aprOcN H gEtwE v H /emarald /sitI H crAvalarz fQnd i gyrdd bF tM garlz v H /yrmI v /rivOlt, hM apOzd HEr encrAns bF JrYiN H nitN-nIdalz fram HEr hEr n TretanN t prod H farst Ht kEm nIr.
bat H /tin /wUdmAn waz not afrEd.
"At H warst HE kn bat skrAc mF bjMtifal nikal-plEt," hI sed. "bat HEr wil b nO 'warst,' f F TiNk F kn mAniJ t frFtan HIz absard sOlJarz vErI IzilI. folO mI klOslI, Yl v jM!"
Hn, swiNN hiz Aks in a grEt sarkal t rFt t rFt n left bifYr him, hI AdvAnsd apon H gEt, n H aHarz folOd him wiTQt hezitESn.
H garlz, hM hAd ekspektd nO rizistans watevar, war tErifFd bF H swIp v H glitarN Aks n fled skrImN intM H sitI; sO Ht Qr crAvalarz pAsd H gEts in sEftI n myrcd dQn H grIn myrbal pEvmnt v H wFd scrIt tYrd H rqal pAlis.
"At Hs rEt wI wil sMn hAv jYr /mAJestI apon H TrOn agen," sed H /tin /wUdmAn, lAfN At hiz IzI konkwest v H gyrdz.
"TANk jM, frend /nik," ritarnd H /skErkrO, grEtfalI. "naTiN kn rizist jYr kFnd hyrt n jYr Syrp Aks."
Az HE pAsd H rOz v hQzz HE sY TrM H Opan dYrz Ht men war swIpN n dastN n wYSN diSz, wFl H wimin sAt arQnd in grMps, gosipN n lAfN.
"wat hAz hApand?" H /skErkrO Askd a sAd-lUkN mAn wiT a bUSI bIrd, hM wYr an Epran n waz wIlN a bEbI-kEriJ aloN H sFdwYk.
"wF, wI'v hAd a revalMSn, jYr /mAJestI Az jM Yt t nO vErI wel," riplFd H mAn; "n sins jM went awE H wimin hAv bin ranN TiNz t sMt Hemselvz. F'm glAd jM hAv disFdd t kam bAk n ristYr Yrdar, f dMiN hQswark n mFndN H cildrin z wErN Qt H screNkT v evrI mAn in H /emarald /sitI."
"hm!" sed H /skErkrO, TYtfalI. "if i z sac hyrd wark Az jM sE, hQ did H wimin i sO IzilI?"
"F rIlI d not nO," riplFd H mAn, wiT a dIp sF. "parhAps H wimin r mEd v kAst Frn."
nO mMvmnt waz mEd, Az HE pAsd aloN H scrIt, t apOz HEr progres. sevaral v H wimin stopd HEr gosip loN Inaf t kAst kjarIas lUks apon Qr frendz, bat imIdIatlI HE wUd tarn awE wiT a lAf Yr a snIr n rizam HEr cAtar. n wen HE met wiT sevaral garlz biloNN t H /yrmI v /rivOlt, HOz sOlJarz, insted v bIiN alyrmd Yr apIrN sarprFzd, mIrlI stepd Qt v H wE n alQd Hem t AdvAns wiTQt prOtest.
Hs AkSn rrendard H /skErkrO anIzI.
"F'm afrEd wI r wYkN intM a crAp," sed hI.
"nonsens!" ritarnd /nik /copar, konfidantlI; "H silI krIcarz r koNkard YlredI!"
bat H /skErkrO SUk hiz hed in a wE Ht ekspresd dQt, n /tip sed:
"it's tM IzI, YltageHar. lUk Qt f crabal ahed."
"F wil," ritarnd hiz /mAjestI. anapOzd HE rIcd H rqal pAlis n myrcd ap H marbal steps, wic hAd wans bin TiklI krastd wiT emaraldz bat war nQ fild wiT tFnI hOlz wEr H JMalz hAd bin rMTlislI tYrn fram HEr setNz bF H /yrmI v /rivOlt. n sO fyr not a rebal byrd HEr wE.
TrM H yrcd hYlwEz n intM H mAgnifisant TrOn rMm myrcd H /tin /wUdmAn n hiz folOarz, n hIr, wen H grIn silkan kartanz fel bihFnd Hem, HE sY a kjarIas sFt.
sItd wiHin H glitarN TrOn waz /Jenaral /JinJar, wiT H /skErkrO'z sekand-best krQn apon har hed, n H rqal septar in har rFt hAnd. a boks v kEramelz, fram wic SI waz ItN, restd in har lAp, n H garl sImd entFrlI At Iz in har rqal sarQndNz.
H /skErkrO stepd fYrward n knfrantd har, wFl H /tin /wUdmAn lInd apon hiz Aks n H aHarz fYrmd a hAf-sarkal bAk v hiz /mAJestI'z parsan.
"hQ dEr jM sit in mF TrOn?" dimAndd H /skErkrO, starnlI FiN H incrMdar. "dOn't jM nO jM r giltI v crIzan, n Ht HEr z a lY agenst crIzan?"
"H TrOn biloNz t hMevar z Ebal t tEk i," Ansard /JinJar, Az SI slOlI Et anaHar kEramel. "F hAv tEkan i, Az jM sI; sO Jast nQ F Am H /kwIn, n Yl hM apOz mI r giltI v crIzan, n mast b paniSd bF H lY jM hAv Jast mencand."
Hs vjM v H kEs pazald H /skErkrO.
"hQ z i, frend /nik?" hI Askd, tarnN t H /tin /wUdmAn.
"wF, wen i kamz t /lY, F hAv naTiN t sE," Ansard Ht paraniJ, "f lYz war nevar ment t b andarstUd, n i z fMliS t mEk H atempt."
"Hn wat SAl wI d?" Askd H /skErkrO, in dismE.
"wF dOn't jM mErI H /kwIn? n Hn jM kn bOT rMl," saJestd H /wogal-/bag.