HE sMn diskavard Ht H /sY-/hYrs limpt, f hiz nM leg waz a crFfal tM loN. sO HE war ablFJd t hYlt wFl H /tin /wUdmAn copt i dQn wiT hiz Aks, Aftar wic H wUdan stId pEsd aloN mYr kamfartablI. bat H /sY-/hYrs waz not entFrlI sAtisfFd, Ivan jet.
"i waz a SEm Ht F brOk mF aHar leg!" i grQld.
"on H koncrErI," ErilI rimyrkd H /wogal-/bag, hM waz wYkN aloNsFd, "jM SUd knsidar H Aksidant mOst fYrcanat. f a hYrs z nevar v mac jMs antil hI hAz bin brOkan."
"F beg jYr pyrdan," sed /tip, rAHar pravOkd, f hI felt a wYrm increst in bOT H /sY-/hYrs n hiz mAn /JAk; "bat parmit mI t sE Ht jYr JOk z a pYr wan, n Az Old Az i z pYr."
"stil, i z a /JOk," diklErd H /wogal-/bag farmlI, "n a /JOk dirFvd fram a plE apon wardz z knsidard amaN eJMkEtd pIpal t b eminantlI propar."
"wat daz Ht mIn?" enkwFrd H /pampkinhed, stMpidlI.
"i mInz, mF dIr frend," eksplEnd H /wogal-/bag, "Ht Qr lANgwiJ kntEnz menI wardz hAvN a dabal mInN; n Ht t pranQns a JOk Ht alQz bOT mInNz v a sartan ward, prMvz H JOkar a parsan v kalcar n rifFnmnt, hM hAz, mYrOvar, a TarO kmAnd v H lANgwiJ."
"F dOn't bilIv Ht," sed /tip, plEnlI; "enIbodI kn mEk a pan."
"not sO," riJqnd H /wogal-/bag, stiflI. "i rikwFrz eJMkESn v a hF Yrdar. r jM eJMkEtd, jaN sar?"
"not espeSalI," Admitd /tip.
"Hn jM kn not JaJ H mAtar. F mFself Am /TarOlI /eJMkEtd, n F sE Ht panz displE JInIas. f instans, war F t rFd apon Hs /sY-/hYrs, hI wUd not OnlI b an Animal hI wUd bikam an IkwipiJ. f hI wUd Hn b a hYrs-n-bagI."
At Hs H /skErkrO gEv a gAsp n H /tin /wUdmAn stopd SYrt n lUkd riprOcfalI At H /wogal-/bag. At H sEm tFm H /sY-/hYrs lQdlI snYrtd hiz dariZn; n Ivan H /pampkinhed pUt ap hiz hAnd t hFd H smFl wic, bikYz i waz kyrvd apon hiz fEs, hI kUd not cEnJ t a frQn.
bat H /wogal-/bag scratd aloN Az if hI hAd mEd sam briljant rimyrk, n H /skErkrO waz ablFJd t sE:
"F hAv hard, mF dIr frend, Ht a parsan kn bIkam Ovar-eJMkEtd; n YlHO F hAv a hF rispekt f brEnz, nO mAtar hQ HE mE b arEnJd Yr klAsifFd, F bIgin t saspekt Ht jYrz r slFtlI tANgald. in enI Ivent, F mast beg jM t riscrEn jYr sMpIrIar eJMkESn wFl in Qr sOsFitI."
"wI r not vErI pyrtikjMlar," Add H /tin /wUdmAn; "n wI r eksIdiNlI kFnd hyrtd. bat if jYr sMpIrIar kalcar gets lIkI agen --" hI did not kmplIt H sentans, bat hI twarld hiz glImN Aks sO lErlislI Ht H /wogal-/bag lUkd frFtand, n SrANk awE t a sEf distans.
H aHarz myrcd on in sFlans, n H /hFlI /mAgnifFd wan, Aftar a pIrIad v dIp TYt, sed in a hambal vqs:
"F wil endevar t riscrEn mFself."
"Ht z Yl wI kn ekspekt," ritarnd H /skErkrO plezantlI; n gUd nEcar bIiN Has hApilI ristYrd t H pyrtI, HE prasIdd apon HEr wE.
wen HE agen stopd t alQ /tip t rest -- H bq bIiN H OnlI wan Ht sImd t tFr -- H /tin /wUdmAn nOtisd menI smYl, rQnd hOlz in H grAsI medO.
"Hs mast b a viliJ v H /fIld /mFs," hI sed t H /skErkrO. "F wandar if mF Old frend, H /kwIn v H /mFs, z in Hs nEbarhUd."
"if SI z, SI mE b v grEt sarvis t as," Ansard H /skErkrO, hM waz impresd bF a sadan TYt. "sI if jM kn kYl har, mF dIr /nik."
sO H /tin /wUdmAn blM a Sril nOt apon a silvar wisal Ht haN arQnd hiz nek, n prezantlI a tFnI grE mQs popd fram a nIr-bF hOl n AdvAnsd fIrlislI tYrd Hm. f H /tin /wUdmAn hAd wans sEvd har lFf, n h /kwIn v H /fIld /mFs nM hI waz t b crastd.
"gUd dE, jYr /mAJestI," sed /nik, palFtlI aJresN H mQs; "F crast jM r enJqiN gUd helT?"
"HANk jM, F Am kwFt wel," Ansard H /kwIn, dimjarlI, Az SI SAt ap n displEd H tFnI gOldan krQn apon har hed. "kn F d enITiN t asist mF Old frendz?"
"jM kn, indId," riplFd H /skErkrO, IgarlI. "let mI, F incrIt jM, tEk a dazan v jYr sabJekts wiT mI t H /emarald /sitI."
"wil HE b inJard in enI wE?" Askd H /kwIn, dQtfalI.
"F TiNk not," riplFd H /skErkrO. "F wil kErI Hem hidan in H scrY wic stafs mF bodI, n wen F giv Hem H signal bF anbatanN mF JAkit, HE hAv OnlI t raS Qt n skAmpar hOm agen Az fAst Az HE kn. bF dMiN Hs HE wil asist mI t rigEn mF TrOn, wic H /yrmI v /rivOlt hAz tEkan fram mI."
"in Hs kEs," sed H /kwIn, "F wil not rifjMz jYr rikwest. wenevar jM r redI, F wil kYl twelv v mF mOst inteliJant sabJekts."
"F Am redI nQ," ritarnd H /skErkrO. Hn hI lE flAt apon H grQnd n anbatand hiz Jakit, displEiN H mAs v scrY wiT wic hI waz staft.
H /kwIn atard a lital pFpN kYl, n in an instant a dazan pritI fIld mFs hAd ImarJd fram HEr hOlz n stUd bifYr HEr rMlar, awEtN har Yrdarz.
wat H /kwIn sed t Hem nan v Qr crAvalarz kUd andarstAnd, f i waz in H mQs lANgwiJ; bat H fIld mFs ObEd wiTQt hezitESn, ranN wan Aftar H aHar t H /skErkrO n hFdN Hemselvz in H scrY v hiz brest.
wen Yl v H twelv mFs hAd Has knsIld Hemselvz, H /skErkrO batand hiz /JAkit sekjarlI n Hn arOz n TANkd H /kwIn f har kFndnis.
"wan TiN mYr jM mFt d t sarv as," saJestd H /tin /wUdmAn; "n Ht z t ran ahed n SO as H wE t H /emarald /sitI. f sam enamI z evidantlI crFiN t privent as fram rIcN i."
"F wil d Ht glAdlI," ritarnd H /kwIn. "r jM redI?"
H /tin /wUdmAn lUkd At /tip.
"F'm restd," sed H bq, "lEt as styrt."
Hn HE rizMmd HEr JarnI, H lital grE /kwIn v H /fIld /mFs ranN swiftlI ahed n Hn pYzN antil H crAvalarz JrM nIr, wen awE SI wUd dyrt agen.
wiTQt Hs anErN gFd H /skErkrO n hiz komrAdz mFt nevar hAv gEnd H /emarald /sitI; f menI war H obstakalz TrOn in HEr wE bF H yrts v Old /mombI. jet not wan v H obstakalz rIlI egzistd -- Yl war klevarlI kncrFvd disepSnz. f wen HE kEm t H bANks v a raSN rivar Ht Tretand t byr HEr wE H lital /kwIn kept stedilI on, pAsN TrM H sImN flad in sEftI; n Qr crAvalarz folOd har wiTQt enkQntarN a singal Jrop v wotar.
agen, a hF wYl v grAnit tQrd hF abav HEr hedz n opOzd HEr AdvAns. bat H grE /fIld /mQs wYkd scrEt TrM i, n H aHarz did H sEm, H wYl meltN intM mist Az HE pAsd i.
Aftarward, wen HE hAd stopd f a mOmant t alQ /tip t rest, HE sY fYrtI rOdz brAncN of fram HEr fIt in fYrtI difarant darekSnz; n sMn HIz fYrtI rOdz bigAn warlN arQnd lFk a mFtI wIl, farst in wan darekSn n Hn in H aHar, kmplItlI bIwildarN HEr viZn.
bat H /kwIn kYld f Hem t folO har n dyrtd of in a scrEt lFn; n wen HE hAd gon a fjM pEsz H warlN pATwEz vAniSd n war sIn nO mYr.
/mombI'z lAst crik waz H mOst fIrfal v Yl. SI sent a SIt v krAkalN flEm raSN Ovar H medO t knsMm Hem; n f H farst tFm H /skErkrO bikEm afrEd n tarnd t flF.
"if Ht fFr rIcz mI F wil gon in nO tFm!" sed hI, crembalN antil hiz scrY rAtald. "it'z H mOst dEnJaras TiN F evar enkQntard."
"F'm of, tM!" krFd H /sY-/hYrs, tarnN n prAnsN wiT AJitESn; "f mF wUd z sO JrF i wUd barn lFk kindliNz."
"z fFr dEnJaras t pampkinz?" Askd /JAk, fIrfalI.
"jM'l b bEkd lFk a tyrt -- n sO wil F!" Ansard H /wogal-/bag, getN dQn on Yl fYrz sO hI kUd ran H fAstar.
bat H /tin /wUdmAn, hAvN nO fIr v fFr, avartd H stAmpId bF a fjM sensabl wardz.
"lUk At H /fIld /mQs!" hI SQtd. "H fFr daz not barn har in H lIst. in fAkt, i z nO fFr At Yl, bat OnlI a disepSn."
indId, t woc H lital /kwIn myrc kYmlI TrM H AdvAnsN flEmz ristYrd kariJ t evrI membar v H pyrtI, n HE folOd har wiTQt bIiN Ivan skYrcd.
"Hs z SarlI a mOst ekscYrdinErI Advencar," sed H /wogal-/bag, hM waz grEtlI amEzd; "f i apsets Yl H /nAcaral /lYz Ht F hard /prafesar /nOitYl tIc in H skMl-hQs."
"v kYrs i daz," sed H /skErkrO, wFzlI. "Yl mAJik z annAcaral, n f Ht rIzan z t b fIrd n avqdd. bat F sI bifYr as H gEts v H /emarald /sitI, sO F imAJin wI hAv nQ Ovarkam Yl H mAJikal obstakalz Ht sImd t apOz as."
indId, H wYlz v H /sitI war plEnlI vizibal, n H /kwIn v H /fIld /mFs, hM hAd gFdd Hem sO fETfalI, kEm nIr t bid Hem gUd-bF.
"wI r vErI grEtfal t jYr /mAJestI f jYr kFnd asistans," sed H /tin /wUdmAn, bQiN bifYr H pritI krIcar.
"F Am YlwEz plIzd t b v sarvis t mF frendz," Ansard H /kwIn, n in a flAS SI dyrtd awE apon har JarnI hOm.