"jM r mF prizanar, n i z jMslis f jM t scragal enI loNgar," sed /glinda, in har soft, swIt vqs. "lF stil a mOmant, n rest jYrself, n Hn F wil kErI jM bAk t mF tent."
"wF d jM sIk mI?" Askd /mombI, stil skErs Ebal t spIk plEnlI f lAk v breT. "wat hAv F dan t jM, t b sO parsekjMtd?"
"jM hAv dan naTiN t mI," Ansard H Jental /sYrsares; "bat F saspekt jM hAv bin giltI v sevaral wikid AkSanz; n if F fFnd i z crM Ht jM hAv sO abjMzd jYr noliJ v mAJik, F intend t paniS jM sevIrlI."
"F difF jM!" krOkd H Old hAg. "jM dEr not hyrm mI!"
Jast Hn H /gamp flM ap t Hem n alFtd apon H dezart sAndz bisFd /glinda. Qr frendz war dilFtd t fFnd Ht /mombI hAd fFnalI bin kApcard, n Aftar a harId konsaltESn i waz disFdd HE SUd Yl ritarn t H kAmp in H /gamp. sO H /sY-/hYrs waz tosd abYrd, n Hn /glinda stil hOldN an end v H goldan Tred Ht waz arQnd /mombI'z nek, fYrsd har prizanar t klFm intM H sOfaz. H aHarz nQ folOd, n /tip gEv H ward t H /gamp t ritarn.
H /JarnI waz mEd in sEftI, /mombI sitN in har plEs wiT a grim n salan Er; f H Old hAg waz AbsOlMtlI helplis sO loN Az H mAJikal Tred ensarkald har TrOt. H yrmI hEld /glinda'z ritarn wiT lQd cIrz, n H pyrtI v frendz sMn gAHard agen in H rqal tent, wic hAd bin nItlI ripErd darN HEr Absens.
"nQ," sed H /syrsares t /mombI, "F wont jM t tel as wF H /wondarfal /wizard v /oz pEd jM TrI vizits, n wat bikEm v h cFld, /ozmo, wic sO kjarIaslI disapIrd."
H /wic lUkd At /glinda difFantlI, bat sed not a ward.
"Ansar mI!" krFd H /sYrsares.
bat stil /mombI rimEnd sFlant.
"parhAps SI dazn't nO," rimyrkd /JAk.
"F beg jM wil kIp kwFit," sed /tip. "jM mFt spql evrITiN wiT jYr fMliSnis."
"verI wel, dIr fYTar!" ritarnd H /pampkinhed, mIklI.
"hQ glAd F Am t b a /wogal-/bag!" marmard H /hFlI /mAgnifFd /insekt, softlI. "nO wan kn ekspekt wizdam t flO fram a pampkin."
"wel," sed H /skErkrO, "wat SAl wI d t mEk /mombI spIk? anles SI telz as wat wI wiS t nO har kApcar wil d as nO gUd At Yl."
"sapOz wI crF kFndnis," saJestd H /tin /wUdmAn. "F'v hard Ht enIwan kn b koNkard wiT kFndnis, nO mAtar hQ aglI HE mE b."
At Hs H /wic tarnd t glEr apon him sO hYriblI Ht H /tin /tUdmAn SrANk bAk abASd.
/glinda hAd bin kErfalI knsidarN wat t d, n nQ SI tarnd t /mombI n sed:
"jM wil gEn naTN, F aSar jM, bF Has difFiN as. f F Am ditarmind t larn H crMT abQt H garl /ozmo, n anles jM tel mI Yl Ht jM nO, F wil sartanlI pUt jM t deT."
"O, nO! dOn't d Ht!" eksklEmd H /tin /wUdmAn. "i wUd b an Yfal TiN t kil enIwan -- Ivan Old /mombI!"
"bat i z mjarlI a Tret," ritarnd /glinda. "F SAl not pUt /mombI t deT, bikYz SI wil prifar t tel mI H crMT."
"O, F sI!" sed H /tin /wUdmAn, mac rilIvd.