceless, refracted in the rain of drifting soot.

probably

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

If they got wet they would
probably die.

impenetrable

not admitting of passage into or through

The blackness he woke to on those nights was sightless and
impenetrable.

totter

move without being stable, as if threatening to fall

He rose and stood
tottering in that cold autistic dark with his arms outheld for balance while the

vestibular calculations in his skull cranked out their reckonings.

balance

harmonious arrangement or relation of parts within a whole

He rose and stood tottering in that cold autistic dark with his arms outheld for
balance while the

vestibular calculations in his skull cranked out their reckonings.

chronicle

a record or narrative description of past events

An old
chronicle.

precede

be earlier in time

No fall but
preceded by a declination.

lode

a deposit of valuable ore

Something nameless in

the night,
lode or matrix.

matrix

an enclosure within which something originates or develops

Something nameless in

the night, lode or
matrix.

satellite

any celestial body orbiting around a planet or star

To which he and the stars were common
satellite.

pendulum

an apparatus in which an object is mounted to swing freely

Like the great
pendulum in

its rotunda scribing through the long day movements of the universe of which you may say it knows

nothing and yet know it must.

rotunda

a building having a circular plan and a dome

Like the great pendulum in

its
rotunda scribing through the long day movements of the universe of which you may say it knows

nothing and yet know it must.

scribe

someone employed to make written copies of documents

Like the great pendulum in

its rotunda
scribing through the long day movements of the universe of which you may say it knows

nothing and yet know it must.

universe

everything that exists anywhere

Like the great pendulum in

its rotunda scribing through the long day movements of the
universe of which you may say it knows

nothing and yet know it must.

ridge

a long narrow natural elevation or striation

The road beyond ran along the crest of a
ridge

where the barren woodland fell away on every side.

sift

move as if through a sieve

A

single gray flake
sifting down.

expire

lose validity

He caught it in his hand and watched it
expire there like the last host of

host

a person who invites guests to a social event

He caught it in his hand and watched it expire there like the last
host of

consume

take in as food

He thought the bloodcults must have all
consumed one

another.

agent

a representative who acts on behalf of others

No road-
agents, no marauders.

marauder

someone who attacks in search of loot

No road-agents, no
marauders.

collect

gather

They
collected some old boxes and built a fire in the floor and he found some tools and

emptied out the cart and sat working on the wheel.

bored

uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence

He pulled the bolt and
bored out the collet with a

hand drill and resleeved it with a section of pipe he’d cut to length with a hacksaw.

section

one of several parts or pieces that fit with others

He pulled the bolt and bored out the collet with a

hand drill and resleeved it with a
section of pipe he’d cut to length with a hacksaw.

length

the linear extent in space from one end to the other

He pulled the bolt and bored out the collet with a

hand drill and resleeved it with a section of pipe he’d cut to
length with a hacksaw.

desolate

providing no shelter or sustenance

Desolate country.

dusty

covered with a layer of fine powdery material

Inside the barn three bodies hanging from the rafters, dried and
dusty among the wan

slats of light.

worried

afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble

Mostly he
worried about their shoes.

corner

the point where three areas or surfaces meet or intersect

In an old batboard

smokehouse they found a ham gambreled up in a high
corner.

fetch

go or come after and bring or take back

It looked like something
fetched from a

tomb, so dried and drawn.

simmer

boil slowly at low temperature

They fried it that night over their fire, thick slices of it, and put the slices to
simmer with a tin of beans.

canopy

a covering (usually of cloth) that shelters an area

In dreams his pale bride came to him out of a green and leafy
canopy.

peril

a state of danger involving risk

He said the right dreams for a man in
peril were dreams of
peril

and all else was the call of languor and of death.

languor

inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy

He said the right dreams for a man in peril were dreams of peril

and all else was the call of
languor and of death.

siren

a warning signal that is a loud wailing sound

He dreamt of

walking in a flowering wood where birds flew before them he and the child and the sky was aching

blue but he was learning how to wake himself from just such
siren worlds.

uncanny

surpassing the ordinary or normal

Lying there in the dark with

the
uncanny taste of a peach from some phantom orchard fading in his mouth.

phantom

something existing in perception only

Lying there in the dark with

the uncanny taste of a peach from some
phantom orchard fading in his mouth.

orchard

a small cultivated area where fruit trees are planted

Lying there in the dark with

the uncanny taste of a peach from some phantom
orchard fading in his mouth.

inhabit

live in; be a resident of

Like the dying world the newly blind
inhabit, all of it

slowly fading from memory.

memory

the cognitive process whereby past experience is remembered

Like the dying world the newly blind inhabit, all of it

slowly fading from
memory.

lap

the upper side of the thighs of a seated person

She held his hand in her
lap and he could feel the tops of her stockings through the thin stuff of

her summer dress.

fashion

the latest and most admired style in clothes or behavior

He
fashioned sweeps from two old brooms he’d found and wired them to the cart to clear

the limbs from the road in front of the wheels and he put the boy in the basket and stood on the rear rail

like a dogmusher and they set off down the hills, guiding the cart on the curves with their bodies in the

manner of bobsledders.

limb

one of the jointed appendages of an animal

He fashioned sweeps from two old brooms he’d found and wired them to the cart to clear

the
limbs from the road in front of the wheels and he put the boy in the basket and stood on the rear rail

like a dogmusher and they set off down the hills, guiding the cart on the curves with their bodies in the

manner of bobsledders.

scavenge

clean refuse from

Cold and gray and heavy in the
scavenged bowl of the

countryside.

generate

bring into existence

The dam used

the water that ran through it to turn big fans called turbines that would
generate electricity.

wreck

something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation

In that long ago somewhere very near this place he’d watched a falcon fall down the long

blue wall of the mountain and break with the keel of its breastbone the midmost from a flight of cranes

and take it to the river below all gangly and
wrecked and trailing its loose and blowsy plumage in the

still autumn air.

plumage

the covering of feathers on a bird

In that long ago somewhere very near this place he’d watched a falcon fall down the long

blue wall of the mountain and break with the keel of its breastbone the midmost from a flight of cranes

and take it to the river below all gangly and wrecked and trailing its loose and blowsy
plumage in the

still autumn air.

autumn

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

In that long ago somewhere very near this place he’d watched a falcon fall down the long

blue wall of the mountain and break with the keel of its breastbone the midmost from a flight of cranes

and take it to the river below all gangly and wrecked and trailing its loose and blowsy plumage in the

still
autumn air.

ruined

destroyed physically or morally

Their feet were wet and cold

and their shoes were being
ruined.

fresco

a mural done with watercolors on wet plaster

Like certain ancient
frescoes entombed for centuries suddenly exposed to

the day.

century

a period of 100 years

Like certain ancient frescoes entombed for
centuries suddenly exposed to

the day.

suddenly

happening unexpectedly

Like certain ancient frescoes entombed for centuries
suddenly exposed to

the day.

expose

show; make visible or apparent

Like certain ancient frescoes entombed for centuries suddenly
exposed to

the day.

broad

having great extent from one side to the other

The weather lifted and the cold and they came at last into the
broad lowland river valley,

the pieced farmland still visible, everything dead to the root along the barren bottomlands.

visible

capable of being seen or open to easy view

The weather lifted and the cold and they came at last into the broad lowland river valley,

the pieced farmland still
visible, everything dead to the root along the barren bottomlands.

advertisement

a public promotion of some product or service

A log barn in a field

with an
advertisement in faded ten-foot letters across the roofslope.

hedge

a fence formed by a row of closely planted shrubs or bushes

The roadside
hedges were gone to rows of black and twisted brambles.

peer

look searchingly

He

left the boy standing in the road holding the pistol while he climbed an old set of limestone steps and

walked down the porch of the farmhouse shading his eyes and
peering in the windows.

antique

made in or typical of earlier times and valued for its age

There was an
antique pumporgan

in the corner.

strip

take off or remove

He
stripped back the beds and came away with two good woolen blankets and went back down

the stairs.

trust

belief in the honesty and reliability of others

Someone before him had not
trusted them and in the end neither did he and he walked

out with the blankets over his shoulder and they set off along the road again.

outskirts

area relatively far from the center, as of a city or town

On the
outskirts of the city they came to a supermarket.

litter

rubbish carelessly dropped or left about

They left the cart in the lot and walked the
littered aisles.

effigy

a representation of a person

In the produce section in the

bottom of the bins they found a few ancient runner beans and what looked to have once been apricots,

long dried to wrinkled
effigies of themselves.

store

a mercantile establishment for the sale of goods or services

In the alleyway behind the
store a few shopping carts, all badly rusted.

machine

a mechanical or electrical device that transmits energy

By the door were two softdrink

machines that had been tilted over into the floor and opened with a prybar.

cylinder

a surface generated by rotating a line around a fixed line

He sat and ran his hand around in the works of the gutted machines and in the second one it closed

over a cold metal
cylinder.

withdraw

pull back or move away or backward

He
withdrew his hand slowly and sat looking at a Coca Cola.

slight

small in quantity or degree

He leaned his nose to

the
slight fizz coming from the can and then handed it to the boy.

wont

an established custom

It’s because I
wont ever get to drink another one, isnt it?

ruin

an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

The long concrete sweeps of the

interstate exchanges like the
ruins of a vast funhouse against the distant murk.

vast

unusually great in size or amount or extent or scope

The long concrete sweeps of the

interstate exchanges like the ruins of a
vast funhouse against the distant murk.

ligament

a band of fibrous tissue connecting bones or cartilages

The flesh cloven

along the bones, the
ligaments dried to tug and taut as wires.

taut

pulled or drawn tight

The flesh cloven

along the bones, the ligaments dried to tug and
taut as wires.

boil

change from a liquid to vapor

Shriveled and drawn like latterday

bogfolk, their faces of
boiled sheeting, the yellowed palings of their teeth.

constant

uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing

He kept
constant watch behind him in the mirror.

chimney

vertical flue carrying smoke through the wall of a building

The day following some few miles south of the city at a bend in the road and half lost in the

dead brambles they came upon an old frame house with
chimneys and gables and a stone wall.

terrace

usually paved outdoor area adjoining a residence

The rotted screening from the

back porch lay on the concrete
terrace.

scared

made afraid

I’m
scared.

paneling

flat sheets in a wall or door

The pine
paneling was gone

from the walls leaving just the furring strips.

tangle

twist together or entwine into a confusing mass

A
tangle

of dead lilac.

claim

assert or affirm strongly

Watched

shapes
claiming him he could not see.

dismember

separate the limbs from the body

In the livingroom the bones of a small animal
dismembered and placed in a pile.

pile

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

In the livingroom the bones of a small animal dismembered and placed in a
pile.

cone

a shape with a circular base and sides tapering to a point

Small
cones of damp plaster standing in the floor.

earthquake

vibration from underground movement along a fault plane

It was an
earthquake.

refugee

an exile who flees for safety

In those first years the roads were peopled with
refugees shrouded up in their clothing.

shroud

burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped

In those first years the roads were peopled with refugees
shrouded up in their clothing.

goggle

look with amazement

Wearing masks and
goggles, sitting in their rags by the side of the road like ruined aviators.

shoddy

of inferior workmanship and materials

Their

barrows heaped with
shoddy.

wagon

a wheeled vehicle drawn by an animal or a tractor

Towing
wagons or carts.

migrant

traveler who moves from one region or country to another

Creedless shells

of men tottering down the causeways like
migrants in a feverland.

reveal

make visible

The frailty of everything
revealed at

last.

issue

some situation or event that is thought about

Old and troubling
issues resolved into nothingness and night.

instance

an item of information that is typical of a class or group

The last
instance of a thing takes the

class with it.

curious

eager to investigate and learn or learn more

The
curious news.

quaint

attractively old-fashioned

The
quaint concerns.

concern

something that interests you because it is important

The quaint
concerns.

ferment

cause to undergo the breakdown of sugar into alcohol

Already beginning to
ferment.

depend

be determined by something else

He said that everything
depended on reaching the coast, yet waking in

the night he knew that all of this was empty and no substance to it.

coast

the shore of a sea or ocean

He said that everything depended on reaching the
coast, yet waking in

the night he knew that all of this was empty and no substance to it.

substance

the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists

He said that everything depended on reaching the coast, yet waking in

the night he knew that all of this was empty and no
substance to it.

resort

have recourse to

They passed through the ruins of a
resort town and took the road south.

boulder

a large smooth mass of rock detached from a place of origin

The fireblackened
boulders like the shapes of bears on the starkly wooded slopes.

sway

move back and forth

Where

once he’d watched trout
swaying in the current, tracking their perfect shadows on the stones beneath.

current

occurring in or belonging to the present time

Where

once he’d watched trout swaying in the
current, tracking their perfect shadows on the stones beneath.

shelter

covering that provides protection from the weather

They camped against a boulder and he made a
shelter of poles with the tarp.

bough

any of the larger branches of a tree

They’d

piled a mat of dead hemlock
boughs over the snow and they sat wrapped in their blankets watching the

fire and drinking the last of the cocoa scavenged weeks before.

wonderful

extraordinarily good or great

He dozed in the
wonderful warmth.

stoke

(of a fire) stir up or tend

He watched him
stoke the flames.

flame

combustion of materials producing heat and light and smoke

He watched him stoke the
flames.

alight

settle or come to rest

Everything was
alight.

shimmer

shine with a weak or fitful light

A

forest fire was making its way along the tinder-box ridges above them, flaring and
shimmering against

the overcast like the northern lights.

recite

repeat aloud from memory

Recite a litany.

litany

a prayer led by clergy with responses from the congregation

Recite a
litany.

notion

a general inclusive concept

He’d no
notion how far the

summit might be.

summit

the top or extreme point of something

He’d no notion how far the

summit might be.

sacrifice

the act of killing in order to appease a deity

The dream bore the look of
sacrifice but he

thought differently.

query

an instance of questioning

Query: How does the never to be differ from what never was?

invisible

impossible or nearly impossible to see

Dark of the
invisible moon.

banish

expel, as if by official decree

By day the
banished

sun circles the earth like a grieving mother with a lamp.

grieve

feel intense sorrow, especially due to a loss

By day the banished

sun circles the earth like a
grieving mother with a lamp.

immolate

kill as a sacrifice, especially by fire

People sitting on the sidewalk in the dawn half
immolate and smoking in their clothes.

sectarian

of or relating to a subdivision of a larger religious group

Like

failed
sectarian suicides.

suicide

the act of killing yourself

Like

failed sectarian
suicides.

deranged

driven insane

Within a year there were fires on the ridges

and
deranged chanting.

murder

unlawful premeditated killing of a human being

The screams of the
murdered.

impale

pierce with a sharp stake or point

By day the dead
impaled on spikes along the

road.

comfort

a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

He thought that in the history of the world it might even be that there was

more punishment than crime but he took small
comfort from it.

grade

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

It didnt snow again but the snow in the road was six inches deep and

pushing the cart up those
grades was exhausting work.

exhaust

wear out completely

It didnt snow again but the snow in the road was six inches deep and

pushing the cart up those grades was
exhausting work.

recognize

perceive to be something or something you can identify

At every curve it looked as though the pass lay just ahead and then one evening he stopped

and looked all about and he
recognized it.

overlook

have a view of something from above

The empty parking lot at the

overlook.

promise

a verbal commitment agreeing to do something in the future

You
promised not to do that, the boy said.

unload

leave or discharge

Still they came to trees across the road where they were forced to
unload the cart and carry

everything over the trunks and then repack it all on the far side.

creek

a natural stream of water smaller than a river

They camped in a bench of land on the far side of a frozen roadside
creek.

wound

an injury to living tissue

I had this penguin that you
wound up and it would waddle and flap its flippers.

waddle

walk unsteadily

I had this penguin that you wound up and it would
waddle and flap its flippers.

flap

move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion

I had this penguin that you wound up and it would waddle and
flap its flippers.

patch

a small contrasting part of something

It took four more days to come down out of the snow and even then there were
patches of

snow in certain bends of the road and the road was black and wet from the up-country runoff even

beyond that.

gorge

a deep ravine, usually with a river running through it

They came out along the rim of a deep
gorge and far down in the darkness a river.

bluff

a high steep bank

High rock
bluffs on the far side of the canyon with thin black trees clinging to the

escarpment.

canyon

a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall

High rock bluffs on the far side of the
canyon with thin black trees clinging to the

escarpment.

escarpment

a long steep slope at the edge of a plateau or ridge

High rock bluffs on the far side of the canyon with thin black trees clinging to the

escarpment.

area

the extent of a two-dimensional surface within a boundary

They left the cart in a parking
area and walked out through the woods.

smooth

having a surface free from roughness or irregularities

Polished round and
smooth as marbles or lozenges of stone veined and striped.

vein

a blood vessel that carries blood toward the heart

Polished round and smooth as marbles or lozenges of stone
veined and striped.

din

a loud, harsh, or strident noise

They stood side by

side calling to each other over the
din.

headlong

with the upper or anterior part of the body foremost

He dove

headlong and came up gasping and turned and stood, beating his arms.

venture

an undertaking with an uncertain outcome

They walked out along

the rocks to where the river seemed to end in space and he held the boy while he
ventured out to the

last ledge of rock.

straight

having no deviations

The river went sucking over the rim and fell
straight down into the pool below.

stoop

bend one’s back forward from the waist on down

He
stooped and cleared it away.

colony

a group of organisms of the same type living together

A small
colony of them, shrunken,

dried and wrinkled.

sniff

perceive by inhaling through the nose

He picked one and held it up and
sniffed it.

alien

from another place or part of the world

They pulled the morels from the ground, small
alien-looking things that he piled in the

hood of the boy’s parka.

desert

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

They ate the little mushrooms together with the beans and drank tea and had tinned pears

for their
desert.

seam

joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces

He banked the fire against the
seam of rock where he’d built it and he strung the tarp

behind them to reflect the heat and they sat warm in their refuge while he told the boy stories.

reflect

throw or bend back from a surface

He banked the fire against the seam of rock where he’d built it and he strung the tarp

behind them to
reflect the heat and they sat warm in their refuge while he told the boy stories.

refuge

something or someone turned to for assistance or security

He banked the fire against the seam of rock where he’d built it and he strung the tarp

behind them to reflect the heat and they sat warm in their
refuge while he told the boy stories.

courage

a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain

Old

stories of
courage and justice as he remembered them until the boy was asleep in his blankets and then

he stoked the fire and lay down warm and full and listened to the low thunder of the falls beyond them

in that dark and threadbare wood.

justice

the quality of being fair, reasonable, or impartial

Old

stories of courage and
justice as he remembered them until the boy was asleep in his blankets and then

he stoked the fire and lay down warm and full and listened to the low thunder of the falls beyond them

in that dark and threadbare wood.

threadbare

thin and tattered with age

Old

stories of courage and justice as he remembered them until the boy was asleep in his blankets and then

he stoked the fire and lay down warm and full and listened to the low thunder of the falls beyond them

in that dark and
threadbare wood.

eddy

a miniature whirlpool or whirlwind

He stood

watching the river where it swung loping into a pool and curled and
eddied.

attraction

the quality of arousing interest

And the waterfall is an
attraction.

tattered

worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing

The
tattered oilcompany roadmap had once been taped together but now it was just sorted

into leaves and numbered with crayon in the corners for their assembly.

assembly

a group of persons gathered together for a common purpose

The tattered oilcompany roadmap had once been taped together but now it was just sorted

into leaves and numbered with crayon in the corners for their
assembly.

limp

walk impeded by some physical injury

He sorted through the
limp pages and spread out those that answered to their location.

location

the act of putting something in a certain place

He sorted through the limp pages and spread out those that answered to their
location.

wedge

something solid that can be pushed between two things

When the bridge came in sight below them there was a tractor-trailer jackknifed sideways

across it and
wedged into the buckled iron railings.

span

the distance or interval between two points

The bridge
spanned the river above a rapids.

rapid

characterized by speed

The bridge spanned the river above a
rapids.

crumple

gather something into small wrinkles or folds

The truck had been there for years, the tires flat and
crumpled under the rims.

refrigerator

appliance in which food can be stored at low temperatures

There was a raw damp mattress on the bunk and a small
refrigerator with the door standing open.

clamber

climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling

He took off his parka and laid it across the top of the cart and climbed on to the fender of

the tractor and on to the hood and
clambered up over the windscreen to the roof of the cab.

shield

armor carried on the arm to intercept blows

He
shielded the glare of it with his hand and when he did he

could see almost to the rear of the box.

glare

be sharply reflected

He shielded the
glare of it with his hand and when he did he

could see almost to the rear of the box.

attitude

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings

Sprawled in every
attitude.

pattern

a repeated design, structure, or arrangement

The small wad of burning paper drew down to a wisp of flame and then died out

leaving a faint
pattern for just a moment in the incandescence like the shape of a flower, a molten rose.

molten

reduced to liquid form by heating

The small wad of burning paper drew down to a wisp of flame and then died out

leaving a faint pattern for just a moment in the incandescence like the shape of a flower, a
molten rose.

lightning

flash of light from an electric discharge in the atmosphere

In the night a storm broke in the mountains above them and came

cannonading downcountry cracking and booming and the stark gray world appeared again and again

out of the night in the shrouded flare of the
lightning.

hail

precipitation of ice pellets

A brief

rattle of
hail and then the slow cold rain.

site

the piece of land on which something is located

Sited there in the darkness

the frail blue shape of it looked like the pitch of some last venture at the edge of the world.

pitch

the high or low quality of a sound

Sited there in the darkness

the frail blue shape of it looked like the
pitch of some last venture at the edge of the world.

unaccountable

not to be explained

Something

all but
unaccountable.

heathen

a person who does not acknowledge your god

In the draws

the smoke coming off the ground like mist and the thin black trees burning on the slopes like stands of

heathen candles.

melt

reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state

Someone had come out of the woods in the night and

continued down the
melted roadway.

setting

the physical position of something

They came upon him shuffling along the road before them, dragging one leg slightly and

stopping from time to time to stand stooped and uncertain before
setting out again.

scorch

burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color

He was as

burntlooking as the country, his clothing
scorched and black.

bound

confined by bonds

His shoes were
bound up with wire and coated with roadtar and he sat there in

silence, bent over in his rags.

ditch

a long narrow excavation in the earth

The standing water in the roadside
ditches

black with the runoff.

skein

coils of worsted yarn

They crossed a river by a concrete bridge where

skeins of ash and slurry moved slowly in the current.

content

satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are

Then one day

he sat by the roadside and took it out and went through the
contents.

license

a legal document giving official permission to do something

His

driver’s
license.

photograph

a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print

He

pitched the sweatblackened piece of leather into the woods and sat holding the
photograph.

trek

any long and difficult trip

Trekking the dried floor of a mineral sea where it lay cracked and broken like a

fallen plate.

mineral

a solid inorganic substance occurring in nature

Trekking the dried floor of a
mineral sea where it lay cracked and broken like a

fallen plate.

feral

wild and menacing

Paths of
feral fire in the coagulate sands.

coagulate

change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state

Paths of feral fire in the
coagulate sands.

figure

alternate name for the body of a human being

The
figures faded in the distance.

series

similar things placed in order or one after another

A long shear of light and then a
series of low concussions.

concussion

injury to the brain caused by a blow

A long shear of light and then a series of low
concussions.

clutch

take hold of; grab

She was standing in the doorway in her nightwear,
clutching the jamb, cradling her belly in

one hand.

flock

a group of birds

Once in those early years he’d wakened in a barren wood and lay listening to
flocks of

migratory birds overhead in that bitter dark.

migratory

(of animals) moving seasonally

Once in those early years he’d wakened in a barren wood and lay listening to flocks of

migratory birds overhead in that bitter dark.

bitter

causing a sharp and acrid taste experience

Once in those early years he’d wakened in a barren wood and lay listening to flocks of

migratory birds overhead in that
bitter dark.

muted

softened in tone

Their half
muted crankings miles above where they circled

the earth as senselessly as insects trooping the rim of a bowl.

insect

small invertebrate with jointed limbs and a segmented body

Their half muted crankings miles above where they circled

the earth as senselessly as
insects trooping the rim of a bowl.

bureau

an administrative unit of government

He’d a deck of cards he found in a
bureau drawer in a house and the cards were worn and

spindled and the two of clubs was missing but still they played sometimes by firelight wrapped in their

blankets.

version

something a little different from others of the same type

Some
version of Whist.

abnormal

not typical or usual or regular

Abnormal Fescue or Catbarf.

fantasy

imagination unrestricted by reality

The child had his own
fantasies.

grace

elegance and beauty of movement or expression

All things of
grace and beauty such that one holds them to one’s heart have a common

provenance in pain.

provenance

where something originated or was nurtured

All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one’s heart have a common

provenance in pain.

grief

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one

Their birth in
grief and ashes.

penitent

feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds

Following a stone wall in the dark, wrapped in his blanket, kneeling in the ashes like a

penitent.

survivor

one who lives through affliction

We’re
survivors he told her across the flame of the lamp.

protect

shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage

You cant
protect us.

elegance

a refined quality of gracefulness and good taste

Holding it with a certain
elegance, her other hand across her knees

where she’d drawn them up.

sorrow

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss

My heart was ripped out of me the night he was born so dont ask for

sorrow now.

doubt

the state of being unsure of something

I
doubt it, but who knows.

survive

continue in existence after

The one thing I

can tell you is that you wont
survive for yourself.

advise

give advice to

A

person who had no one would be well
advised to cobble together some passable ghost.

coax

influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging

Breathe it into

being and
coax it along with words of love.

eternal

continuing forever or indefinitely

As for me my only hope is for
eternal nothingness and I hope it with all my heart.

argument

a dispute where there is strong disagreement

You have no
argument because there is none.

obsidian

glass formed by the cooling of lava without crystallization

She would do it with a flake of

obsidian.

atom

the smallest component of an element

The edge an
atom thick.

philosopher

a specialist in the investigation of existence and knowledge

The hundred nights they’d sat up arguing the pros and cons of self destruction with

the earnestness of
philosophers chained to a madhouse wall.

deliberate

carefully thought out in advance

Always so
deliberate, hardly surprised by the most outlandish advents.

surprise

come upon or take unawares

Always so deliberate, hardly
surprised by the most outlandish advents.

outlandish

noticeably or extremely unconventional or unusual

Always so deliberate, hardly surprised by the most
outlandish advents.

advent

arrival that has been awaited

Always so deliberate, hardly surprised by the most outlandish
advents.

creation

the act of starting something for the first time

A
creation perfectly

evolved to meet its own end.

evolve

undergo development

A creation perfectly

evolved to meet its own end.

improbable

having a chance of occurring too low to inspire belief

The
improbable appearance of the small crown of the

head.

appearance

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

The improbable
appearance of the small crown of the

head.

lank

long and thin and often limp

Streaked with blood and
lank black hair.

gather

assemble or get together

Beyond the window just the
gathering cold, the fires on the horizon.

horizon

the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet

Beyond the window just the gathering cold, the fires on the
horizon.

scrawny

being very thin

He held aloft the
scrawny red body

so raw and naked and cut the cord with kitchen shears and wrapped his son in a towel.

meager

deficient in amount or quality or extent

They were all day on the long black road, stopping in the afternoon to eat sparingly from

their
meager supplies.

supply

circulate or distribute or equip with

They were all day on the long black road, stopping in the afternoon to eat sparingly from

their meager
supplies.

filthy

disgustingly dirty

Stained and
filthy.

halt

cause to stop

They could hear the thing

rattle and flap to a
halt.

lumber

the wood of trees prepared for use as building material

Lumbering and creaking like a ship.

marked

easily noticeable

The holes in it
marked the progress of his

emaciation and the leather at one side had a lacquered look to it where he was used to stropping the

blade of his knife.

progress

the act of moving forward, as toward a goal

The holes in it marked the
progress of his

emaciation and the leather at one side had a lacquered look to it where he was used to stropping the

blade of his knife.

tattoo

a design on the skin made by pricking and staining

He wore a beard that had been cut square across the bottom with shears and he had a
tattoo of a bird on

his neck done by someone with an illformed notion of their appearance.

enterprise

a purposeful or industrious undertaking

Dressed in a pair of filthy blue coveralls and a black billcap with the logo of some vanished
enterprise

embroidered across the front of it.

embroider

decorate with needlework

Dressed in a pair of filthy blue coveralls and a black billcap with the logo of some vanished enterprise

embroidered across the front of it.

fuel

a substance that can be consumed to produce energy

Diesel
fuel.

gallon

United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters

There’s three fifty-five
gallon drums in the bed.

ammunition

projectiles to be fired from a gun

Do you have
ammunition for those guns?

imbecile

a person of subnormal intelligence

Do I look like an
imbecile to you?

gear

a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism

He let go of the belt and it fell in the roadway with the
gear hanging from it.

canvas

a heavy, closely woven fabric

An

old
canvas army pouch.

sheath

a protective covering, as for a knife or sword

A leather
sheath for a knife.

level

a relative position or degree of value in a graded group

The man had already

dropped to the ground and he swung with him and
leveled the pistol and fired from a two-handed

position balanced on both knees at a distance of six feet.

mute

expressed without speech

He shoved the pistol in his belt and slung the knapsack over his shoulder and picked up the boy and

turned him around and lifted him over his head and set him on his shoulders and set off up the old

roadway at a dead run, holding the boy’s knees, the boy clutching his forehead, covered with gore and

mute as a stone.

stream

a natural body of water flowing on or under the earth

They came to an old iron bridge in the woods where the vanished road had crossed an all

but vanished
stream.

sinister

wicked, evil, or dishonorable

They neither spoke

nor called to each other, the more
sinister for that.

shudder

tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement

With the final onset of dark the iron cold locked

down and the boy by now was
shuddering violently.

depth

the extent downward or backward or inward

He spoke into a blackness without
depth or dimension.

dimension

a construct distinguishing objects or individuals

He spoke into a blackness without depth or
dimension.

stumble

miss a step and fall or nearly fall

He held the boy’s hand as they
stumbled through the woods.

grudging

petty or reluctant in giving or spending

In the
grudging light that passed for day he put the boy in the leaves and sat studying the

woods.

perimeter

a line enclosing a plane area

When it was a bit lighter he rose and walked out and cut a
perimeter about their siwash camp

looking for sign but other than their own faint track through the ash he saw nothing.

plot

a small area of ground covered by specific vegetation

A cleared
plot of ground perhaps once a truckgarden.

ambush

the act of hiding and waiting to make a surprise attack

No way to know how long they

might be willing to lie in
ambush.

rummage

search haphazardly

Then he handed the bottle back and the man drank and

screwed the cap back on and
rummaged through the pack.

plunder

steal goods; take as spoils

It was still lying there but it

had been
plundered.

scarcely

only a very short time before

By the time they got to the bridge

there was
scarcely light at all.

temper

a characteristic state of feeling

He was close to losing his
temper with him and then he realized that

he was shaking his head in the dark.

realize

be fully aware or cognizant of

He was close to losing his temper with him and then he
realized that

he was shaking his head in the dark.

branch

a division of a stem arising from the main stem of a plant

There

was wood everywhere, dead limbs and
branches scattered over the ground.

base

lowest support of a structure

He piled on more wood and bent and blew gently at the
base of the little blaze and arranged the

wood with his hands, shaping the fire just so.

arrange

put into a proper or systematic order

He piled on more wood and bent and blew gently at the base of the little blaze and
arranged the

wood with his hands, shaping the fire just so.

inventory

a detailed list of all the items in stock

He sat in the sand and
inventoried the contents of the knapsack.

label

a brief description given for purposes of identification

There were five small tins of food and he chose a can of sausages and one of corn and he

opened these with the little army can opener and set them at the edge of the fire and they sat watching

the
labels char and curl.

fresh

recently made, produced, or harvested

They moved down the gravel to find
fresh water and he

washed his hair again as well as he could and finally stopped because the boy was moaning with the

cold of it.

topple

fall down, as if collapsing

The man watched him that he not
topple into the flames.

evoke

call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response

Evoke the

forms.

construct

make by combining materials and parts

Where you’ve nothing else
construct ceremonies out of the air and breathe upon them.

ceremony

a formal event performed on a special occasion

Where you’ve nothing else construct
ceremonies out of the air and breathe upon them.

incandescent

emitting light as a result of being heated

The

shapes of the small tree-limbs burning
incandescent orange in the coals.

mortar

a vessel in which substances can be ground with a pestle

Heavy

limestone blocks laid up without
mortar.

stroke

a single complete movement

He sat beside him and
stroked his pale and tangled hair.

tangled

in a confused mass

He sat beside him and stroked his pale and
tangled hair.

chalice

a bowl-shaped drinking vessel

Golden

chalice, good to house a god.

shifting

changing position or direction

The reptilian calculations in those cold and
shifting eyes.

utter

without qualification

They stood listening in the
utter silence.

hardware

tools or implements made of metal

They used to play quoits in the

road with four big steel washers they’d found in a
hardware store but these were gone with everything

else.

ravine

a deep narrow steep-sided valley

That night they camped in a
ravine and built a fire against a small stone bluff and ate their last tin

of food.

favorite

preferred above all others and treated with partiality

He’d put it by because it was the boy’s
favorite, pork and beans.

retrieve

get or find back; recover the use of

They watched it bubble slowly

in the coals and he
retrieved the tin with the pliers and they ate in silence.

careful

exercising caution or showing attention

I should have been more
careful, he said.

appoint

assign a duty, responsibility, or obligation to

I was
appointed to do that by God.

concentration

the spatial property of being crowded together

He was lost in
concentration.

announce

make known

The man thought he seemed

some sad and solitary changeling child
announcing the arrival of a traveling spectacle in shire and

village who does not know that behind him the players have all been carried off by wolves.

spectacle

something or someone seen, especially a notable sight

The man thought he seemed

some sad and solitary changeling child announcing the arrival of a traveling
spectacle in shire and

village who does not know that behind him the players have all been carried off by wolves.

refocus

put again into sharp clarity

The boy handed the glasses back and he
refocused them.

commune

share or interact intimately with

If it’s a
commune they’ll have

barricades.

risk

a source of danger

We’ll have to take a
risk.

steep

having a sharp inclination

They left the cart in the woods and crossed a railroad track and came down a
steep bank

through dead black ivy.

rubble

the remains of something that has been destroyed

They went through the trash and
rubble.

scour

rub hard or scrub

He
scoured the

shelves looking for vitamins.

exhausted

depleted of energy, force, or strength

The boy was
exhausted.

document

a representation of a person’s thinking with symbolic marks

Scrolls of fallen wallpaper lying in the floor like ancient

documents.

remnant

a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists

Remnants of rotted hair on the pillow.

random

lacking any definite plan or order or purpose

In the darkness and the silence he could see bits of light that appeared
random on the night grid.

grid

a pattern of regularly spaced horizontal and vertical lines

In the darkness and the silence he could see bits of light that appeared random on the night
grid.

slack

not tense or taut

By the time it had

slacked a good part of the day was gone.

search

look or seek

They left the coats and the blanket in the floor of the back seat

and went up the road to
search through more of the houses.

utensil

an implement for practical use

They found some
utensils and a few pieces of clothing.

remaining

not used up

He wrapped the few
remaining in a paper and put them in the knapsack.

seize

take hold of; grab

He was standing there crying when his father came

sprinting across the road and
seized him by the arm.

sob

weep convulsively

I dont care, the boy said,
sobbing.

route

an established line of travel or access

He sat

studying the twisted matrix of
routes in red and black with his finger at the junction where he thought

that they might be.

tramp

travel on foot, especially on a walking expedition

In the evening they
tramped out across a field trying to find a place where their fire would

not be seen.

muddy

soft and watery, of soil

Night overtook them on a
muddy road.

despair

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

He’d had this feeling before, beyond the numbness and the dull
despair.

shrink

wither, as with a loss of moisture

The world

shrinking down about a raw core of parsible entities.

core

the center of an object

The world

shrinking down about a raw
core of parsible entities.

entity

that which is perceived to have its own distinct existence

The world

shrinking down about a raw core of parsible
entities.

oblivion

the state of being disregarded or forgotten

The names of things slowly following those things

into
oblivion.

fragile

easily broken or damaged or destroyed

More
fragile than he would have thought.

sacred

made, declared, or believed to be holy

The
sacred idiom shorn

of its referents and so of its reality.

idiom

expression whose meaning cannot be inferred from its words

The sacred
idiom shorn

of its referents and so of its reality.

reality

the state of being actual

The sacred idiom shorn

of its referents and so of its
reality.

preserve

keep in safety and protect from harm, loss, or destruction

Drawing down like something trying to
preserve heat.

gnarled

old and twisted and covered in lines

The trees in their ordered rows

gnarled and black and the fallen limbs thick on the ground.

viscera

internal organs collectively

Shapes of dried blood in the stubble grass and gray coils of
viscera where the slain had been field-

dressed and hauled away.

haul

draw slowly or heavily

Shapes of dried blood in the stubble grass and gray coils of viscera where the slain had been field-

dressed and
hauled away.

frieze

an ornament consisting of a horizontal sculptured band

The wall beyond held a
frieze of human heads, all faced alike, dried and

caved with their taut grins and shrunken eyes.

sparse

not dense or plentiful

They wore gold rings in their leather ears and in the wind

their
sparse and ratty hair twisted about on their skulls.

crude

belonging to an early stage of technical development

The teeth in their sockets like dental molds, the

crude tattoos etched in some homebrewed woad faded in the beggared sunlight.

target

a reference point to shoot at

Spiders, swords,

targets.

runic

relating to characters from an ancient alphabet

Runic slogans, creeds misspelled.

slogan

a favorite saying of a sect or political group

Runic
slogans, creeds misspelled.

creed

any system of principles or beliefs

Runic slogans,
creeds misspelled.

scar

a mark left by the healing of injured tissue

Old
scars with old motifs stitched along their

borders.

motif

a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work

Old scars with old
motifs stitched along their

borders.

border

the boundary of a surface

Old scars with old motifs stitched along their

borders.

flay

strip the skin off

The heads not truncheoned shapeless had been
flayed of their skins and the raw skulls painted

and signed across the forehead in a scrawl and one white bone skull had the plate sutures etched

carefully in ink like a blueprint for assembly.

suture

a seam used in surgery

The heads not truncheoned shapeless had been flayed of their skins and the raw skulls painted

and signed across the forehead in a scrawl and one white bone skull had the plate
sutures etched

carefully in ink like a blueprint for assembly.

review

look at again; examine again

He walked along the wall passing

the masks in a last
review and through a stile and on to where the boy was waiting.

message

a communication that is written or spoken or signaled

He’d come to see a
message in each such late history, a
message and a warning, and so this

tableau of the slain and the devoured did prove to be.

tableau

any dramatic scene

He’d come to see a message in each such late history, a message and a warning, and so this

tableau of the slain and the devoured did prove to be.

devour

eat immoderately

He’d come to see a message in each such late history, a message and a warning, and so this

tableau of the slain and the
devoured did prove to be.

prove

establish the validity of something

He’d come to see a message in each such late history, a message and a warning, and so this

tableau of the slain and the devoured did
prove to be.

abreast

alongside each other, facing in the same direction

He woke in the morning and turned over in the

blanket and looked back down the road through the trees the way they’d come in time to see the

marchers appear four
abreast.

description

the act of depicting something

Dressed in clothing of every
description, all wearing red scarves at their

necks.

thread

a fine cord of twisted fibers used in sewing and weaving

Some of the pipes were
threaded through with

lengths of chain fitted at their ends with every manner of bludgeon.

bludgeon

a club used as a weapon

Some of the pipes were threaded through with

lengths of chain fitted at their ends with every manner of
bludgeon.

gait

an animal’s manner of moving

They clanked past, marching with a

swaying
gait like wind-up toys.

phalanx

any closely ranked crowd of people

The
phalanx following carried spears or lances tasseled with ribbons, the long blades hammered out of

trucksprings in some crude forge up-country.

spear

a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon

The phalanx following carried
spears or lances tasseled with ribbons, the long blades hammered out of

trucksprings in some crude forge up-country.

harness

an arrangement of leather straps fitted to a draft animal

Behind them came wagons

drawn by slaves in
harness and piled with goods of war and after that the women, perhaps a dozen in

number, some of them pregnant, and lastly a supplementary consort of catamites illclothed against the

cold and fitted in dogcollars and yoked each to each.

supplementary

functioning in a supporting capacity

Behind them came wagons

drawn by slaves in harness and piled with goods of war and after that the women, perhaps a dozen in

number, some of them pregnant, and lastly a
supplementary consort of catamites illclothed against the

cold and fitted in dogcollars and yoked each to each.

consort

keep company with

Behind them came wagons

drawn by slaves in harness and piled with goods of war and after that the women, perhaps a dozen in

number, some of them pregnant, and lastly a supplementary
consort of catamites illclothed against the

cold and fitted in dogcollars and yoked each to each.

yoke

a wooden frame across the shoulders for carrying buckets

Behind them came wagons

drawn by slaves in harness and piled with goods of war and after that the women, perhaps a dozen in

number, some of them pregnant, and lastly a supplementary consort of catamites illclothed against the

cold and fitted in dogcollars and
yoked each to each.

horde

a vast multitude

They pulled the cart from the brush with which they’d covered it and he raised it up and

piled the blankets in and the coats and they pushed on out to the road and stood looking where the last

of that ragged
horde seemed to hang like an afterimage in the disturbed air.

disturb

trouble deeply

They pulled the cart from the brush with which they’d covered it and he raised it up and

piled the blankets in and the coats and they pushed on out to the road and stood looking where the last

of that ragged horde seemed to hang like an afterimage in the
disturbed air.

sullen

showing a brooding ill humor

They stood watching the pale gray flakes sift

down out of the
sullen murk.

surface

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer

A frail slush forming over the dark
surface of the road.

settle

become resolved, fixed, established, or quiet

They
settled under a tree and piled the blankets and coats on the ground and he wrapped the

boy in one of the blankets and set to raking up the dead needles in a pile.

flounder

move clumsily or struggle to move, as in mud or water

He
floundered out through the trees

pulling up the fallen branches where they stuck out of the snow and by the time he had an armload and

made his way back to the lire it had burned down to a nest of quaking embers.

rage

a feeling of intense anger

He fought back the
rage.

useless

having no beneficial utility

Useless.

impassable

incapable of being gone across or through

Even if it stopped snowing the road would be all but
impassable.

crash

break violently or noisily

He was half asleep when he heard a
crashing in the woods.

bedlam

a state of extreme confusion and disorder

The

dull
bedlam dying in the distance.

claw

sharp curved horny process on the toe of some animals

He dug a tunnel under one of the fallen trees, scooping away the snow with his arms, his

frozen hands
clawed inside his sleeves.

den

the habitation of wild animals

When day broke he pushed his way out of their
den, the tarp heavy with snow.

landscape

an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view

It had stopped snowing and the cedar trees lay about in hillocks of snow and broken

limbs and a few standing trunks that stood stripped and burntlooking in that graying
landscape.

hibernate

be in an inactive or dormant state

He

trudged out through the drifts leaving the boy to sleep under the tree like some
hibernating animal.

concentrate

make denser, stronger, or purer

Concentrate, he said.

struggle

strenuous effort

He
struggled on a few more feet and then turned and looked back.

hollow

not solid; having a space or gap or cavity

Taut face and
hollow eyes.

vehicle

a conveyance that transports people or objects

Some sort

of wheeled
vehicle.

narrow

not wide

Something with rubber tires by the
narrow treadmarks.

habit

an established custom

He looked at the sky out of old
habit but there was nothing to see.

completely

with everything necessary

He’d thought to find some place in the road where the snow had melted off
completely but

then he thought that since their tracks would not reappear on the far side it would be no help.

condition

a mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing

They’d had no food and little sleep in five days and in this
condition on the outskirts of a

small town they came upon a once grand house sited on a rise above the road.

column

a line of units following one after another

The house was tall and stately with white doric
columns across the front.

approach

move towards

They
approached slowly up the drive.

facade

the front of a building

They stood in the yard

studying the
facade.

soffit

the underside of a part of a building, such as an arch

The peeling

paint hanging in long dry sleavings down the columns and from the buckled
soffits.

chattel

personal property, as opposed to real estate

Chattel slaves had once trod those boards bearing food and drink on silver

trays.

tread

put down, place, or press the foot

Chattel slaves had once
trod those boards bearing food and drink on silver

trays.

bearing

characteristic way of holding one’s body

Chattel slaves had once trod those boards
bearing food and drink on silver

trays.

hinge

a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing

It swung slowly in on its great brass

hinges.

foyer

a large entrance or reception room or area

Then they stepped into a broad
foyer floored in a domino of black and

white marble tiles.

ascend

travel up

A broad staircase
ascending.

swag

goods or money obtained illegally

The plaster ceiling was bellied in great
swags and the yellowed dentil molding was bowed and

sprung from the upper walls.

buffet

piece of furniture that stands at the side of a dining room

To the left through the doorway stood a large walnut
buffet in what must

have been the diningroom.

ample

more than enough in size or scope or capacity

He would have
ample time later to

think about that.

surround

extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle

A fireplace with raw brick showing where the wooden mantel and
surround had been pried away and

burned.

pry

be nosey

A fireplace with raw brick showing where the wooden mantel and surround had been
pried away and

burned.

hatch

a movable barrier covering an entrance

In the floor of this room was a door or
hatch and it was locked with a large padlock made of

stacked steel plates.

cauldron

a very large pot that is used for boiling

In the yard was an old iron harrow propped up on piers of

stacked brick and someone had wedged between the rails of it a forty gallon castiron
cauldron of the

kind once used for rendering hogs.

render

give or supply

In the yard was an old iron harrow propped up on piers of

stacked brick and someone had wedged between the rails of it a forty gallon castiron cauldron of the

kind once used for
rendering hogs.

starve

die of food deprivation

We’re
starving.

flick

throw or toss with a quick motion

He ducked his head and then
flicked the lighter

and swung the flame out over the darkness like an offering.

stench

a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant

An ungodly
stench.

hideous

grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror

The smell

was
hideous.

pitiful

deserving or inciting compassion

Then one by one they turned and blinked in the
pitiful light.

terror

an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

He stood and got hold of the

door and swung it over and let it slam down and he turned to grab the boy but the boy had gotten up

and was doing his little dance of
terror.

stifle

impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of

He had to concentrate to
stifle the cough and at the

same time he was trying to listen.

curse

an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil

Curse God and die.

crush

compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition

Could you
crush that beloved skull with a rock?

beloved

dearly loved

Could you crush that
beloved skull with a rock?

shriek

sharp piercing cry

In the night he heard hideous
shrieks coming from the house and he tried to put his hands

over the boy’s ears and after a while the screaming stopped.

companion

a friend who is frequently with another

Lying in wait and ringing the bell in the house for their
companions to come.

direction

a line leading to a place or point

He’d no idea what
direction they might have taken and his fear was that they might circle

and return to the house.

veer

turn sharply; change direction abruptly

In what direction did lost men
veer?

hemisphere

half of a round, three-dimensional shape

Perhaps it changed with
hemispheres.

betray

deliver to an enemy by treachery

His mind was
betraying

him.

rousing

capable of stirring enthusiasm or excitement

Phantoms not heard from in a thousand years
rousing slowly from their sleep.

slur

utter indistinctly

He asked to be carried, stumbling and
slurring his words, and the

man did carry him and he fell asleep on his shoulder instantly.

steady

securely in position; not shaky

He
steadied himself and tried to see about him in the gray woods.

accrue

grow by addition

He walked to the top of a rise and crouched and watched the day
accrue.

chary

characterized by great caution

The
chary dawn,

the cold illucid world.

desperation

a state in which all hope is lost or absent

It was
desperation that had led him to such carelessness and he knew that

he could not do that again.

coarse

rough to the touch

Coarse and dry and dusty.

contain

hold or have within

They had to
contain some nutrition.

collapse

break down, literally or metaphorically

Collapsing into the

room.

poke

thrust abruptly

He took a broom from the corner

and
poked about with the handle.

rusty

covered with or consisting of an oxide coating

He held it to the light and looked at the
rusty blade and put it

back.

retract

formally reject or disavow

He took out the old blade and laid it on the shelf and put in one of the new

ones and screwed the handle back together and
retracted the blade and put the cutter in his pocket.

intend

have in mind as a purpose

He had a piece of cloth that he
intended to use to collect

seeds from the haybales but when he got to the barn he stopped and stood listening to the wind.

linger

remain present although waning or gradually dying

There was yet a
lingering odor of cows in the

barn and he stood there thinking about cows and he realized they were extinct.

extinct

no longer in existence

There was yet a lingering odor of cows in the

barn and he stood there thinking about cows and he realized they were
extinct.

numb

lacking sensation

He dumped them in a

pile at the door of the barn and sat there and wrapped up his
numb feet.

graph

a visual representation of the relations between quantities

The dark serpentine of a dead

vine running down it like the track of some enterprise upon a
graph.

sediment

matter that has been deposited by some natural process

A single bit of
sediment coiling in the jar on some slow hydraulic axis.

hydraulic

moved or operated or effected by liquid

A single bit of sediment coiling in the jar on some slow
hydraulic axis.

plenty

a full supply

It was as long a night as he could remember out of a great
plenty of such nights.

slacken

become slow or slower

He slept and woke and the rain
slackened and

after a while it stopped.

mendicant

a pauper who lives by begging

Then they set out upon the road again, slumped and cowled and shivering in their rags like
mendicant

friars sent forth to find their keep.

twilight

the time of day immediately following sunset

He stood at a rise in the road and tried to take his bearings in the
twilight.

palimpsest

a manuscript on which more than one text has been written

The billboards had been whited out with thin coats of paint in order to write on them and

through the paint could be seen a pale
palimpsest of advertisements for goods which no longer existed.

exist

have a presence

The billboards had been whited out with thin coats of paint in order to write on them and

through the paint could be seen a pale palimpsest of advertisements for goods which no longer
existed.

loot

goods or money obtained illegally

The country was
looted, ransacked, ravaged.

ravage

cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly

The country was looted, ransacked,
ravaged.

battle

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces

Like a dawn before
battle.

strain

exert much effort or energy

They squatted in a bleak wood and drank ditchwater
strained through a rag.

volume

the property of something that is great in magnitude

Soggy
volumes in a bookcase.

absolute

perfect or complete or pure

He walked out in the

gray light and stood and he saw for a brief moment the
absolute truth of the world.

relentless

never-ceasing

The cold
relentless

circling of the intestate earth.

implacable

incapable of being appeased or pacified

Darkness
implacable.

vacuum

an empty area or space

The

crushing black
vacuum of the universe.

borrow

get temporarily

Borrowed time and
borrowed world and
borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it.

recent

of the immediate past or just previous to the present time

At the edge of a small town they sat in the cab of a truck to rest, staring out a glass washed

clean by the
recent rains.

attention

the act of concentrating on something

Dont pay any
attention.

loathe

dislike intensely; feel disgust toward

Rich dreams now which he was
loathe to wake from.

recall

bring to mind

He thought each memory
recalled must do

some violence to its origins.

violence

a turbulent state resulting in injuries and destruction

He thought each memory recalled must do

some
violence to its origins.

origin

the place where something begins

He thought each memory recalled must do

some violence to its
origins.

alter

cause to change; make different

What you

alter in the remembering has yet a reality, known or not.

torch

a light usually carried in the hand

On the patio was a barbeque pit made from a fifty-five gallon drum slit

endways with a
torch and set in a welded iron frame.

glory

a state of high honor

Morning
glory.

gentle

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

He knew it couldnt have

gas in it yet when he tilted it with his foot and let it fall back again there was a
gentle slosh.

extend

stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope

He got the pliers out of

his coat pocket and
extended the jaws and tried it.

explain

make plain and comprehensible

He

tried to
explain to the boy that there was no one buried in the yard but the boy just started crying.

serrated

notched like a saw with teeth pointing toward the apex

He took a piece of flint from his pocket and got the pair of pliers and

struck the flint against the
serrated jaw.

battery

a collection of related things intended for use together

He found a box of
batteries and dry cells and

went through them.

cell

the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms

He found a box of batteries and dry
cells and

went through them.

corrode

cause to deteriorate due to water, air, or an acid

Mostly
corroded and leaking an acid goo but some of them looked okay.

committed

bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a cause or action

The man thought he had probably not fully
committed himself to any of this.

basin

a bowl-shaped vessel used for holding food or liquids

A stainless steel
basin and sponges and bars of soap.

chemical

produced by reactions involving atomic or molecular changes

In the

corner a
chemical toilet.

vent

a hole for the escape of gas, air, or liquid

There were
vent pipes in the walls covered with wire mesh and there were

drains in the floor.

vague

lacking clarity or distinctness

The

vague gray light was in the west.

secure

free from danger or risk

He lowered

the door and
secured it again and climbed back down and sat on the bunk.

implement

a piece of equipment or a tool used for a specific purpose

Finally he rose and

went to the table and hooked up the little two burner gas stove and lit it and got out a frying pan and a

kettle and opened the plastic box of kitchen
implements.

spatula

a hand tool with a thin flexible blade

He pointed with the
spatula toward the low steel door.

ruse

a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture

It wasnt

much of a
ruse but it was better than nothing.

whittle

cut small bits or pare shavings from

While the boy slept he sat on the bunk and by the light of

the lantern he
whittled fake bullets from a treebranch with his knife, fitting them carefully into the

empty bores of the cylinder and then
whittling again.

primer

an introductory textbook

The
primers would probably fit if he

could get them out without ruining them.

tour

a route all the way around a particular place or area

He got up and

made a last
tour of the stores.

gaze

a long fixed look

Then he turned down the lamp until the flame puttered out and he kissed

the boy and crawled into the other bunk under the clean blankets and
gazed one more time at this tiny

paradise trembling in the orange light from the heater and then he fell asleep.

tiny

very small

Then he turned down the lamp until the flame puttered out and he kissed

the boy and crawled into the other bunk under the clean blankets and gazed one more time at this
tiny

paradise trembling in the orange light from the heater and then he fell asleep.

paradise

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

Then he turned down the lamp until the flame puttered out and he kissed

the boy and crawled into the other bunk under the clean blankets and gazed one more time at this tiny

paradise trembling in the orange light from the heater and then he fell asleep.

anonymous

having no known name or identity or known source

The charred meat and bones under the damp ash might have been
anonymous save for the

shapes of the skulls.

likely

having a good chance of being the case or of coming about

Well, I dont think we’re
likely to meet any good guys on the road.

cautious

showing careful forethought

To be

cautious.

sumptuous

rich and superior in quality

They ate a
sumptuous meal by candlelight.

bond

a connection that fastens things together

He’d found four quarts of
bonded whiskey still in the paper bags in which they’d

been purchased and he drank a little of it in a glass with water.

purchase

acquire by means of a financial transaction

He’d found four quarts of bonded whiskey still in the paper bags in which they’d

been
purchased and he drank a little of it in a glass with water.

dessert

a dish served as the last course of a meal

They ate peaches and cream over biscuits for
dessert and drank

coffee.

flood

the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto land

The yard was already
flooded and

the rain was slashing down.

skulk

lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner

He thought

that they’d been crouching by the side of his cot as he slept and then had
skulked away on his

awakening.

planet

a celestial body that revolves around the sun

A being from a
planet that no longer existed.

suspect

regard as untrustworthy

The tales of which were
suspect.

panel

sheet that forms a distinct section of something

He unscrewed the bottom
panel and he removed

the burner assembly and disconnected the two burners with a small crescent wrench.

removed

separate or apart in time

He unscrewed the bottom panel and he
removed

the burner assembly and disconnected the two burners with a small crescent wrench.

crescent

having a curved shape that tapers at the ends

He unscrewed the bottom panel and he removed

the burner assembly and disconnected the two burners with a small
crescent wrench.

wrench

a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments

He unscrewed the bottom panel and he removed

the burner assembly and disconnected the two burners with a small crescent
wrench.

connect

fasten or put together two or more pieces

He
connected the hose from the tank and held the little potmetal burner up in his hand, small

and lightweight.

lightweight

weighing relatively little compared with another item

He connected the hose from the tank and held the little potmetal burner up in his hand, small

and
lightweight.

justification

the act of defending or explaining by reasoning

He’d planned to leave but the rain was
justification

enough to stay.

measure

determine the dimensions of something or somebody

They sorted through the stores and set out what they could take, making of it a
measured cube in the

corner of the shelter.

cube

a three-dimensional figure with six equal squares as faces

They sorted through the stores and set out what they could take, making of it a measured
cube in the

corner of the shelter.

parcel

a wrapped package

By dark the rain had ceased and they

opened the hatch and began to carry boxes and
parcels and plastic bags across the wet yard to the shed

and to pack the cart.

grave

a place for the burial of a corpse

The faintly lit hatchway lay in the dark of the yard like a
grave yawning at

judgment day in some old apocalyptic painting.

judgment

the act of assessing a person or situation or event

The faintly lit hatchway lay in the dark of the yard like a grave yawning at

judgment day in some old apocalyptic painting.

apocalyptic

of or relating to a catastrophe

The faintly lit hatchway lay in the dark of the yard like a grave yawning at

judgment day in some old
apocalyptic painting.

outline

the line that appears to bound an object

Sketched upon the pall of soot downstream the

outline of a burnt city like a black paper scrim.

goal

the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve

What are our long term
goals? he said.

decoy

something used to lure fish or other animals

It could be a
decoy.

warily

in a manner marked by keen caution and watchful prudence

When he saw them he

veered to the side of the road and turned and stood
warily.

suffer

undergo or be subjected to

He had a filthy towel tied under his jaw as if

he
suffered from toothache and even by their new world standards he smelled terrible.

standard

a basis for comparison

He had a filthy towel tied under his jaw as if

he suffered from toothache and even by their new world
standards he smelled terrible.

layer

a single thickness of some substance or material

He had no shoes at all and his feet were wrapped in rags and cardboard tied with green

twine and any number of
layers of vile clothing showed through the tears and holes in it.

vile

morally reprehensible

He had no shoes at all and his feet were wrapped in rags and cardboard tied with green

twine and any number of layers of
vile clothing showed through the tears and holes in it.

gesture

motion of hands or body to emphasize a thought or feeling

The boy
gestured at him with the tin.

motion

the act of changing location from one place to another

He made tipping
motions with his hands.

negotiate

discuss the terms of an arrangement

It doesnt mean we
negotiate another deal tomorrow.

weigh

have a certain heft

He didnt
weigh a hundred

pounds.

tentatively

in a hesitant manner

He nodded and reached out with his cane and tapped
tentatively at the road.

bivouac

temporary living quarters built by the army for soldiers

They
bivouacked in the woods much nearer to the road than he would have liked.

steer

be a guiding or motivating force or drive

He had to

drag the cart while the boy
steered from behind and they built a fire for the old man to warm himself

though he didnt much like that either.

luxury

something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity

Anyway, it’s foolish to ask for
luxuries in times like these.

difference

the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

It wouldnt make any
difference.

fare

the sum charged for riding in a public conveyance

Where men cant

live gods
fare no better.

subside

wear off or die down

He knelt in the dry leaves and ash with the blanket wrapped

about his shoulders and after a while the coughing began to
subside.

combination

the act of bringing things together to form a new whole

He

tried both valves again in their
combinations.

frank

characterized by directness in manner or speech

They ate a cold supper of cornbread and beans and
franks from a tin.

addict

to cause to become dependent

They plodded on, thin and filthy as street
addicts.

silky

having a soft, smooth, shiny surface

Cowled in their blankets against the cold

and their breath smoking, shuffling through the black and
silky drifts.

eroded

worn away as by water or ice or wind

The land was gullied and
eroded and barren.

feature

a prominent attribute or aspect of something

All of it shadowless and without
feature.

jungle

an impenetrable equatorial forest

The road

descended through a
jungle of dead kudzu.

marsh

low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation

A
marsh where the dead reeds lay over the water.

commence

set in motion, cause to start

The alien sun
commencing its

cold transit.

transit

a journey

The alien sun commencing its

cold
transit.

engineer

a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve problems

They pushed into the cab and he blew away the ash

from the
engineer‘s seat and put the boy at the controls.

control

power to direct or determine

They pushed into the cab and he blew away the ash

from the engineer’s seat and put the boy at the
controls.

simple

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

The controls were very
simple.

silt

mud or clay or small rocks deposited by a river or lake

After a while they just looked out through the
silted glass to where the

track curved away in the waste of weeds.

decompose

break down

That the train would sit there slowly
decomposing for all eternity and that no train would ever run

again.

eternity

time without end

That the train would sit there slowly decomposing for all
eternity and that no train would ever run

again.

creep

move slowly

The soft black talc blew through the streets like squid ink uncoiling along a sea

floor and the cold
crept down and the dark came early and the scavengers passing down the steep

canyons with their torches trod silky holes in the drifted ash that closed behind them silently as eyes.

scavenger

someone who collects things discarded by others

The soft black talc blew through the streets like squid ink uncoiling along a sea

floor and the cold crept down and the dark came early and the
scavengers passing down the steep

canyons with their torches trod silky holes in the drifted ash that closed behind them silently as eyes.

pore

any tiny hole admitting passage of a liquid

He’d
pored over maps as a child, keeping one finger on the town where he lived.

expensive

high in price or charging high prices

Expensive electronic equipment sat unmolested on the shelves.

equipment

an instrumentality needed for an undertaking

Expensive electronic
equipment sat unmolested on the shelves.

culvert

a transverse and enclosed drain under a road or railway

Sucking out of an iron
culvert into a pool.

emaciated

very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold

Emaciated, clothed in rags.

develop

progress or evolve through a process of natural growth

One wheel on the cart had

developed a periodic squeak but there was nothing to be done about it.

fugitive

someone who is sought by law officers

He’d come down with a fever and they lay in the woods like
fugitives.

kin

a person related to another or others

Kin long dead washed up and cast fey

sidewise looks upon him.

fey

suggestive of an elf in strangeness and otherworldliness

Kin long dead washed up and cast
fey

sidewise looks upon him.

value

the quality that renders something desirable

He’d not have thought the
value of the

smallest thing predicated on a world to come.

predicate

involve as a necessary condition or consequence

He’d not have thought the value of the

smallest thing
predicated on a world to come.

occupy

live in (a certain place)

That the space which these things

occupied was itself an expectation.

expectation

belief about the future

That the space which these things

occupied was itself an
expectation.

caustic

capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action

In the past when he

walked out like that and sat looking over the country lying in just the faintest visible shape where the

lost moon tracked the
caustic waste he’d sometimes see a light.

remedy

a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieves pain

The men poured gasoline on them and burned them alive, having no
remedy for

evil but only for the image of it as they conceived it to be.

image

a visual representation produced on a surface

The men poured gasoline on them and burned them alive, having no remedy for

evil but only for the
image of it as they conceived it to be.

conceive

have the idea for

The men poured gasoline on them and burned them alive, having no remedy for

evil but only for the image of it as they
conceived it to be.

grotto

a small cave, usually with attractive features

The burning snakes twisted horribly and

some crawled burning across the floor of the
grotto to illuminate its darker recesses.

illuminate

make lighter or brighter

The burning snakes twisted horribly and

some crawled burning across the floor of the grotto to
illuminate its darker recesses.

recess

a state when work or action are paused

The burning snakes twisted horribly and

some crawled burning across the floor of the grotto to illuminate its darker
recesses.

writhe

move in a twisting or contorted motion

As they were mute

there were no screams of pain and the men watched them burn and
writhe and blacken in just such

silence themselves and they disbanded in silence in the winter dusk each with his own thoughts to go

home to their suppers.

disband

cause to break up or cease to function

As they were mute

there were no screams of pain and the men watched them burn and writhe and blacken in just such

silence themselves and they
disbanded in silence in the winter dusk each with his own thoughts to go

home to their suppers.

haggard

showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering

He looked at the boy out of his sunken
haggard eyes.

wilderness

a wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition

Beyond a crossroads in that
wilderness they began to come upon the possessions of

travelers abandoned in the road years ago.

possession

anything owned

Beyond a crossroads in that wilderness they began to come upon the
possessions of

travelers abandoned in the road years ago.

wrest

obtain by seizing forcibly or violently, also metaphorically

Here and there the imprint of things
wrested out of the tar by

scavengers.

mired

entangled or hindered

Figures half
mired in the blacktop,

clutching themselves, mouths howling.

split

separate into parts or portions

The black skin stretched upon the

bones and their faces
split and shrunken on their skulls.

victim

an unfortunate person who suffers from adverse circumstances

Like
victims of some ghastly envacuuming.

ghastly

shockingly repellent; inspiring horror

Like victims of some
ghastly envacuuming.

corridor

an enclosed passageway

Passing them in silence down that silent
corridor through the drifting ash where they struggled forever

in the road’s cold coagulate.

hamlet

a community of people smaller than a village

They passed through the site of a roadside
hamlet burned to nothing.

prune

cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of

He opened a can of
prunes and they passed it between them.

wretched

deserving or inciting pity

All of them
wretched

looking beyond description.

rotation

the act of turning as if on an axis

They left the cart in the woods and he checked the
rotation of the rounds in the cylinder.

cheer

a cry or shout of approval

It wasnt a safe place because the sound of the river masked

any other but he thought it would
cheer the boy up.

provisions

a stock or supply of foods

They ate the last of their
provisions and he sat

studying the map.

holiday

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

He looked a straw man set out to announce some
holiday.

collective

done by or characteristic of individuals acting together

Things

abandoned long ago by pilgrims enroute to their several and
collective deaths.

possible

capable of happening or existing

It’s
possible.

slough

cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers

The
sloughs by the roadside motionless and gray.

seep

pass gradually or leak or as if through small openings

The water was little more than a
seep.

spat

a quarrel about petty points

He could see it moving slightly where it drew down

into a concrete tile under the roadway and he
spat into the water and watched to see if it would move.

traffic

vehicles or pedestrians traveling in a particular locality

More than once they woke sprawled in the road like
traffic

victims.

effort

use of physical or mental energy; hard work

It would cost them some
effort to get there.

button

a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats

Or a
button.

verdigris

a green patina that forms on copper or brass or bronze

Deep crust of
verdigris.

chisel

an edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge

He took out his knife and
chiseled at it with care.

import

bring in from abroad

An
imported chandelier.

chandelier

an ornate branched lighting fixture

An imported
chandelier.

sectioned

consisting of or divided into parts

Their own shapes
sectioned in the thin and watery glass of

the window there.

skeptical

marked by or given to doubt

They wandered through the rooms like
skeptical

housebuyers.

poison

any substance that causes injury or illness or death

These may be
poison, he said.

myriad

a large indefinite number

He fanned the blaze with

a magazine and soon the flue began to draw and the fire roared in the room lighting up the walls and

the ceiling and the glass chandelier in its
myriad facets.

facet

a distinct feature or element in a problem

He fanned the blaze with

a magazine and soon the flue began to draw and the fire roared in the room lighting up the walls and

the ceiling and the glass chandelier in its myriad
facets.

silhouette

a filled-in drawing of the outline of an object

The flames lit the darkening glass of the

window where the boy stood in hooded
silhouette like a troll come in from the night.

troll

supernatural creature thought to live in caves or mountains

The flames lit the darkening glass of the

window where the boy stood in hooded silhouette like a
troll come in from the night.

empire

the domain ruled by a single authoritative sovereign

The man pulled the sheets off the long
Empire table in the center of the room and

shook them out and made a nest of them in front of the hearth.

ajar

slightly open

He carried
ajar of

green beans and one of potatoes to the front door and by the light of a candle standing in a glass he

knelt and placed the first jar sideways in the space between the door and the jamb and pulled the door

against it.

delicious

extremely pleasing to the sense of taste

It smelled
delicious.

opposite

being directly across from each other

They ate slowly out of bone china bowls, sitting at
opposite sides of the table with a single

candle burning between them.

groan

an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

The warming

house creaked and
groaned.

purpose

what something is used for

The teeth

were rusty and dull and he sat in front of the fire with a rattail file and tried to sharpen them but to little

purpose.

attire

clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion

They had clothes and blankets and pillows

from the upstairs rooms and they fitted themselves out in new
attire, the boy’s trousers cut to length

with his knife.

examine

observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect

He found a wheelbarrow and

pulled it out and tipped it over and turned the wheel slowly,
examining the tire.

glaze

a coating, as for ceramics or metal

The rubber was
glazed

and cracked but he thought it might hold air and he looked through old boxes and jumbles of tools and

found a bicycle pump and screwed the end of the hose to the valvestem of the tire and began to pump.

average

an intermediate scale value regarded as normal or usual

He’d once found a lightmeter in a camera store that he thought he might use to
average out

readings for a few months and he carried it around with him for a long time thinking he might find

some batteries for it but he never did.

disinter

dig up for reburial or for medical investigation

Like those
disinterred dead from his

childhood that had been relocated to accommodate a highway.

relocate

become established in a new place

Like those disinterred dead from his

childhood that had been
relocated to accommodate a highway.

accommodate

have room for; hold without crowding

Like those disinterred dead from his

childhood that had been relocated to
accommodate a highway.

epidemic

a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease

Many had died in a cholera
epidemic

and they’d been buried in haste in wooden boxes and the boxes were rotting and falling open.

haste

overly eager speed and possible carelessness

Many had died in a cholera epidemic

and they’d been buried in
haste in wooden boxes and the boxes were rotting and falling open.

desolation

sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned

Like the

desolation of some alien sea breaking on the shores of a world unheard of.

vat

a large open vessel for holding or storing liquids

Beyond that the ocean vast and cold and shifting heavily like a slowly heaving
vat

of slag and then the gray squall line of ash.

squall

a loud and harsh cry

Beyond that the ocean vast and cold and shifting heavily like a slowly heaving vat

of slag and then the gray
squall line of ash.

disappointment

dissatisfaction when expectations are not realized

He could see the
disappointment in

his face.

scamper

run or move about quickly or lightly

The wind blew and

dry seedpods
scampered down the sands and stopped and then went on again.

vigilant

carefully observant or attentive

So we have to be
vigilant.

leap

move forward by bounds

Running naked and
leaping and screaming into the slow roll of the surf.

seething

in constant agitation

The
seething hiss of it washing over the

beach and drawing away again.

propel

cause to move forward with force

Great squid
propelling themselves over the floor of the sea in the

cold darkness.

swell

increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity

And perhaps beyond those shrouded

swells another man did walk with another child on the dead gray sands.

indifferent

marked by a lack of interest

Slept but a sea apart on another

beach among the bitter ashes of the world or stood in their rags lost to the same
indifferent sun.

gull

aquatic bird having long pointed wings and short legs

No
gulls or shorebirds.

artifact

a man-made object

Charred and

senseless
artifacts strewn down the shoreline or rolling in the surf.

strew

spread by scattering

Charred and

senseless artifacts
strewn down the shoreline or rolling in the surf.

promontory

a natural elevation

At the end of the strand their way was blocked by a

headland and they left the beach and took an old path up through the dunes and through the dead

seaoats until they came out upon a low
promontory.

tide

the periodic rise and fall of the sea level

At the
tide line a woven mat of weeds and the ribs of fishes in their millions stretching

along the shore as far as eye could see like an isocline of death.

guard

watch over or shield from danger or harm

You have to stand
guard.

sheer

so thin as to transmit light

Amidships the
sheer-rail was just awash.

aboard

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

He got hold of the rail and pulled himself
aboard and turned and crouched on the

slant of the wood deck shivering.

cable

a very strong thick rope made of twisted hemp or steel wire

A few lengths of braided
cable snapped off at the turnbuckles.

stagnant

not growing or changing; without force or vitality

A
stagnant bilge along the lower bulkhead filled with wet papers and trash.

clammy

unpleasantly cool and humid

Damp and
clammy.

alarm

a device signaling the occurrence of some undesirable event

He stood up in
alarm and the man

realized that in his new clothes he made an uncertain figure.

berth

a place where a sailing vessel can be secured

In the second stateroom there were drawers under the
berth that were still in place and he

lifted them free and slid them out.

prowl

move about in or as if in a predatory manner

He found a rubberized canvas seabag and he
prowled the rest of the ship in his boots,

pushing himself off the bulkheads against the tilt, the yellow slicker pants rattling in the cold.

odds

the likelihood of a thing occurring

He filled

the bag with
odds and ends of clothing.

perverse

deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper

Still there was something
perverse in his

searching.

cushion

protect from impact

There were lockers built into the benches in the cockpit that

held
cushions, sailcanvas, fishing gear.

pedestal

an architectural support or base

In a locker behind the wheel
pedestal he found coils of nylon

rope and steel bottles of gas and a toolbox made of fiberglass.

sextant

an instrument for measuring angular distance

Inside was a brass

sextant, possibly a hundred years old.

panic

an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

A moment

of
panic before he saw him walking along the bench downshore with the pistol hanging in his hand, his

head down.

ominous

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

The cans in the galley floor did not look in any way salvable and even in the locker there

were some that were badly rusted and some that wore an
ominous bulbed look.

burst

come open suddenly and violently

Not all of which he

knew, had
burst free of their labels.

squeeze

press firmly

He sorted through them, shaking them,
squeezing them in his hand.

edible

suitable for use as food

He thought there must be crates of

foodstuffs packed somewhere in the hold but he didnt think any of it would be
edible.

limit

as far as something can go

In any case there

was a
limit to what they could take in the cart.

occur

come to pass

It
occurred to him that he took this windfall in a fashion

dangerously close to matter of fact but still he said what he had said before.

envy

a desire to have something that is possessed by another

There were few nights lying in the dark that he did not
envy the dead.

remove

take something away as by lifting, pushing, or taking off

When he had

carried everything into the saloon and stacked it against the companionway he went back into the

galley and opened the toolbox and set about
removing one of the burners from the little gimballed

stove.

align

arrange so as to be parallel or straight

He

aligned the cylinder for the true cartridge to come up and he let the hammer down and put the pistol in

his parka and stood up.

collide

crash together with violent impact

He held out one hand before

him although there was nothing on that salt heath to
collide with.

emerge

come out into view, as from concealment

The surf sounded more distant but he

took his bearings by the wind as well and after tottering on for the better part of an hour they
emerged

from the grass and seaoats and stood again on the dry sand of the upper beach.

parade

a ceremonial procession including people marching

He slung the tarp of goods up over his shoulder and took the boy’s hand and they went on,

tramping in the sand like
parade horses against tripping over some piece of driftwood or seawrack.

weird

strikingly odd or unusual

The

weird gray light broke over the beach again.

grope

feel about uncertainly or blindly

They came upon

the tarp almost at once and he knelt and dropped the bindle and
groped about for the rocks he’d

weighed the plastic with and pushed them beneath it.

ease

freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort

He walked up and
eased himself down beside him and they sat watching the leaden sea

lift and fall beyond the breakers.

wade

walk through relatively shallow water

He kept a fire going and he’d
wade

ashore naked and shivering and drop the towrope and stand in the warmth of the blaze while the boy

towed in the seabag through the slack swells and dragged it onto the beach.

cascade

a small waterfall or series of small waterfalls

He woke coughing and rose and took a drink of water and dragged

more wood onto the fire, whole logs of it that sent up a great
cascade of sparks.

seethe

foam as if boiling

The slow surf crawled and
seethed in the

dark and he thought about his life but there was no life to think about and after a while he walked back.

stern

serious and harsh in manner or behavior

He went over the ship from bow to
stern again.

composite

consisting of separate interconnected parts

And behind that was a
composite toolbox, the opening of the lid sealed with black electrical tape.

aid

the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need

Inside was a yellow plastic flashlight, an electric strobebeacon

powered by a drycell, a first-
aid kit.

depressed

filled with melancholy and despondency

He
depressed

the lever and broke it open.

chamber

a natural or artificial enclosed space

The
chamber was empty but there were eight rounds of flares fitted in a

plastic container, short and squat and newlooking.

signal

any action or gesture that encodes a message

It’s to
signal with.

celebration

a joyful occasion for festivities to mark some happy event

It could be like a
celebration.

favor

an act of gracious kindness

But the odds are not in their
favor.

trigger

lever that activates the firing mechanism of a gun

He cocked the gun and aimed it out over the bay and pulled the
trigger.

conjure

summon into action or bring into existence

He pressed his

hand to his forehead,
conjuring up a coolness that would not come.

antibiotic

a substance used to kill microorganisms and cure infections

Some
antibiotics but they had a short shelflife.

temperature

the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment

But you have a really high
temperature and we have to get you cooled off.

angle

the space between two lines or planes that intersect

He

spread them by the fire on sticks
angled into the sand and piled on more wood and went and sat by the

boy again, smoothing his matted hair.

dissolve

pass into a solution

He crushed aspirins in a cup and
dissolved them in water and put in some

sugar and sat and lifted the boy’s head and held the cup while he drank.

staggering

so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm

He

was
staggering with fatigue.

fatigue

temporary loss of strength and energy from hard work

He

was staggering with
fatigue.

labor

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

He held the boy and bent to hear the
labored suck of air.

embarrassed

feeling or caused to feel uneasy and self-conscious

They sat that evening by the fire and the boy drank hot soup and the man turned his

steaming clothes on the sticks and sat watching him until the boy became
embarrassed.

sheaf

a package of several things tied together

The road bent its way along the coast, dead
sheaves of saltgrass

overhanging the pavement.

cognate

related by blood

A sound without
cognate

and so without description.

imponderable

difficult or impossible to evaluate with precision

Something
imponderable shifting out there in the dark.

contract

a binding agreement that is enforceable by law

The earth itself

contracting with the cold.

whistle

the sound made when someone forces breath through pursed lips

As they passed the last of the sad wooden buildings

something
whistled past his head and clattered off the street and broke up against the wall of the block

building on the other side.

gash

cut open

The arrow had cut a
gash just above his knee about three

inches long.

comment

a statement that expresses a personal opinion

He came back with the kit and gave it to the man and the man took it without
comment and

set it in the concrete floor in front of him and unsnapped the catches and opened it.

envelope

a flat container for a letter or thin package

He swabbed the wound with disinfectant and opened a plastic
envelope with his

teeth and took out a small hooked suture needle and a coil of silk thread and sat holding the silk to the

light while he threaded it through the needle’s eye.

submerged

beneath the surface of the water

A steel dock half collapsed and
submerged in the bay.

anvil

a heavy block on which hot metals are shaped by hammering

The pitted iron hardware deep lilac in color, smeltered in some bloomery in Cadiz or Bristol

and beaten out on a blackened
anvil, good to last three hundred years against the sea.

brave

possessing or displaying courage

Are you real
brave?

medium

the surrounding environment

Just
medium.

murky

cloudy, dirty, and difficult to see through

In the evening the
murky shape of another coastal city, the cluster of tall buildings vaguely

askew.

cluster

a grouping of a number of similar things

In the evening the murky shape of another coastal city, the
cluster of tall buildings vaguely

askew.

vaguely

in an unclear way

In the evening the murky shape of another coastal city, the cluster of tall buildings
vaguely

askew.

askew

turned or twisted to one side

In the evening the murky shape of another coastal city, the cluster of tall buildings vaguely

askew.

vacate

leave behind empty; move out of

In some other world

the child would already have begun to
vacate him from his life.

incinerate

become reduced to ashes

The
incinerate corpses shrunk to the size of a child and propped on

the bare springs of the seats.

future

the time yet to come

He’d stop and lean on the cart and the boy would go on and

then stop and look back and he would raise his weeping eyes and see him standing there in the road

looking back at him from some unimaginable
future, glowing in that waste like a tabernacle.

swamp

low land that is seasonally flooded

A dead
swamp.

relic

an antiquity that has survived from the distant past

Dead trees standing out of the gray water trailing gray and
relic hagmoss.

ponderous

having great mass and weight and unwieldiness

The

ponderous counterspectacle of things ceasing to be.

garbled

lacking orderly continuity

The wreckage of buildings strewn over the landscape and skeins of wire from the

roadside poles
garbled like knitting.

knit

make by needlework with interlacing yarn

The wreckage of buildings strewn over the landscape and skeins of wire from the

roadside poles garbled like
knitting.

debris

the remains of something that has been destroyed

The road was littered with
debris and it was work to get the cart

through.

orphan

a child who has lost both parents

Standing with his suitcase like an
orphan waiting for a bus.

derelict

a person without a home, job, or property

It was altogether
derelict.

scuffle

fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters

He
scuffled together a pile of the

bonecolored wood that lay along the shore and got a fire going and they sat in the dunes with the tarp

over them and watched the cold rain coming in from the north.

stipple

engrave by means of dots and flicks

The man pulled the plastic over himself in a hood and watched the gray sea shrouded

away out there in the rain and watched the surf break along the shore and draw away again over the

dark and
stippled sand.

torture

infliction of suffering to punish or obtain information

Their progress was a
torture.

isthmus

a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas

Downcountry a storm had

passed over the
isthmus and leveled the dead black trees from east to west like weeds in the floor of a

stream.

prophet

someone who speaks by divine inspiration

There is no
prophet in the earth’s long chronicle who’s not honored here today.

honor

a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

There is no prophet in the earth’s long chronicle who’s not
honored here today.

imagine

expect, believe, or suppose

You have to make it like talk that you
imagine.

practice

a customary way of operation or behavior

You

have to
practice.

encroach

advance beyond the usual limit

Old dreams
encroached upon the waking

world.

mortified

made to feel uncomfortable because of shame or wounded pride

Tracks of unknown creatures in the
mortified loess.

solely

without any others being included or involved

In that

cold corridor they had reached the point of no return which was measured from the first
solely by the

light they carried with them.

veteran

a person who has served in the armed forces

A

veteran of old skirmishes, bearded, scarred across his cheek and the bone stoven and the one eye

wandering.

skirmish

a minor short-term fight

A

veteran of old
skirmishes, bearded, scarred across his cheek and the bone stoven and the one eye

wandering.

scarred

blemished by injury or rough wear

A

veteran of old skirmishes, bearded,
scarred across his cheek and the bone stoven and the one eye

wandering.

stock

a supply of something available for future use

He squatted on one knee and swung the

shotgun up from under his arm and stood it in the road and leaned on the fore-
stock.

discussion

an extended communication dealing with a particular topic

There was some
discussion about whether to

even come after you at all.

brook

a natural stream of water smaller than a river

Once there were
brook trout in the streams in the mountains.

amber

a hard yellowish to brownish translucent fossil resin

You could see them standing

in the
amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the flow.

mystery

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

In the deep glens where they lived all things were older than man and they

hummed of
mystery.