F sapOz evrI rIdar v Hs bUk nOz wat a skErkrO z; bat /JAk /pampkinhed, nevar hAvN sIn sac a krIESn, waz mYr sarprFzd At mItN H rimyrkabl /kiN v H /emarald /sitI Hn bF enI aHar wan ekspIrians v hiz brIf lFf.
hiz /mAJestI H /skErkrO waz Jresd in a sMt v fEdd blM klOz, n hiz hed waz mjarlI a smYl sAk stafd wiT scrY, apon wic Fz, Irz, a nOz n a mQT hAd bin rMdlI pEntd t reprizent a fEs. H klOz war YlsO stafd wiT scrY, n Ht sO anIvanlI Yr kErlislI Ht hiz /mAJestI'z legz n yrmz sImd mYr bampI Hn waz nesesErI. apon hiz hAndz war glavz wiT loN fiNgarz, n HIz war pAdd wiT kotan. wisps v scrY stak Qt fram H monyrk's kOt n YlsO fram hiz nek n bMt-tops. apon hiz hed hI wYr a hevI gOldan krQn set Tik wiT spyrklN JMalz, n H wEt v Hs krQn kYzd hiz brQ t sAg in riNklz, givN a TYtfal ekspreSn t hiz pEntd fEs. indId, H krQn alOn bitOkand mAJestI; in Yl els, H /skErkrO /kiN waz bat a simpal skErkrO -- flimsI, Ykward n ansabstanSl.
bat if H scrEnJ apIrans v H /mAJestI H /skErkrO sImd styrtalN t /JAk, nO les wandarfal waz H fYrm v H /pampkinhed t H /skErkrO. H parpal crWzarz n piNk wEstkOt n red Sart haN lMslI Ovar H wUdan Jqnts /tip hAd mAnjMfAkSard, n H kyrvd fEs on H pampkin grind parpecMalI, Az if its wErar knsidard lFf H JolIast TiN imAJinabl.
At farst, indId, /hiz /mAJestI TYt kwIr vizitar waz lAfN At him, n waz inklFnd t rizent sac a libartI; bat i waz wiTQt rIzan Ht H /skErkrO hAd atEnd H repjMtESn v bIiN H wFzist parsaniJ in H /lAnd v /oz. hI mEd a mYr kErfal egzAminESn v hiz vizitar, n sMn diskavard Ht /JAk's fIcarz war kyrvd intM a smFl n Ht hI kUd not lUk grEv if hI wiSd t.
H /kiN waz H farst t spIk. Aftar rigyrdN /Jak f sam minits hI sed, in a tOn v wandar:
"wEr on arT did jM kam fram, n hQ d jM hApan t b alFv?"
"F beg jYr /mAJestI’z pyrdan," ritarnd H /pampkinhed; "bat F d not andarstAnd Jm."
"wat dOn't jM andarstAnd?" Askd H /skErkrO.
"wF, F dOn't andarstAnd jYr lANgwiJ. jM sI, F kEm fram H /kancrI v H /gilikinz, sO Ht F Am a fYranar."
"Y, t b Sar!" eksklEmd H /skErkrO. "F mFself spIk H lANgwiJ v H /manckinz, wic z YlsO H lANgwiJ v H /emarald /sitI. bat jM, F sapOz, spIk H lANgwiJ v H /pampkinhedz?"
"egzAktlI sO, jYr /mAJestI," riplFd H aHar, bOiN; "sO i wil b imposabl f as t andarstAnd wan anaHar."
"Ht z anfYrcanat, sartanlI," sed H /skErkrO, TYtfalI. "wI mast hAv an intarpratar."
"wat z an intarpratar?" Askd /JAk.
"a parsan hM andarstAndz bOT mF lANgwaJ n jYr On. wen F sE enITiN, H intarpratar kn tel jM wat F mIn; n wen jM sE enITiN H intarpratarkn tel mI wat jM mIn. f H intarpratar kn spIk bOT lANgwaJz Az wel Az andarstAnd Hem."
"Ht z sartanlI klevar," sed /JAk, grEtlI plIzd At fFndN sO simpal a wE Qt v H difikaltI."
sO H /skErkrO kmAndd H /sOlJar wiT H /grIn /wiskarz t sarc amaN hiz pIpal antil hI fQnd wan hM andarstUd H lANgwiJ v H /gilikinz Az wel Az H lANgwiJ v H /emarald /sitI, n t briN Ht parsan t him At wans.
wen H /solJar hAd dipyrtd H /skErkrO sed:
"wOn't jM tEk a cEr wFl wI r wEtN?"
"jYr /mAJestI fYrgets Ht F kn not andarstAnd jM," riplFd H /pampkinhed. "if jM wiS mI t sit dQn jM mast mEk a sFn f mI t d sO." H /skErkrO kEm dQn fram hiz TrOn n rOld an yrmcEr t a paziSn bihFnd H /pampkinhed. Hn hI gEv /JAk a sadan pUS Ht sent him sprYlN apon H kaSnz in sO Ykward a fASn Ht hI dabalz ap lFk a JAknFf, n hAd hyrd wark t antANgal himself.
"did jM andarstAnd Ht sFn?" Askd /hiz /mAJestI, palFtlI.
"parfektlI," diklErd /JAk, rIcN ap hiz yrmz t tarn hiz hed t H frant, H pampkin hAvN twistd arQnd apon H stik Ht sapYrtd i.
"jM sIm hEstilI mEd," rimyrkd H /skErkrO, wocN /JAk's efarts t scrEtan himself.
"not mYr sO Hn jYr /mAJestI," waz H frANk riplF.
"HEr z Hs difarans bitwIn as," sed H /skErkrO, "Ht wErAz F wil bend, bat not brEk, jM wil brEk, bat not bend."
At Hs mOmant H sOlJar ritarnd lIdN a jaN garl bF H hAnd. SI sImd vErI swIt n modest, hAvN a pritI fEs n bjMtifal grIn Fz n hEr. a dEntI grIn silk skart rIcd t har nIz, SOiN silk stokNz embrqld wiT pI-podzm n grIn sAtin sliparz wiT bancz v letas f dekYrASnz insted v bOz Yr bakalz. apon har silkan wEst klOvar lIvz war embrqld, n SI wYr a JYntI lital JAkit crimd wiT spyrklN emaraldz v a jMnifYrm sFz.
"wF, it's lital /JelFa /JAm!" eksklEmd H /skErkrO, Az H grIn mEdan bQd har pritI hed bifYr him. "d jM andarstAnd H lANgwiJ v H /gilikinz, mF dIr?"
"jes, jYr /mAJestI," SI Ansard, "f F waz bYrn in H /nYrT /kancrI."
"Hn jM SAl b Qr intarpretar," sed H /skErkrO, "n eksplEn t Hs /pampkinhed Yl Ht F sE, n YlsO eksplEn t mI Yl Ht hI sEz. z Hs yrEnJmnt sAtisfAktarI?" hI Askd, tarnN tYrd hiz gest.
"vErI sAtisfAktarI indId," waz H riplF.
"Hn Ask him, t bIgin wiT," rizMmd H /skErkrO, tarnN t /JelFa, "wat brYt him t H /emarald /sitI."
bat insted v Hs H garl, hM hAd bin stErN At /JAk, sed t him:
"jM r sartanlI a wandarfal krIcar. hM r jM?"
"a bq nEmd /tip," Ansard /JAk.
"wat daz hI sE?" inkwFrd H /skErkrO. "mF Irz mast hAv disIvd mI. wat did hI sE?"
"hI sez Ht jYr /mAJestI'z brEnz sIm t hAv kam lMs," riplFd H garl, dimjarlI.
H /skErkrO mMvd anIzilI apon hiz TrOn, n felt v hiz hed wiT hiz left hAnd.
"wat a fFn TiN i z t andarstAnd tM difarant lANgwiJz," hI sed, wiT a parpleksd sF. "Ask him, mF dIr, if hI hAz enI abJekSn t bIiN pUt in JEl f insaltN H rMlar v H /emarald /sitI."
"F didn't insalt jM!" prOtestd /JAk, indignantlI.
"tat -- tat!" kYSnd H /skErkrO, "wEt, antil /JelFa crAnslEts mF spIc. wat hAv wI got an intarpretar f, if jM brEk Qt in Hs rAS wE?"
"Yl rFt, F'l wEt," riplFd H /pampkinhed, in a sarlI tOn -- YlHO hiz fEs smFld Az JInialI Az evar. "crAnslEt H spIc, jaN wUman."
"hiz /mAJestI inkwFrz if jM r haNgrI," sed /JelFa.
"O, not At Yl!" Ansard /JAk, mYr plezantlI, "f i z imposabl f mI t It."
"it's H sEm wE wiT mI," rimyrkd H /skErkrO. "wat did hI sE, /JelFa, mF dIr?"
"hI Askd if jM war awEr Ht wan v jYr Fz z pEntd lyrJar Hn H aHar," sed H garl, miscavaslI.
"dOn't jM bilIv har, jYr /mAJestI," krFd /JAk.
"O, F dOn't," Ansard H /skErkrO, kYmlI. Hn, kAstN a Syrp lUk At H garl, hI Askd:
"r jM kwFt sartan jM andarstAnd H lANgwiJz v bOT H /gilikinz n H /manckinz?"
"kwFt sartan, jYr /mAJestI," sed /JelFa /JAm, crFiN hyrd not t lAf in H fEs v rqaltI.
"Hn hQ z i Ht F sIm t andarstAnd Hem mFself?" inkwFrd H /skErkrO.
"bIkYz HE r wan n H sEm!" diklErd H garl, nQ lAfN mErilI. "daz not jYr /mAJestI nO Ht in Yl H lAnd v /oz bat wan lANgwiJ z spOkan?"
"z i indId sO?" krFd H /skErkrO, mac rilIvd t hIr Hs; "Hn F mFt IzilI hAv bin mF On intarpretar!"
"i waz Yl mF fYlt, jYr /mAJestI," sed /JAk, lUkN rAHar fMliS, "F TYt wI mast SarlI spIk difarant lANgwiJz, sins wI kEm fram difarant kancrIz."
"Hs SUd b a wYrnN t jM nevar t TiNk," ritarnd H /skErkrO, sevIrlI. "f anles wan kn TiNk wFzlI i z betar t rimEn a damI -- wic jM mOst sartanlI r."
"F Am! -- F SarlI Am!" agrId H /pampkinhed.
"i sImz t mI," kntinjMd H /skErkrO, mYr mFldlI, "Ht jYr mAnjMfAkcarar spqld sam gUd pFz t krIEt an indifarant mAn."
"F asMm jYr /mAJestI Ht F did not Ask t b krIEtd," Ansard /JAk.
"Y! i waz H sEm in mF kEs," sed H /kiN, plezantlI. "n sO, Az wI difar fram Yl YrdinErI pIpal, let as bIkam frendz."
"wiT Yl mF hyrt!" eksklEmd /JAk.
"wat! hAv jM a hyrt?" Askd H /skErkrO, sarprFzd.
"nO; Ht waz OnlI imAJinativ -- F mFt sE, a figjar v spIc," sed H aHar.
"wel, jYr prominant figjar sImz t b a figjar v wUd; sO F mast beg jM t riscrEn an imAJinESn wic, hAvN nO brEnz, jM hAv nO rFt t eksarsFz," saJestd H /skErkrO, wyrnNlI.
"t b Sar!" sed /JAk, wiTQt in H lIst komprIhendN.
hiz /mAJestI Hn dismisd /JelFa /JAm n H /sOlJar wiT H /grIn /wiskarz, n wen HE war gon hI tUk hiz nM frend bF H yrm n led him intM H kYrtjyrd t plE a gEm v kwqts.