We didn’t wander far. I had decided to go to Union House, the centre of all student social activity on campus. That’s where we’d go to get food (‘The Caff’). That’s where we’d go to see student theatre (‘The Guild Theatre’) or the movies. That’s where all the student clubs had their meetings. It was the hub of student life. Surely, I thought, there would be survivors holed up there who might give me and David a warmer welcome than we could expect back at the Baillieu – a fairly stupid idea, as ideas went. From the Baillieu to the Union was a walk of, maybe, five minutes. I don’t think David knew where I was taking him – but he was content to walk along, holding my hand like a small child. That was okay by me. As long as we were together, the zombies we passed along the way paid me no mind at all. When we got within, say, one hundred metres of Union House, David suddenly became agitated. At first, he just grunted and made indistinct vocalisations. Then, he started twitching once again. He squeezed my hand hard and started bobbing his head up and down in a rhythmic fashion. Finally, he broke free of my grip and broke into a headlong sprint towards the building, roaring as he went. Was this another warning? I trailed along behind him. I could not afford to lose contact with him – he was my passport, my promise of safe conduct, within the kingdom of the zombies. (Did they have a kingdom yet? Or a king?) Near the South exit of Union House was a large eucalypt tree, encircled by a wooden bench seat. Between the seat and the tree trunk could be seen a small knot of zombies, kneeling and attending to something lying on the ground.
Ny wandersyn pellder. My re ervirsa mos dhe Ji an Kesunyans, kres bywder kowethasek an studhyoryon war gampus. Henn o an le mayth en ni rag kavoes agan boes (“An Kaff”). Henn o an le mayth en rag mires orth gwariow studhyoryon (“An Gwaridi Myster”) po an bykturs gwaya-mir. Henn o le may huntellsa oll an kowethasow rag aga huntellyansow. Henn o both an bywnans studhyek. Yn sur, dell grysyn, y fia duryoryon kudhys ena – ha possybyl o i dhe ri dhymm ha dhe Dhavydh dynnargh toemma es dell esen ow tegemmeres dhe’n Lyverva Baillieu. Tybyans meur y wokkineth, dell hwer. Rag kerdhes dhiworth an Bailieu dhe Ji an Kesunyans a gemmer, martesen, a- dro dhe bymp mynysenn. Ny grysav Davydh dhe wodhvos le mayth esen orth y gemmeres – mes lowen o ev kerdhes genev, ow talghenna ow leuv kepar dell wra fleghik. Da lowr o henna genev. Ha ni warbarth, y skonya aswonn ahanav an zombis a dremensyn ryb an fordh. Pan esen ni a-dro dhe gans meter pellder dhiworth Chi an Kesunyans, a- dhistowgh, y teuth ha bos Davydh amovyes yn feur. Y’n kynsa le, ny wrug ev saw rogha ha gul sonyow andhiblans. Ena, y tallathas skwychya unnweyth arta. Ev a waskas yn kales ow leuv ha dalleth penndroppya yn fordh resyek. Wostiwedh, y leuv a omdhellos dhiworth ow huni – hag ev a dhallathas resek yn syth wor’tu ha’n drehevyans, ow bedhegyla hag ev gyllys. O hemma gwarnyans arall? My a dhraylyas a-dhelergh dhodho. Yn hwir, ny allsen vy kelli kestav ganso – ow thremengummyas o ev, ow ambos tremen-salowder, a-ji dhe ruvaneth an zombis. (Esa dhedha hwath ruvaneth? Po ruw?) Ogas dhe’n entrans soth Chi an Kesunyans, yth esa eukalyptwydhenn veur hag a-dro dhedhi bynk gylghyek. Yntra’n vynk ha’n ben, y hyllys gweles kolm byghan zombis, a’ga dewlin, owth attendya dhe neppyth a’y worwedh war an grond.langbot langbot