"hM-rE!" SQtd H /skErkrO, gElI. "wI kn nQ lIv Hs mizarabal /JAkdYz' nest wenevar wI plIz."
"bat i z nIrlI dyrk," sed H /tin /wUdmAn; "n anles wI wEt antil mYrnN t mEk Qr flFt wI mE get intM mYr crabal. F dOn't lFk HIz nFt crips, f wan nevar nOz wat wil hApan."
sO i waz disFdd t wEt antil dElFt, n H Advencararz amjMzd Hemselvz in H twFlFt bF sarcN H /JAkdYz' nest f creZarz.
H /wogal-/bag fQnd tM hAndsam brEslits v rYt gold, wic fitd hiz slendar yrmz vErI wel. H /skErkrO tUk a fAnsI f riNz, v wic HEr war menI in H nest. bifYr loN hI hAd hitd a riN t Ic v hiz pAdd glavz, n not bIiN kntent wiT Ht displE hI Add wan mYr t Ic Tam. Az hI kErfalI cMz HOz riNz set wiT spyrklNstOnz, sac Az rMbIz, AmeTsts n sAfFrz, H /sKerkrO'z hAndz nQ prizentd a mOst briljant apIrans.
"Hs nest wUd b a piknik f /kwIn /JinJar," sed hI, mjMziNlI, "f Az nIrlI Az F kn mEk Qt SI n har garlz koNkard mI mIrlI t rob mF sitI v its emaraldz."
H /tin /wUdmAn waz kntent wiT hiz dFmand neklas n rifjMzd t Aksept enI adiSanal dekYrESnz; bat /tip sekjard a fFn gOld woc, wic waz atAcd t a hevI fob, n plEsd i in hiz pokit wiT mac prFd. hI YlsO pind sevaral JMald brOcz t /JAk /pampkinhed'z red wEstkOt, n atAcd a lYrnjet, bF mInz v a fFn cEn, t H nek v H /sY-/hYrs.
"it's vErI pritI," sed H krIcar, rigyrdN H lYrnjet aprMviNlI, "bat wat z i f?"
nan v Hem kUd Ansar Ht kwescn, hQevar; sO H /sY-/hYrs disFdd i waz sam rEr dekYrESn n bikEm vErI fond v i.
Ht nan v H pyrtI mFt b slFtd, HE endd bF plEsN sevaral lyrJ sIl riNz apon H pqnts v H /gamp's Antlarz, YlHO Ht od parsaniJ sImd bF nO mInz grAtifFd bF H atenSn.
dyrknis sMn fel apon Hem, n /tip n H /wogal-/bag went t slIp wFl H aHarz sAt dQn t wEt pESantlI f H dE.
nekst mYrnN HE hAd kYz t kngrAdjMlEt Hemselz apon H jMsfal kndiSn v H /gamp; f wiT dElFt a grEt flok v /JAkdYz aprOcd t engEJ in wan mYr bAtal f H pazeSn v H nest.
bat Qr Advencararz did not wEt f H asYlt. HE tambald intM H kUSand sIts v H sOfaz Az kwiklI Az posibal, n /tip gEv H ward t H /gamp t styrt.
At wans i rOz intM H Er, H grEt wiNz flopN scroNlI n wiT regjMlar mOSnz, n in a fjM mOmants HE war sO fyr fram H nest Ht H cAtarN /JAkdYz tUk pazeSn wiTQt enI atempt At parsMt.
H /TiN flM dM /nYrT, gOiN in H sEm darekSn fram wens i had kam. At lIst, Ht waz H /skErkrO'z apinjan, n H aHarz agrId Ht H /skErkrO waz H best JaJ v darekSn. Aftar pAsN Ovar sevaral sitIz n wiliJz H /gamp kErId Hem hF abav a brod plEn wEr hQzz bikEm mYr n mYr skAtard antil HE disapIrd YltageHar. nekst kEm H wFd, sAndI dezart separEtN H rest v H warld fram H /lAnd v /oz, n bifYr nMn HE sY H dOm-SEpd hQzz Ht prMvd HE war wans mYr wiHin H bYrdarz v HEr nEtiv lAnd.
"bat H hQzz n fensz r blM," sed h /tin /wUdmAn, "n Ht indikEts wI r in H lAnd v H /manckinz, n HErfYr a loN distans fram /glinda h /gUd."
"wat SAl wI d?" Askd H bq, tarnN t HEr gFd.
"F dOn't nO," riplFd H /skErkrO, frANklI. "if wI war At H /emarald /sitI wI kUd Hn mMv darektlI sQTward, n sO rIc Qr destinESn. bat wI dEr not gO t H /emarald /sitI, n h /gamp z probablI kErIiN as farHar in H roN darekSn wiT evrI flop v its wiNz."
"Hn H /wogal-/bag mast swYlO anaHar pil," sed /tip, disFdedlI, "n wiS as hedd in H rFt darekSn."
"vErI wel," ritarnd H /hFlI /mAgnifFd wan; "F'm wilN."
bat wen H /skErkrO sarcd in hiz pokit f H pepar-boks kntEnN H tM silvar /wiSN /pilz, i waz not t b fQnd. fild wiT ANzFitI, H vqaJarz hantd TrMQt evrI inc v H TiN f H preSas boks; bat i hAd disapIrd entFrlI.
n stil H /gamp flM onward, kErIiN Hem HE nM not wEr.
"F mast kAv left H pepar-boks in H /JAkdYz' nest," sed H /skErkrO, At leNgT.