H /yrmI v /glinda H /gUd lUkd vErI grAnd n impOzN wen i asembald At dEbrEk bifYr H pAlis gEts. H jMnifYrmz v H garl sOlJarz war pritI n v gE kalarz, n HEr silvar-tipd spIrz war brFt n glisanN, H loN SAfts bIin inlEd wiT maHar-v-parl. Yl H ofisarz wYr Syrp, glImN sYrdz, n SIldz eJd wiT pIkok-feHarz; n i rIlI sImd Ht nO fO kUd bF enI posibilitI difIt sac a briljant yrmI.
H /sYrsares rOd in a bjMtifal palANkwin wic waz lFk H bodI v a kOc, hAvN dYrz n windOz wiT silkan kartanz; bat insted v wIlz, wic a kOc hAz, H palANkwin restd apon tM loN, hYrizontal byrz, wic war bYrn apon H SOldarz v twelv sarvants.
H /skErkrO n hiz komrAdz disFdd t rFd in H /gamp, in Yrdar t kIp ap wiT H swift myrc v H yrmI; sO, Az sMn A /glinda hAd styrtd n har sOlJarz hAd myrcd awE t H inspFrN scrEnz v mjMzik plEd bF H rqal bAnd, Qr frendz klFmd intM H sOfaz n folOd. H /gamp flM aloN slOlI At a pqnt darektlI Ovar H palANkwin in wic rOd H /sYrsares.
"b kErfal," sed H /tin /wUdmAn t H /skErkrO, hM waz lInN fyr Ovar H sFd t lUk At H yrmI bilO, "jM mFt fYl."
"i wUdn't mAtar," rimyrkd H eJjMkEtd /wogal-/bag, "hI kAn't get brOk sO loN Az hI z stafd wiT manI."
"didn't F Ask jM," bigAn /tip, in a riprOcfal vqs.
"jM did!" sed H /wogal-/bag, promptlI, "n F beg jYr pyrdan. F wil rIlI crF t riscrEn mFself."
"jM'd betar," diklErd H bq, "Ht z, if jM wiS t crAval in Qr kampanI."
"Y! F kUdn't bEr t pyrt wiT jM nQ," marmard H /insekt, fIliNlI; sO /tip let H sabJekt Jrop.
H yrmI mMvd stedilI on, bat nFt hAd fYlan bifYr HE kEm t H wYlz v H /emarald /sitI. bF H dim lFt v h nM mMn, hQevar, /glinda'z fYrsz sFlantlI sarQndd H sitI n picd HEr tents v skyrlit silk apon H grInswyrd. H tent v H /sYrsares waz lyrJar Hn H aHarz, n waz kmpOzd v pjar wFt silk, wiT skyrlit bAnarz flFiN abav i. a tent waz YlsO picd f H /skErkrO'z pyrtI; n wen HIz preparESnz hAd bin mEd, wiT militErI prisiZn n kwiknis, H yrmI ritFrd t rest.
grEt waz H amEzmnt v /kwIn /JinJar nekst mYrnN wen har sOlJarz kEm ranN t infYrm har v H vAst yrmI sarQndN Hem. SI At wans klFmd t a hF tQr v h rQalpAlis n sY bAnarz wEvN in evrI darekSn n H grEt wFt tent v /glinda stAndN darektlI bifYr H gEts.
"wI r SarlI lost!" krFd /JinJar, in despEr; "f hQ kn Qr nitN-nIdalz avEl agenst H loN spIrz n tEribal sYrdz v Qr fOz?"
"H best TiN wI kn d," sed wan v H garlz, "z t sarendar Az kwiklI Az posibal, bifYr wI get hart."
"not sO," ritarnd /JinJar, mYr brEvlI. "H enemI z stil QtsFd H wYlz, sO wI mast crF t gEn tFm bF engEJN Hem in pErlE. gO jM wiT a flAg v crMs t /glinda n Ask har wF SI hAz dErd t invEd mF dOminjanz, n wat r har dimAndz."
sO H garl pAsd TrM H gEts, bErN a wFt flAg t SO SI waz on a miSn v pIs, n kEm t /glinda'z tent. "tel jYr /kwIn," sed H /sYrsares t H garl, "Ht SI mast dilivar ap t mI Old /mombI, t b mF prizanar. if Hs z dan F wil not mOlest har fyrHar."
nQ wen Hs mesiJ waz dilivard t H /kwIn i fild har wiT dismE, f /mombI waz har cIf kQnsalar, n /JinJar waz tEriblI afrEd v H Old hAg. bat SI sent f /mombI, n tOld har wat /glinda hAd sed.
"F sI crabal ahed f Yl v as," matard H Old wic, Aftar glAnsN intM a mAJik mirar SI kErId in har pokit. "bat wI mE Ivan jet eskEp bF disIvN Hs /sYrsares, klevar Az SI TiNks harself."
"dOn't jM TiNk i wil b sEfar f mI t dilivar jM intM har hAndz?" Askd /JinJar, narvaslI.
"if jM d, i wil kost jM H TrOn v H /emarald /sitI!" Ansard H wic, pozitivlI, "bat if jM wil let mI hAv mF On wE, F kn sEv as bOT vErI IzilI."
"Hn d Az jM plIz," riplFd /JinJar, "f i z sO yristOkrAtik t b a /kwIn Ht F d not wiS t b oblFJd t ritarn hOm agen, t mEk bedz n wYS diSz f mF maHar."
sO /mombI kYld /JelFa /JAm t har, n parfYrmd a sartan mAJikal rFt wiT wic SI waz familjar. Az a rizalt v H encAntmnt /JelFa tUk on H fYrm n fIcarz v /mombI, wFl H Old wic grM t rizembal H garl sO klOslI Ht i sImd imposibal enIwan kUd ges H disepSn.
"nQ," sed Old /mombI t H /kwIn, "let as sOlJarz dilivar ap Hs garl t /glinda. SI wil TiNk SI hAz H rIl /mombI in har pQr, n sO wil ritarn imIdIatlI t har kancrI in H /sQT."
HErfYr /JelFa, hoblN aloN lFk an EJd wUman, waz led fram H sitI gEts n tEkan bifYr /glinda.
"hIr z H parsan jM dimAndd," sed wan v H gyrdz, "n Qr /kwIn nQ begz jM wil gO awE, Az jM promisd, n lIv as in pIs."
"Ht F wil SarlI d," riplFd /glinda, mac plIzd; "if Hs z rIlI H parson SI sImz t b."
"i z sartanlI Old /mombI," sed H gyrd, hM bilIvd SI waz spIkN H crMT; n Hn /JinJar'z sOlJarz ritarnd wiHin H sitI'z gEts.
H /sYrsares kwiklI samand H /skErkrO n hiz frendz t har tent, n bigAn t kwescn H sapOzd /mombI abQt H lost garl /ozmo. bat /JelFa nM naTiN At Yl v Hs ofEr, n prezantlI SI grM sO narvas andar H kwescanN Ht SI gEv wE n bigAn t wIp, t /glinda's grEt astoniSmnt.
"hIr z sam fMliS crikarI!" sed H /sYrsares, har Fz flASN wiT ANgar. "Hs z not /mombI At Yl, bat sam aHar parson hM hAz bin mEd t rizembal har! tel mI," SI dimAndd, tarnN t H crembalN garl, "wat z jYr nEm?"
Hs /JelFa dErd not tel, hAvN bin Tretand wiT deT bF H wic if SI knfesd H frYd. bat /glinda, swIt n fEr HO SI waz, andarstUd mAJik betar Hn enI aHar parsan in H /lAnd v /oz. sO, bF atarN a fjM pOtant wardz n mEkN a pekjMlIar Jescar, SI kwiklI crAnsfYrmd H garl intM har propar SEp, wFl At H sEm tFm Old /mombI, fyr awE in /JinJar'z pAlis, sadanlI rizMmd har On krUked fYrm n Ival fIcarz.
"wF, it's /JelFa /JAm!" krFd H /skErkrO, rekagnFzN in H garl wan v hiz Old frendz.
"it's Qr intarpritar!" sed H /pampkinhed, smFlN plezantlI.
Hn /JelFa waz fYrsd t tel v H crik /mombI hAd plEd n SI YlsO begd /glinda'z prOtekSn, wic H /sYrsares redilI grAntd. bat /glinda waz nQ rIlI ANgrI, n sent ward t /JinJar Ht H frYd waz diskavard n SI mast dilivar ap H rIl /mombI Yr safar tEribal konsekwensz. /JinJar waz pripErd f Hs mesiJ, f H wic wel andarstUd, wen har nAcaral fYrm waz Trast apon har, Ht /glinda hAd diskavard har crikarI. bat H wikid Old krIcar hAd YlredI TYt ap a nM disepSn, n hAd mEd /JinJar promis t kErI i Qt. sO H /kwIn sed t /glinda'z mesemJar:
"tel jYr misces Ht F kn not fFnd /mombI enIwEr, bat Ht /glinda z welkam t entar H sitI n sarc harself f H Old wUman. SI mE YlsO briN har frendz wiT har, if SI lFks; bat if SI daz not fFnd /mombI bF sandQn, H /sYrsares mast promis t gO awE pIsfalI n boHar as nO mYr."
/glinda agrId t HIz tarmz, wel nOiN Ht /mombI waz samwEr wiHin H sitI wYlz. sO /JinJar kYzd H gEts t b TrOn Opan, n /glinda myrcd in At H hed v a kampanI v sOlJarz, folOd bF H /skErkrO n H /tin /WudmAn, wFl /JAk /pampkinhed rOf ascrFd H /sY-/hYrs, n H /eJjMkEtd, /hFlI-/mAgnifFd /wogal-/bag sYntard bihFnd in a dignifFd mAnar. /tip wYkd bF H sFd v H /sYrsares, f /glinda hAd knsIvd a grEt lFkN f H bq.
v kYrs Old /mombI hAd nO intencn v bIiN fQnd bF /glinda; sO, wFl har enimIz war myrcN ap H scrIt, H wic crAnsfYrmd harself intM a red rOz grOiN apon a bUS in H gyrdan v H pAlis. i waz a klevar idIa, n a crik /glinda did not saspekt; sO sevaral preSas Qrz war spent in a vEn sarc f /mombI.
Az sandQn aprOcd H /sYrsares rIalFzd SI hAd bin difItd bF H sMpIrIar kanN v H EJd wic; sO SI gEv H kmAnd t har pIpal t myrc Qt v H sitI n bAk t HEr tents.
H /skErkrO n hiz komrAdz hApand t b sarcN in H gyrdan v H pAlis Jast Hn, n HE tarnd wiT disapqntmnt t ObE /glina'z kmAnd. bat bifyr HE left H gyrdan H /tin /wUdmAn, hM waz fond v flQrz, cAnsd t spF a big rOz grOiN apon a bUS; sO hI plakd H flQr n fAsand i sekjarlI in H tin batanhOl v hiz tin bazam.
Az hI did Hs hI fAnsId hI hard a lO mOn prOsId fram H rOz; bat hI pEd nO atenSn t H sQnd, n /mombI waz Has kErId Qt v H sitI n intM /glinda'z kAmp wiTQt enIwan hAvN a saspiSn Ht HE hAd saksIdd in HEr kwest.