"i sImz t mI," bigAn H /skErkrO, wen Yl war agen asembald in H TrOn rMm, "Ht H garl /JinJar z kwFt rFt in klEmN t b /kwIn. n if SI z rFt, Hn F Am roN, n wI hAv nO biznis t b okjMpFiN har pAlis."
"bat jM war H /kiN antil SI kEm," sed H /wogal-/bag, scratN ap n dQn wiT hiz hAndz in hiz pokits; "sO i apIrz t mI Ht SI z intarlOpar insted v jM."
"espeSalI Az wI hAv Jast koNkard har n pUt har t flFt," Add H /pampkinhed, Az hI rEzd hiz hAndz t tarn hiz fEs tYrd H /skErkrO.
"hAv wI rIlI koNkard har?" Askd H /skErkrO, kwFitlI. "lUk Qt v H windO, n tel mI wat jM sI."
/tip rAn t H windO n lUkd Qt.
"H pAlis z sarQndd bF a dabal rO v garl sOlJarz," hI anQnsd.
"F TYt sO," ritarnd H /skErkrO. "wI r Az crMlI HEr prizanarz Az wI war bifYr H mFs frFtand Hem fram H pAlis."
"mF frend z rFt," sed /nik /copar, hM hAd bin poliSd hiz brest wiT a bit v SAmwo-leHar. "/JinJar z stil H /kwIn, n wI r har prizanarz."
"bat F hOp SI kn not get At as," eksklEmd H /pampkinhed, wiT a Sivar v fIr. "SI Tretand t mEk tyrts v mI, jM nO."
"dOn't warI," sed H /tin /wUdmAn. "i kn not mAtar grEtlI. if jM stE Sat ap hIr jM wil spql in tFm, enIwE. a gUd tyrt z fyr mYr AdmFrabl Hn a dikEd intelekt."
"vErI crM," agrId H /skErkrO.
"O, dIr!" mOnd /JAk; "wat an anhApI lot z mFn! wF, dIr fyHar, did jM not mEk mI Qt v tin -- Yr Ivan Qt v scrY -- sO Ht F wUd kIp indefinitlI."
"Saks!" ritarnd /tip, indignantlI. "jM Yt t b glAd Ht F mEd jM At Yl." Hn hI Add, riflektivlI, "evrITiN hAz t kam t an end, sam tFm."
"bat F beg t rimFnd jM," brOk in H /wogal-/bag, hM hAd a discresd lUk in hiz balJN, rQnd Fz, "Ht Hs tErabl /kwIn /JinJar saJestd mEkN a gMloS v mI -- /mI! H OnlI /hFlI /mAgnifFd n /TarOlI /eJjMkEtd /wogal-/bag in H wFd, wFd warld!"
"F TiNk i waz a briljant FdIa," rimYrkd H /skErkrO, aprMviNlI.
"dOn't jM imAJin hI wUd mEk a betar sMp?" Askd H /tin /wUdmAn, tarnN tYrd hiz frend.
"wel, parhAps," AknoliJd H /skErkrO.
H /wogal-/bag grOnd.
"F kn sI, in mF mFnd'z F," sed hI, mYrnfalI, "H gOts ItN smYl pIsz v mF dIr komrAd, H /tin /wUdmAn, wFl mF sMp z bIiN kUkd on a bonfFr bilt v H /sY-/hYrs n /JAk /pampkinhed'z bodI, n /kwIn /JinJar wocz mI bql wFl SI fIdz H flEmz wiT mF frend H /skErkrO!"
Hs mYrbid pikSar kAst a glMm Ovar H entFr pyrtI, mEkN Hem restlis n ANkSas.
"i kAn't hApan f sam tFm," sed H /tin /wUdmAn, crFiN t spIk cIrfalI; "f wI SAl b Ebal t kIp /JinJar Qt v H pAlis antil SI mAniJz t brEk dQn H dYrz."
"n in H mIntFm F Am lFabal t styrv t deT, n sO z H /wogal-/bag," anQnsd /tip.
"Az f mI," sed H /wogal-/bag, "F TiNk Ht F kUd liv f sam tFm on /JAk /pampkinhed. not Ht F prifar pampkinz f fUd; bat F bilIv HE r samwat nMcriSas, n /JAk's hed z lyrJ n plamp."
"hQ hyrtlis!" eksklEmd H /tin /wUdmAn, grEtlI Sokd. "r wI kAnibalz, let mI Ask? Yr r wI fETfal frendz?"
"F sI vErI klIrlI Ht wI kn not stE Sat ap in Hs pAlis," sed H /skErkrO, wiT desiZn. "sO let as end Hs mYrnfal tYk n crF t diskavar a mInz t eskEp."
At Hs saJescn HE Yl gAHard IgarlI arQnd H TrOn, wErin waz sItd H /skErkrO, n Az /tip sAt dQn apon a stMl HEr fel fram hiz pokit a pepar-boks, wic rOld apon H flYr.
"wat z Hs?" Askd /nik /copar, pikN ap H boks.
"b kErfal!" krFd H bq. "Ht's mF /pQdar v /lFf. dOn't spil i, f i z nIrlI gon."
"n wat z H /pQdar v /lFf?" enkwFrd H /skErkrO, Az /tip riplEsd H boks kErfalI in hiz pokit.
"it's sam mAJikal staf Old /mombI got fram a krUkid sYrsarar," eksplEnd H bq. "SI brYt /JAk t lFf wiT i, n Aftarward F jMzd i t briN H /sY-/hYrs t lFf. F ges i wil mEk enITiN liv Ht z spriNkld wiT i; bat HEr'z OnlI abQt wan dOs left."
"Hn i z vErI preSas," sed H /tin /wUdmAn.
"indId i z," agrId H /skErkrO. "i mE prMv Qr best mInz v eskEp fram Qr difikaltIz. F bilIv F wil TiNk f a fjM minits; sO F wil TANk jM, frend /tip, t get Qt jYr nFf n rip Hs hevI krQn fram mF fYrhed."
/tip sMn kat H sticz Ht hAd fAsand H krQn t H /skErkrO'z hed, n H fYrmar monyrk v H /emarald /sitI rimMvd i wiT a sF v rilIf n haN i on a peg bisFd H TrOn.