at first she thought it was yonfi , restored to his usual inexhaustible vigour , but yonfi was still cuddled up in his brothers embrace ; moreover , as she observed its slow coming and going it seemed that it was picking up the fish that lay around wixelor , unfettered by the enormousness of his supine body and the powerful rasping of his breath she realized it wasnt bending its body up and down but was constantly stooped , like certain old people theyd seen in the castle , whose bones had been distorted by disease ; yet the creatures face , which she had glimpsed once or twice ( looking right back at her with the same fearlessness ) was decidedly that of a child , flashing the quick brazen grin of childish mischief .