Wn v ɖ frst ʈñz Pītr dd nxt de wz t meźr Wndi n Jon n Mîcl fr holo triz. Hc, y rmembr, hd snird at ɖ bôz fr ʈncñ ɖe nīdd a tri apis, bt ɖs wz ignṛns, fr unls yr tri fitd y it wz dificlt t g p n dǎn, n no tū v ɖ bôz wr qt ɖ sem sîz. Wns y fitd, y drù in yr breʈ at ɖ top, n dǎn y wnt at xacli ɖ rît spīd, ẃl t asnd y drù in n let ǎt oltrṇtli, n so rigld p. V cors, ẃn y hv mastrd ɖ ax́n y r ebl t d ɖz ʈñz wɖt ʈncñ v ɖm, n nʈñ cn b mor gresfl.
Bt y simpli mst fit, n Pītr meźrz y fr yr tri az cerḟli az fr a sūt v cloɖz: ɖ onli difṛns biyñ ɖt ɖ cloɖz r md t fit y, ẃl y hv t b md t fit ɖ tri. Yẓ́li it z dn qt īẓli, az bî yr wẹrñ tù mni garmnts or tù fy, bt f y r bumpi in ōcẉd plesz or ɖ onli aveḷbl tri z an od śep, Pītr dz sm ʈñz t y, n aftr ɖt y fit. Wns y fit, gret cer mst b tecn t g on fitñ, n ɖs, az Wndi wz t dscuvr t hr dlît, cīps a hol faṃli in prfict cndiśn.
Wndi n Mîcl fitd ɖer triz at ɖ frst trî, bt Jon hd t b oltrd a litl.
Aftr a fy dez’ practis ɖe cd g p n dǎn az gêli az bucits in a wel. N hǎ ardntli ɖe grù t luv ɖer hom undr ɖ grǎnd; ispeṣ́li Wndi. It cnsistd v wn larj rūm, az ol hǎzz śd d, wɖ a flor in ẃć y cd dig f y wontd t g fiśñ, n in ɖs flor grù stǎt muśrumz v a ćarmñ culr, ẃć wr yzd az stūlz. A Nvr tri traid hard t gro in ɖ sntr v ɖ rūm, bt evri mornñ ɖe swd ɖ trunc ʈru, levl wɖ ɖ flor. Bî tītîm it wz olwz abt tū fīt hî, n ɖen ɖe pt a dor on top v it, ɖ hol ɖus bcmñ a tebl; az sn az ɖe clird awe, ɖe swd of ɖ trunc agn, n ɖus ɖr wz mor rūm t ple. Ɖr wz an inorṃs fîrples ẃć wz in olmst eni part v ɖ rūm ẃr y cerd t lît it, n acrs ɖs Wndi strećt strñz, md v fîbr, fṛm ẃć ś sspndd hr wośñ. Ɖ bed wz tiltd agnst ɖ wōl bî de, n let dǎn at 6:30, ẃn it fild nirli haf ɖ rūm; n ol ɖ bôz slept in it, xpt Mîcl, layñ lîc sardīnz in a tin. Ɖr wz a strict rūl agnst trnñ rnd untl wn gev ɖ signl, ẃn ol trnd at wns. Mîcl śd hv yzd it olso, bt Wndi wd hv a bebi, n h wz ɖ liṭlist, n y nǒ ẃt wimin r, n ɖ śort n loñ v it z ɖt h wz huñ p in a bascit.
It wz ruf n simpl, n nt unlîc ẃt bebiberz wd hv md v an unḍgrǎnd hǎs in ɖ sem srcmstansz. Bt ɖr wz wn rses in ɖ wōl, no larjr ɖn a brdcej, ẃć wz ɖ prîṿt apartmnt v Tncr Bel. It cd b śut of fṛm ɖ rest v ɖ hǎs bî a tîni crtn, ẃć Tnc, hu wz most fstidịs, olwz cept drwn ẃn dresñ or undresñ. No wmn, hvr larj, cd hv hd a mor xqizit būdwar n bedćembr cmbînd. Ɖ cǎć, az ś olwz cōld it, wz a jenyin Qīn Mab, wɖ clublegz; n ś vẹrid ɖ bedspredz acordñ t ẃt frūtblosm wz in sīzn. Hr mirr wz a Ps-in-Būts, v ẃć ɖr r nǎ onli ʈri, unćipt, noun t fẹri dīlrz; ɖ wośstand wz Pî-crust n rvrsbl, ɖ ćst v drorz an oʈntic Ćarmñ ɖ Sixʈ, n ɖ carpit n rugz ɖ bst (ɖ rli) pirịd v Marɉri n Robin. Ɖr wz a śanḍlir fṛm Tidliwincs fr ɖ lc v ɖ ʈñ, bt v cors ś lit ɖ rezidns hrslf. Tnc wz vri cntmtẏs v ɖ rest v ɖ hǎs, az indd wz phps inevitbl, n hr ćembr, ɖo bytifl, lct rɖr cnsitd, hvñ ɖ apiṛns v a nǒz prṃnntli trnd p.
I s’poz it wz ol ispeṣ́li intransñ t Wndi, bcz ɖoz rampejs bôz v hrz gev hr so mć t d. Riyli ɖr wr hol wīcs ẃn, xpt phps wɖ a stocñ in ɖ īvnñ, ś wz nvr abv grǎnd. Ɖ ccñ, I cn tel y, cept hr nǒz t ɖ pot, n īvn f ɖr wz nʈñ in it, īvn f ɖr wz no pot, ś hd t cīp woćñ ɖt it cem aboil jst ɖ sem. Y nvr xacli ń ẃɖr ɖr wd b a riyl mīl or jst a mc-b’liv, it ol dpndd upn Pītr’z ẃim: h cd īt, riyli īt, f it wz part v a gem, bt h cd nt stoj jst t fīl stoji, ẃć z ẃt most ćildṛn lîc betr ɖn enʈñ els; ɖ nxt bst ʈñ biyñ t tōc abt it. Mc-b’liv wz so riyl t him ɖt jrñ a mīl v it y cd si him gtñ rǎndr. V cors it wz trayñ, bt y simpli hd t folo hiz līd, n f y cd pruv t him ɖt y wr gtñ lūs fr yr tri h let y stoj.
Wndi’z feṿrit tîm fr sowñ n darnñ wz aftr ɖe hd ol gn t bed. Ɖen, az ś xprest it, ś hd a briɖñ tîm fr hrslf; n ś okpaid it in mcñ ny ʈñz fr ɖm, n ptñ dubl pìsz on ɖ niz, fr ɖe wr ol most frîtḟli hard on ɖer niz.
Ẃn ś sat dǎn t a bascitfl v ɖer stocñz, evri hìl wɖ a houl in it, ś wd flñ p hr armz n xclem, “Ǒ dir, I am śr I smtmz ʈnc spinstrz r t b envid!”
Hr fes bīmd ẃn ś xclemd ɖs.
Y rmembr abt hr pet wlf. Wel, it vri sn dscuvrd ɖt ś hd cm t ɖ îḷnd n it faund hr ǎt, n ɖe jst ran intu ć uɖr’z armz. Aftr ɖt it foloud hr abt evrẃr.
Az tîm wòr on dd ś ʈnc mć abt ɖ b’luvid peṛnts ś hd left bhnd hr? Ɖs z a dificlt qsćn, bcz it z qt imposbl t se hǎ tîm dz wer on in ɖ Neṿland, ẃr it z calkletd bî mūnz n súnz, n ɖr r evr so mni mor v ɖm ɖn on ɖ mênḷnd. Bt I am afreid ɖt Wndi dd nt riyli wuri abt hr faɖr n muɖr; ś wz abṣlutli confidnt ɖt ɖe wd olwz cīp ɖ windo opn fr hr t flî bac bî, n ɖs gev hr cmplit īz v mînd. Ẃt dd dstrb hr at tîmz wz ɖt Jon rmembrd hiz peṛnts vegli onli, az ppl h hd wns noun, ẃl Mîcl wz qt wilñ t b’liv ɖt ś wz riyli hiz muɖr. Ɖz ʈñz scerd hr a litl, n nobli añśs t d hr dyti, ś traid t fix ɖ old lîf in ɖer mîndz bî setñ ɖm xaṃneśn peprz on it, az lîc az poṣbl t ɖ wnz ś yst t d at scūl. Ɖ uɖr bôz ʈt ɖs ōḟli inṭrestñ, n insistd on jônñ, n ɖe md slets fr ɖmslvz, n sat rnd ɖ tebl, raitñ n ʈncñ hard abt ɖ qsćnz ś hd ritn on anɖr slet n pást rnd. Ɖe wr ɖ most ordnri qsćnz—“Ẃt wz ɖ culr v Muɖr’z îz? Ẃć wz tōlr, Faɖr or Muɖr? Wz Muɖr blond or brūnét? Ansr ol ʈri qsćnz f poṣbl.” “(A) Rait an ese v nt les ɖn 40 wrdz on Hǎ I spent mî last Hoḷdez, or Ɖ Caṛctrz v Faɖr n Muɖr cmperd. Onli wn v ɖz t b atmtd.” Or “(1) Dscrîb Muɖr’z laf; (2) Dscrîb Faɖr’z laf; (3) Dscrîb Muɖr’z Parti Dres; (4) Dscrîb ɖ Cenl n its Inmet.”
Ɖe wr jst evride qsćnz lîc ɖz, n ẃn y cd nt ansr ɖm y wr tld t mc a cros; n it wz riyli dredfl ẃt a numbr v crosz īvn Jon md. V cors ɖ onli bô hu rplaid t evri qsćn wz Slîtli, n nwn cd hv bn mor hopfl v cmñ ǎt frst, bt hiz ansrz wr prficli r’dikḷs, n h riyli cem ǎt last: a meḷnc̣li ʈñ.
Pītr dd nt cmpit. Fr wn ʈñ h dspîzd ol muɖrz xpt Wndi, n fr anɖr h wz ɖ onli bô on ɖ îḷnd hu cd nɖr rait nr spel; nt ɖ smōlist wrd. H wz abv ol ɖt sort v ʈñ.
Bî ɖ we, ɖ qsćnz wr ol ritn in ɖ past tns. Ẃt wz ɖ culr v Muɖr’z îz, n so on. Wndi, y si, hd bn fgetñ, tù.
Advnćrz, v cors, az w śl si, wr v dêli ocuṛns; bt abt ɖs tîm Pītr invntd, wɖ Wndi’z hlp, a ny gem ɖt faṣnetd him inorṃsli, untl h sudnli hd no mor inṭrest in it, ẃć, az y hv bn tld, wz ẃt olwz hapnd wɖ hiz gemz. It cnsistd in pritndñ nt t hv advnćrz, in dwñ ɖ sort v ʈñ Jon n Mîcl hd bn dwñ ol ɖer livz, sitñ on stūlz flññ bōlz in ɖ er, pśñ ć uɖr, gwñ ǎt fr wōcs n cmñ bac wɖt hvñ cild so mć az a grizli. T si Pītr dwñ nʈñ on a stūl wz a gret sît; h cd nt hlp lcñ soḷm at sć tîmz, t sit stil sīmd t him sć a comic ʈñ t d. H bostd ɖt h hd gn wōcñ fr ɖ gd v hiz hlʈ. Fr sevṛl súnz ɖz wr ɖ most novl v ol advnćrz t him; n Jon n Mîcl hd t pritnd t b dlîtd olso; uɖ̇wz h wd hv trītd ɖm svirli.
H ofn wnt ǎt alon, n ẃn h cem bac y wr nvr abṣlutli srtn ẃɖr h hd hd an advnćr or nt. H mt hv fgotn it so cmplitli ɖt h sd nʈñ abt it; n ɖen ẃn y wnt ǎt y faund ɖ bodi; n, on ɖ uɖr hand, h mt se a gret dīl abt it, n yt y cd nt fînd ɖ bodi. Smtmz h cem hom wɖ hiz hed bandijd, n ɖen Wndi cùd ovr him n beɖd it in lūcworm wōtr, ẃl h tld a daẓlñ têl. Bt ś wz nvr qt śr, y nǒ. Ɖr wr, hvr, mni advnćrz ẃć ś ń t b tru bcz ś wz in ɖm hrslf, n ɖr wr stl mor ɖt wr at līst partli tru, fr ɖ uɖr bôz wr in ɖm n sd ɖe wr hoļi tru. T dscrîb ɖm ol wd rqîr a bc az larj az an Ñgliś-Latin, Latin-Ñgliś Dix́nri, n ɖ most w cn d z t gv wn az a spesimn v an aṿrij aur on ɖ îḷnd. Ɖ dificlti z ẃć wn t ćūz. Śd w tec ɖ bruś wɖ ɖ redscinz at Slîtli Gulć? It wz a sanḡnri afer, n ispeṣ́li inṭrestñ az śowñ wn v Pītr’z pkliaṛtiz, ẃć wz ɖt in ɖ midl v a fît h wd sudnli ćenj sîdz. At ɖ Gulć, ẃn vicṭri wz stl in ɖ baḷns, smtmz līnñ ɖs we n smtmz ɖt, h cōld ǎt, “I’m redscin tde; ẃt r y, Tūtlz?” N Tūtlz ansrd, “Redscin; ẃt r y, Nibz?” n Nibz sd, “Redscin; ẃt r y Twin?” n so on; n ɖe wr ol redscinz; n v cors ɖs wd hv endd ɖ fît hd nt ɖ riyl redscinz faṣnetd bî Pītr’z meʈ̇dz, agrìd t b lost bôz fr ɖt wns, n so at it ɖe ol wnt agn, mor firsli ɖn evr.
Ɖ xtrordnri upśot v ɖs advnćr wz—bt w hv nt dsîdd yt ɖt ɖs z ɖ advnćr w r t nret. Phps a betr wn wd b ɖ nît’tac bî ɖ redscinz on ɖ hǎs undr ɖ grǎnd, ẃn sevṛl v ɖm stuc in ɖ holo triz n hd t b pld ǎt lîc corcs. Or w mt tel hǎ Pītr sevd Tîgr Lili’z lîf in ɖ Mrmeidz’ Lgūn, n so md hr hiz alî.
Or w cd tel v ɖt cec ɖ pîṛts cct so ɖt ɖ bôz mt īt it n periś; n hǎ ɖe plest it in wn cunñ spot aftr anɖr; bt olwz Wndi snaćt it fṛm ɖ handz v hr ćildṛn, so ɖt in tîm it lost its sukḷns, n bcem az hard az a ston, n wz yzd az a misîl, n Hc fél ovr it in ɖ darc.
Or s’poz w tel v ɖ brdz ɖt wr Pītr’z frendz, ptiklrli v ɖ Nvr brd ɖt bilt its nst in a tri oṿhaññ ɖ l’gūn, n hǎ ɖ nst fél intu ɖ wōtr, n stl ɖ brd sat on hr egz, n Pītr gev ordrz ɖt ś wz nt t b dstrbd. Ɖt z a priti stori, n ɖ end śoz hǎ gretfl a brd cn b; bt f w tel it w mst olso tel ɖ hol advnćr v ɖ l’gūn, ẃć wd v cors b telñ tū advnćrz rɖr ɖn jst wn. A śortr advnćr, n qt az xîtñ, wz Tncr Bel’z atmt, wɖ ɖ hlp v sm strītfẹriz, t hv ɖ slīpñ Wndi cnveid on a gret flotñ līf t ɖ mênḷnd. Forćṇtli ɖ līf gev we n Wndi wouc, ʈncñ it wz baʈtîm, n swam bac. Or agn, w mt ćūz Pītr’z dfayns v ɖ laynz, ẃn h drù a srcl rnd him on ɖ grǎnd wɖ an aro n derd ɖm t cros it; n ɖo h wêtd fr aurz, wɖ ɖ uɖr bôz n Wndi lcñ on breʈlisli fṛm triz, nt wn v ɖm derd t axpt hiz ćalinj.
Ẃć v ɖz advnćrz śl w ćūz? Ɖ bst we wl b t tos fr it.
I hv tóst, n ɖ l’gūn hz wún. Ɖs olmst mcs wn wś ɖt ɖ Gulć or ɖ cec or Tnc’s līf hd wún. V cors I cd d it agn, n mc it bst ǎt v ʈri; hvr, phps fẹrist t stic t ɖ l’gūn.
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