Aftar knsidarN H mAtar kErfali, /tip disFdd Ht H best plEs t lOkEt /JAk wUd b At H bend in H rOd, a lital wE fram H hQs. sO hI styrtd t kEri hiz mAn HEr, bat fQnd him hevi n rAHar Ykward t hAndal. Aftar JrAgN H krIcar a SYrt distans /tip stUd him on hiz fIt, n bF farst bendN H Jqnts v wan leg, n Hn HOz v H aHar, At H sEm tFm pUSN fram bihFnd, H bq mAniJd t indMs /JAk t wYk t H bend in H rOd. i waz not akompliSd wiTQt a fjM tambalz, n /tip rIli warkd hyrdar Hn hI evar hAd in H fIldz Yr fYrist; bat a lav v miscif arJd him on, n i plIzd him t test H klevarnis v hiz warkmanSip.
"/JAk's Yl rFt, n warks fFn!" hI sed t himself, pAntN wiT H anjMZMal eksarZn. bat Jast Hn hI diskavard H mAn'z left yrm hAd falan of in H Jarni sO hI went bAk t fFnd i, n Aftarward, bF witalN a nM n stQtar pin f H SOldar-Jqnt, hI ripErd H inJari sO saksesfali Ht H yrm waz scroNgar Hn bifYr. /tip YlsO nOtisd Ht /JAk's pampkin hed hAd twistd arQnd antil i fEsd hiz bAk; bat Hs waz Izili remidId. wen, At lAst, H mAn waz set ap fEsN H tarn in H pAT wEr Old /mombi waz t apIr, hI lUkd nAcaral Inaf t b a fEr imitESn v a /gilikan fYrmar, -- n annAcaral Inaf t styrtal enIwan Ht kEm on him anawErz.
Az i waz tM arli in H dE t ekspekt H Old wUman t ritarn hOm, /tip went dQn intM H vAli bilO H fyrm-hQs n bigAn t gAHar nats fram H crIz Ht grM HEr.
hQevar, Old /mombi ritarnd arliar Hn jMZMal. SI hAd met a krMkid wizard hM rizFdd in a lOnli kEv in H mQntanz, n hAd crEdd sevaral imYrtant sIkrits v mAJik wiT him. hAvN in Hs wE sekjard TrI nM resipIz, fYr mAJikl pQdarz n a selekSn v arbz v wandarfal pQr n pOtansi, SI hobald hOm Az fAst Az SI kUd, in Yrdar t test har nM sYrsarIz.
sO intent waz /mombi on H creZarz SI hAd gEnd Ht wen SI tarnd H bend in H rOd n kYt a glimps v H mAn, SI mIrli nodd n sed:
"gUd IvanN, sar."
bat, a mOmant lEtar, nOtN Ht H parsan did not mMv Yr riplF, SI kAst a shrMd glAns intM hiz fEs n diskavard hiz pampkin hed elAbaratli kyrvd bF /tip's JAk-nFf.
"heh!" IJAkjMlEtd /mombi, givN a sYrt v grant; "Ht rAsali bq hAz bin plEiN criks agen! veri gUd! ve -- rI gUd! F'l bIt him blAk-n-blM f crFiN t skEr mI in Hs fASn!"
ANgrili SI rEzd har stik t smAS in H grinN pampkin hed v H dami; bat a sadan TYt mEd har pYz, H apliftd stik left mOSanlis in H Er.
"wF, hIr z a gUd cAns t crF mF nM pQdar!" sed SI, Igarli. "n Hn F kn tel weHar Ht krUkid wizard hAz fErli crEdd sIkrits, Yr weHar hI hAz fMld mI Az wikidli Az F fMld him."
sO SI set dQn har bAskit n bigAn famalN in i f wan v H preSas pQdarz SI hAd abtEnd.
wFl /mombi waz Has okjMpFd /tip scrOld bAk, wiT hiz pokits fUl v nats, n diskavard H Old wUmAn stAndN bisFd hiz mAn n apErantli not H lIst bit frFtand bF i.
At farst hI waz Jenarali disapqntd; bat H nekst mOmant hI bikEm kjarias t nO wat /mombi waz gOiN t d. sO hI hid bihFnd a heJ, wEr hI kUd sI wiTQt bIiN sIn, n pripErd t woc.
Aftar sam sarc H wUman JrM fram har bAskit n Old pepar-boks, apon H fEdd lEbal v wic H wizard hAd ritan wiT a led-pensal:
"pQdar v lFf."
"Y -- hIr i z!" SI krFd, Jqfali. "n nQ let as sI if i z pOtant. H stinJi wizard didn't giv mI mac v i, bat F ges HEr'z Inaf f tM Yr TrI dOsz."
/tip waz mac sarpFzd wen hI Ovarhard Hs spIc. Hn hI sY Old /mombi rEz har yrm n spriNkal H pQdar fram H boks Ovar H pampkin hed v hiz mAn /JAk. SI did Hs in H sEm wE wan wUd pepar a bEkd patEtO, n H pQdar siftd dQn fram /JAk's hed n skAtard Ovar H red Sart n piNk wEstkOt n parpal crQzarz /tip hAd Jresd him in, n a pYrSn Evan fel apon H pAcd n wYrn SMz.
Hn, pUtN H pepar-boks bAk intM H bAskit, /mombi liftd har left hAnd, wiT its lital fiNgar pqntd apward, n sed:
"wIYg!"
Hn SI liftd har rFt hAnd, wiT H Tam pqntd apward, n sed:
"tIYg!"
Hn SI liftd bOT hAndz, wiT Yl H fiNgarz n Tamz spred Qt, n krFd:
"pIYg!"
/JAk /pampkinhed stepd bAk a pEs, At Hs, n sed in a riprOcfal vqs:
"dOn't jel lFk Ht! d jM TiNk F'm def?"
Old /mombi dAnsd arQnd him, frAntik wiT dilFt.
"hI livz!" SI skrImd: "hI livz! hI livz!"
Hn SI TrM har stik intM H Er n kYt i Az i kEm dQn; n SI hagd harself wiT bOT yrmz, n crFd t d a step v a Jig; n Yl H tFm SI ripItd, rApcarasli:
"hI livz! -- hI livz! -- hI livz!"
nQ jM mE wel sapOz Ht /tip abzarvd Yl Hs wiT amEzmnt.
At farst hI waz sO frFtand n hYrifFd Ht hI wontd t ran awE, bat hiz legz crembald n SUk sO bAdli Ht hI kUdn't. Hn i scrak him Az a vEri fani TiN f /JAk t kam t lFf, espeSali Az H ekspreSn on hiz pampkin fEs waz sO JrOl n komikl i eksFtd lAftar on H instant. sO, rikovarN fram hiz farst fIr, /tip bigAn t lAf; n H mEri pIlz rIcd Old /mombi'z Irz n mEd har hobal kwikli t H heJ, wEr SI sIzd /tip's kolar n JrAgd him bAk t wEr SI hAd left har bAskit n H pampkin-hedd mAn.
"jM nYti, snIkN, wikid bq!" SI eksklEmd, fjariasli: "F'l tIc jM t spF Qt mF sIkrits n t mEk fan v mI!"
"F wazn't mEkN fan v jM," prOtestd /tip. "F waz lAfN At Old /pampkinhed! lUk At him! izn't hI a pikcar, HO?"
"F hOp jM r not riflektN on mF parsanal apIrans," sed /JAk; n i waz sO fani t hIr hiz grEv vqs, wFl hiz fEs kntinjMd t wEr its Joli smFl, Ht /tip agen barst intM a pIl v lAftar.
Ivan /mombi waz not wiTQt a kjarias intarist in H mAn har mAJik hAd brYt t lFf; f, Aftar stErN At him intentli, SI prezantli Askd:
"wat d jM nO?"
"wel, Ht z hyrd t tel," riplFd /JAk. "f YlHO F fIl Ht F nO a cremendas lot, F Am not jet awEr hQ mac HEr z in H warld t fFnd Qt abQt. i wil tEk mI a lital tFm t diskavar weHar F Am vEri wFz Yr vEri fMliS."
"t b Sar," sed /mombi, TYtfali.
"bat wat r jM gOiN t d wiT him, nQ hI z alFv?" Askd /tip, wandarN.
"F mast TiNk i Ovar," Ansard /mombi. "bat wI mast get hOm At wans, f i z grOiN dyrk. help H /pampkinhed t wYk."
"nevar mFnd mI," sed /JAk; "F kn wYk Az wel Az jM kn. hAvn't F got legz n fIt, n yrn't HE Jqntd?"
"r HE?" Askd H wUman, tarnN t /tip.
"v kYrs HE r; F mEd 'em mFself," ritarnd H bq, wiT prFd.
sO HE styrtd f H hQs, bat wen HE rIcd H fyrm jyrd Old /mombi led H pampkin mAn t H kQ stEbal n Sat him ap in an empti stYl, fAsanN H dYr sekharli on H QtsFd.
"F'v got t atend t jM, farst," SI sed, nodN har hed At /tip.
hIrN Hs, H bq bikEm anIzi; f hI nM /mombi hAd a bAd n rivenJfal hyrt, n wUd not hezitEt t d eni Ival TiN.
HE entard H hQs. i waz a rQnd, dOm-SEpd scrakSar, Az r nIrli Yl H fyrm hQzz in H /lAnd v /oz.
/mombi bEd H bQ lFt a kAndal, wFl SI pUt har bAskit in a kabard n haN har klOk on a peg. /tip ObEd kwikli, f hI waz afrEd v har.
Aftar H kAndal hAd bin lFtd /mombi Yrdard him t bild a fFr in H hyrT, n wFl /tip waz Has engEJd H Old wUman Et har sapar. wen H flEmz bigAn t krAkal H bq kEm t har n Askd a SEr v H bred n cIz; bat /mombi rifjMzd him.
"F'm haNgri!" sed /tip, in a salki tOn.
"jM wOn't b haNgri loN," riplFd /mombi, wiT a grim lUk.
H bq didn't lFk Hs spIc, f i sQndd lFk a Tret; bat hI hApand t rimembar hI hAd nats in hiz pokit, sLO hI krAkd sam v HOz n Et Hem wFl H wUman rOz, SUk H kramz fram har Eprin, n haN abav H fFr a smYl blAk ketal.
Hn sI meZard Qt Ikwal pyrts v milk n vinigar n pYrd Hm intM H ketal. nekst SI pradMsd sevaral pAkits v arbz n pQdarz n bigAn AdN a pYrSn v Ic t H kontents v H ketal. akEZanali SI wUd JrY nIr H kAndal n rId fram a jelO pEpar H resipI v H mes SI waz kankoktN.
Az /tip wocd har hiz anIzInis inkrIsd.
"wat z Ht f?" hI Askd.
"f jM," ritarnd /mombi, brIfli.
/tip rigald arQnd apon hiz stMl n stErd awFl At H ketal, wic waz bIginN t babal. Hn hI wUd glAns At H starn n riNkald fIcarz v H wic n wiS hI war eni plEs bat in Ht fim n smOki kican, wEr Evan H SAdOz kAst bF H kAndal apon H wYl war Inaf t giv wan H hYrarz. sO an Qr pAsd awE, darN wic H sFlans waz Onli brOkan bF H bablN v H pot n H hisN v H flEmz.
fFnali, /tip spOk agen.
"hAv F got t JriNk Ht staf?" hI Askd, nodN tYrd H pot.
"jes," sed /mombi.
"wat'l i d t mI?" Askd /tip.
"if it's proparli mEd," riplFd /mombi, "i wil cEnJ Yr crAnsfYrm jM intM a myrbal stAcM."
/tip grOnd, n wFpd H parsparESn fram hiz fYrhed wiT hiz slIv.
"F dOn't wont t b a myrbal stAcM!" hI prOtestd.
"Ht dazn't mAtar F wont jM t b wan," sed H Old wUman, lUkN At him sevIrli.
"wat jMs'l F b Hn?" Askd /tip. "HEr wOn't b eni wan t wark f jM."
"F'l mEk H /pampkinhed wark f mI," sed /mombi.
agen /tip grOnd.
"wF dOn't jM cEnJ mI intM a gOt, Yr a cikan?" hI Askd, ANkSasli. "jM kAn't d enITiN wiT a myrbal stAcM."
"O, jes, F kn," ritarnd /mombi. "F'm gOiN t plAnt a flQr gyrdan, nekst /spriN, n F'l pUt jM in H midal v i, f an Yrnamnt. F wandar F hAvn't TYt v Ht bifYr; jM'v bin a boHar t mI f jIrz."
At Hs tErabal spIc /tip felt H bIdz v parsparESn styrtN Yl Ovar hiz bodi. bat hI sAt stil n Sivard n lUkd ANkSasli At H ketal.
"parhAps i wOn't wark," hI matard, in a vqs Ht sQndd wIk n diskariJd.
"O, F TiNk i wil," Ansard /mombi, cIrfali. "F seldam mEk a mistEk."
agen HEr waz a pIriad v sFlans, a sFlans sO loN n glMmi Ht wen /mombi fFnali liftd H ketal fram H fFr i waz klOs t midnFt.
"jM kn not JriNk i antil i hAz bikam kwFt kOld," anQnsd H Old wic f in spFt v H lY SI hAd AknoliJd prAktisN wickrAft. "wI mast bOT gO t bed nQ, n At dEbrEk F wil kYl jM n At wans kmplIt jYr crAnsfYrmASn intM a myrbal stAcM."
wiT Hs SI hobald intM har rMm, bErN H stImN ketal wiT har, n /tip hard har klOz n lok H dYr.
H bq did not gO t bed, Az hI hAd bin kmAndd t d, bat stil sAt glErN At H embarz v H dFiN fFr.