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.It was as simple asthat.Abdullah saw that Hasruel had indeed been holding back his strength before.Looking into thedjinn s great slanting eyes which still had tears in the corners from the dog s attack he saw thatHasruel knew he knew. Notmore princesses! Princess Beatrice said.She was kneeling by Valeria, looking rather harassed. Nothing of the sort, I assure you, said Abdullah.The two nieces could hardly have looked less like princesses.They were in their oldest clothes, practicalpink and workaday yellow, torn and stained from their experiences, and the hair of both had comeunfrizzed.They took one look at Dalzel stamping and weeping above them on the throne, another look atthe huge shape of Hasruel, and then a third look at Abdullah wearing nothing but a loincloth, and theyscreamed.Then each tried to hide her face in the other s plump shoulder. Poor girls, stated the Princess of High Norland. Hardly royal behavior. Dalzel! Abdullah shouted up at the sobbing djinn. Beauteous Dalzel, poacher of princesses, bepeaceful a moment and look upon the gift I have given you to take with you into exile.Dalzel stopped in mid-sob. Gift?Abdullah pointed. Behold two brides, young and succulent and sorely in need of a bridegroom.Dalzel wiped luminous tears from his cheeks and surveyed the nieces in much the same way thatAbdullah s cannier customers used to inspect his carpets. A matching pair! he said. And wonderfullyfat! Where s the catch? Are they perhaps not yours to give away? No catch, shining djinn, said Abdullah.It seemed to him that, now the girls other relatives haddesertedthem, they were surely his to dispose of.But to be on the safe side, he added,  They are yoursfor the stealing, mighty Dalzel. He went up to the nieces and patted each on her plump arm. Ladies, heGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlsaid. Fullest moons of Zanzib, pray forgive me that unfortunate vow which prevents me forever fromenjoying your largeness.Look up instead and behold the husband I have found you in my place.The heads of both nieces came up as soon as they heard the wordhusband.They gazed at Dalzel. He s ever so handsome, said the pink one. I like them with wings, said the yellow one. It s different. Fangs are rather sexy, mused the pink one. So are claws, provided he s careful with them on thecarpets.Dalzel beamed wider with each remark. I shall steal these at once, he said. I like them better thanprincesses.Why didn t I collect fat ladies instead, Hasruel?A fond smile bared Hasruel s fangs. It was your decision, brother. His smile faded. If you are quiteready, it is my duty to send you into exile now. I don t mind so much now, Dalzel said, with his eyes still on the two nieces.Hasruel stretched out his hand again, slowly, regretfully, and slowly, in three long rolls of thunder, Dalzeland the two nieces faded out of sight.There was a slight smell of the sea and a faint noise of sea gulls.Both Morgan and Valeria started crying again.Everyone else sighed, Hasruel deepest of all.Abdullahrealized with some surprise that Hasruel truly loved his brother.Although it was hard to understand howanyone could love Dalzel, Abdullah could hardly blame him.Who am I to criticize?he thought, asFlower-in-the-Night came up and put her arm through his.Hasruel heaved up an even heavier sigh and sat down on the throne, which fitted his size far better thanDalzel s, with his great wings drooping sadly to either side. There is other business, he said, touchinghis nose gingerly.It seemed to be healing already. Yes, there certainlyis ! said Sophie.She had been waiting on the throne steps for her chance to speak. When you stole our moving castle, youdisappeared my husband, Howl.Where is he? I want him back.Hasruel raised his head sadly, but before he could reply, there were alarmed noises from the princesses.Everyone at the bottom of the steps retreated from the Paragon s petticoat.It was bulging and bellyingup and down on its hoops like a concertina. Help! cried the genie inside. Let me out! You promised!Flower-in-the-Night s hand leaped to her mouth. Oh! I clean forgot! she said, and darted away fromAbdullah, down the steps.She threw aside the petticoat in a roll of purple smoke. I wish, she cried out, that you be released from your bottle, genie, and be free forevermore!As usual the genie did not waste time in thanks.The bottle burst with a resounding smack.Inside therolls of smoke a decidedly more solid figure climbed to its feet.Sophie gave a scream at the sight. Oh,bless the girl! Thank you,thank you ! She arrived in the vanishing smoke so fast that she nearly knockedthe solid man there over.He did not seem to mind.He picked Sophie up and swung her around andaround. Oh, why didn t Iknow ? Why didn t Irealize ? Sophie panted, staggering about on brokenglass. Because that was the enchantment, Hasruel said gloomily. If he was known to be Wizard Howl,someone would have released him.You could not know who he was, nor could he tell anyone.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlThe Royal Wizard Howl was a younger man than Wizard Suliman, and a good deal more elegant.Hewas richly dressed in a suit of mauve satin, against which his hair showed a rather improbable shade ofyellow.Abdullah stared at the wizard s light eyes in the wizard s bony face.He had seen those eyesclearly, one early morning.He felt he should have guessed.He felt himself altogether in an awkwardposition.He had used the genie.He felt he knew the genie very well.Did that mean he also knew thewizard?Or not?For this reason, Abdullah did not join in when everyone, including the soldier, gathered around WizardHowl, exclaiming and congratulating him.He watched the tiny Princess of Tsapfan walk quietly amongthe exclaiming crowd and gravely put Morgan into Howl s arms. Thanks, said Howl. I thought I d better bring him along where I could keep an eye on him, heexplained to Sophie. Sorry if I gave you a fright. Howl seemed more used to holding babies thanSophie was.He rocked Morgan soothingly and stared at him.Morgan stared, rather balefully, back. My word, he s ugly! Howl said. Chip off the old block. Howl! said Sophie.But she did not sound angry [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]