"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.
"Ht z mF lAst mamentO v rqaltI," sed hI; "n F'm glAd t get rid v i. H fYrmar /kiN v Hs /sitI, hM waz nEmd /pAstYrIa, lost H krQn t H /wandarfal /wizard, hM pAsd i on t mI. nQ H garl /JinJar klEmz i, n F sinsIrlI hOp i wil not giv har a hedEk."
"a kFndlI TYt, wic F grEtlI AdmFr," sed H /tin /wUdmAn, nodN aprMviNlI.
"n nQ F wil indalJ in a kwik TiNk," kntinjMd H /skErkrO, lFiN bAk in H TrOn.
H aHarz rimEnd Az sFlant n stil Az posibal, sO Az not t distarb him; f Yl hAd grEt konfidans in H ekscraYrdinErI brEnz v H /skErkrO.
n, Aftar wat sImd a vErI loN tFm indId t H ANkSas wocarz, H TiNkar sAt ap, lUkd apon hiz frendz wiT hiz mOst wimzikal ekspreSn, n sed:
"mF brEnz wark bjMtifalI tadE. F'm kwFt prQd v Hem. nQ, lisan! if wI atempt t eskEp TrM H dYrz v H pAlis wI SAl SarlI b kApcard. n, Az wI kAn't eskEp TrM H grQnd, HEr z OnlI wan aHar TiN t b dan. wI mast eskEp TrM H Er!"
hI pYzd t nOt H efekt v HIz wardz; bat Yl hiz hIrarz sImd pazald n ankanvinsd.
"H /wandarfal /wizard eskEpd in a balMn," hI kntinjMd. "wI dOn't nO hQ t mEk a balMn, v kYrs; bat enI sYrt v TiN Ht kn flF TrM H Er kn kErI as IzilI. sO F saJest Ht mF frend H /tin /wUdmAn, hM z a skilfal mekAnik, SAl bild sam sYrt v a maSIn, wiT gUd scroN wiNz, t kErI as; n Qr frend /tip kn Hn briN H /TiN t lFf wiT hiz mAJikal pQdar."
"brYvO!" krFd /nik /copar.
"wat splendid brEnz!" marmard /JAk.
"rIlI kwFt klevar!" sed H /eJjMkEtd /wogal-/bag.
"F bilIv i kn b dan," diklErd /tip; "Ht z, if H /tin /wUdmAn z Ikwal t mEkN H /TiN."
"F'l d mF best," sed /nik, cIrilI; "n, Az a mAtar v fAkt, F d not ofan fEl in wat F atempt. bat H /TiN wil hAv t b bilt on H rMf v H pAlis, sO i kn rFz kmfartablI intM H Er."
"t b Sar," sed H /skErkrO.
"Hn let as sarc TrM H pAlis," kntinjMd H /tin /wUdmAn, "n kErI Yl H matIrIal wI kn fFnd t H rMf, wEr F wil bIgin mF wark."
"farst, hQevar," sed H /pampkinhed, "F beg jM wil rilIs mI fram Hs hYrs, n mEk mI anaHar leg t wYk wiT. f in mF prezant kndiSn F Am v nO jMs t mFself Yr t enIwan els."
sO H /tin /wUdmAn nokd a mahoganI sentar-tEbal t pIsz wiT hiz Aks n fitd wan v H legz, wic waz bjMtifalI kyrvd, on t hiz bodI v /JAk /pampkinhed, hM waz vErI prQd v H AkwiziSn.
"i sImz scrEnJ," sed hI, Az hI wocd H /tin /wUdmAn wark, "Ht mF left leg SUd b H mOst elegant n sabstAcal pyrt v mI."
"Ht prMvz jM r anjMZMal," ritarnd H /skErkrO, "n F Am knvinsd Ht H OnlI pIpal warHI v knsidarESn in Hs warld r H anjMZMal wanz. f H komam fOks r lFk H lIvz v a crI, n liv n dF annOtisd."
"spOkan lFk a filosafar!" krFd H /wogal-/bag, Az hI asistd H /tin /wUdmAn t set /JAk apon hiz fIt.
"hQ d jM fIl nQ?" Askd /tip, wocN H /pampkinhed stamp arQnd t crF hiz nM leg.
"Az gUd Az nM," Ansard /JAk, JqfalI, "n kwFt redI t asist jM Yl t eskEp."
"Hn let as get t wark," sed H /skErkrO, in a biznis-lFk tOn.
sO, glAd t b dMiN enITiN Ht mFt lId t H end v HEr kEptivitI, H frendz separEtd t wondar Ovar H pAlis in sarc v fitN matIrIal t jMz in H knscrakSn v HEr ErIal maSFn.