wen H Advencararz rIasembald apon H rMf i waz fQnd Ht H rimyrkabalI kwIr asYrtmnt v yrtikalz hAd bin selektd bF H vErIas membarz v H pyrtI. nO wan sImd t hAv a vErI klIr FdIa v wat waz rikwFrd, bat Yl hAd brYt samTiN.
H /wogal-/bag hAd tEkan fram its paziSn Ovar H mAntal-pIs in H grEt hYlwE H hed v a /gamp, wic waz adYrnd wiT wFd-spredN Antlarz; n Ts, wiT grEt kEr n grEtar difikaltI, H insekt hAd kErId ap H stErz t H rMf. Hs /gamp rizembald an /elk's hed, OnlI H nOz tarnd apward in a sYsI manar n HEr war wiskarz apon its cin, lFk HOz v a bilI-gOt. wF H /wogal-/bag selektd Hs yrtikal hI kUd not hAv eksplEnd, eksept Ht i hAd arQzd hiz kjarIositI.
/tip, wiT H Ed v H /sY-/hyrs, hAd brYt a lyrJ, aphOlstard sOfa t H rMf. i waz an OldfASand pIs v farnicar, wiT hF bAk n endz, n i waz sO hevI Ht Ivan bF restN H grEtist wEt apon H bAk v H /sY-/hYrs, H bq fQnd himself Qt v breT wen At lAst H klamzI sOfa waz dampd apon H rMf.
H /pampkinhed hAd brYt a brMm, wic waz H farst TiN hI sY. H /skErkrO yrFvd wiT a kql v klOz-lFnz n rOps wic hI hAd tEkan fram H kYrtjyrd, n in hiz crip ap H stErz hI hAd bardan tambald in a hIp apon h rMf n mFt hAv rOld v if /tip hAd not reskjMd him.
H /tin /wUdmAn apIrd lAst. hI YlsO hAd bin t H kYrtjyrd, wEr hI hAd kat fYr grEt, spredN lIvz fram a hjMJ pYm-crI Ht waz H prFd v Yl H inhAbitants v H /emarald /sitI.
"mF dIr /nik!" eksklEmd H /skErkrO, sIiN wat hiz frend hAd dan; "jM hAv bin giltI v H grEtist krFm enI parsan kn kamit in H /emarald /sitI. if F rimembar rFtlI, H penaltI f copN lIvz fram H rqal pYm-crI z t b kild sevan tFmz n Aftarward imprizand f lFf."
"i kn not b helpd nQ," Ansard H /tin /wUdmAn, TrOiN dQn H big lIvz apon H rMf. "bat i mE b wan mYr rIzan wF i z nesesErI f as t eskEp. n nQ let as sI wat jM hAv fQnd f mI t wark wiT."
menI war H dQtfal lUks kAst apon H hIp v misalEnIas matIrIal Ht nQ klatard H rMf, n fFnalI H /skErkrO SUk hiz hed n rimyrkd:
"wel, if frend /nik kn mAnjMfAkcar, fram Hs mes v rabiS, a /TiN Ht wil flF TrM H Er n kErI as t sEftI, Hn F wil AknoliJ him t b a betar mekAnik Hn F saspektd."
bat H /tin /wUdmAn sImd At farst bF nO mInz Sar v hiz pQrz, n OnlI Aftar poliSN hiz fYrhed vigaraslI wiT H SAmwo-leHar did hI rizolv t andartEk H tAsk.
"H farst TiN rikwFrd f H maSIn," sed hI, "z a bodI big Inaf t kErI H entFr pyrtI. Hs sOfa z H bigist TiN wI hAv, n mFt b jMzd f a bodI. bat, SUd H maSIn evar tip sFdwEz, wI wUd Yl slFd of n fYl t H grQnd."
"wF not jMz tM sOfaz?" Askd /tip. "HEr'z anaHar wan Jast lFk Hs dQn stErz."
"Ht z a vErI sensibal saJescn," eksklEmd H /tin /wUdmAn. "jM mast fec H aHar sOfa At wans."
sO /tip n H /sY-/hYrs mAniJd, wiT mac lEbar, t get H sekand sOfa t H rMf; n wen H tM war plEsd tageHar, eJ t eJ, H bAks n endz fYrmd a pratektN rAmpYrt Yl arQnd H sIts.
"eksalant!" krFd H /skErkrO. "wI kn rFd wiHin Hs snag nest kwFt At Qr Iz."
H tM sOfaz war nQ bQnd farmlI tageHar wiT rOps n klOz-lFnz, n Hn /nik /copar fAsand H /gamp's hed t wan end.
"Ht wil SO wic z H frant end v H /TiN," sed hI, grEtlI plIzd wiT H FdIa. "n, rIlI, if jM egzAmin i kritikalI, H /gamp lUks vErI wel Az a figjar-hed. HIz grEt pYm-lIvz, f wic F hAv endEnJard mF lFf sevan tFmz, mast sarv as Az wiNz."
"r HE scroN Inaf?" Askd H bq.
"HE r Az scroN Az enITiN wI kn get," Ansard H /wUdmAn; "n YlTO HE r not in prapYrSn t H /TiN'z bodI, wI r not in a paziSn t b vErI pyrtikjMlar."
sO hI fAsand H pYm-lIvz t H sOfaz, tM on Ic sFd.
sed H /wogal-/bag, wiT knsidarabal AdmarESn:
"H /TiN z nQ kmplIt, n OnlI nIdz t b brYt t lFf."
"stop a mOmant!" eksklEmd /JAk. "r jM not gOiN t jMz mF brMm?"
"wat f?" Askd H /skErkrO.
"wF, i kn b fAsand t H bAk end f a tEl," Ansard H /pampkinhed. "SarlI jM wUd not kYl H /TiN kmplIt wiTQt a tEl."
"hm!" sed H /tin /wUdmAn, "F d not sI H jMs v a tEl. wI r not crFiN t kopI s bIst, Yr a fiS, Yr a bard. Yl wI Ask v H /TiN z t kErI as TrM H Er."
"parhAps, Aftar H /TiN z brYt t lFf, i kn jMz a tEl t stIr wiT," saJestd H /skErkrO. "f if i flFz TrM H Er i wil not b anlFk a bard, n F'v nOtisd Ht Yl bardz hAv tElz, wic HE jMz f a radar wFl flFiN."
"vErI wel," Ansard /nik, "H brMm SAl b jMzd f a tEl," n hI fAsand i farmlI t H bAk end v H sOfa bodI.
/tip tUk H pepar-boks fram hiz pokit.
"H /TiN lUks vErI big," sed hI, ANkSaslI; "n F Am not Sar HEr z Inaf pQdar left t briN Yl v i t lFf. bat F'l mEk i gO Az fyr Az posibal."
"pUt mOst on H wiNz," sed /nik /copar; "f HE mast b mEd Az scroN Az posibal."
"n dOn't fYrget H hed!" eksklEmd H /wogal-/bag.
"Yr H tEl!" Add /JAk /pampkinhed.
"d b kwFit," sed /tip, narvaslI; "jM mast giv m a cAns t wark H mAJik cyrm in H propar mAnar."
vErI kErfalI hI bigAn spriNklN H /TiN wiT H preSas pQdar. Ic v H fYr wiNz waz farst lFtlI kavard wiT a lEjar. Hn H sOfaz war spriNkld, n H brMm givan a slFt kOtN.
"H hed! H hed! dOn't, F beg v jM, fYrget H hed!" krFd H /wogal-/bag, eksFtdlI.
"HEr'z OnlI a lital v H pQdar left," anQnsd /tip, lUkN wiHin H boks. "n i sImz t mI i z mYr impYrtant t briN H legz v H sOfaz t lFf Hn H hed."
"not sO," disFdd H /skErkrO. "evrI TiN mast hAv a hed t darekt i; n sins Hs krIcar z t flF, n not wYk, i z rIlI animpYrtant weHar its legz r alFv Yr not."
sO /tip abFdd bF Hs disiZn n spriNkld H /gamp's hed wiT H rimEndar v H pQdar.