Стража! Стража!

           "You’resixfootsix,lad.He’sonlyfivefoot."Thedwarftwiddledthelooserivetagain."Youseehowitis."

           "Yes,but-butmaybeI’mjusttallformyheight,"saidCarrotdesperately."Afterall,ifyoucanhaveshorthumans,can’tyouhavetalldwarfs?"

           Hisfatherpattedhimcompanionablyonthebackoftheknees.

           "You’vegottofacefacts,boy.You’dbemuchmoreathomeuponthesurface.It’sinyourblood.Theroofisn’tsolow,either."Youcan’tkeepknockingyourselfoutonthesky,hetoldhimself.

           "Holdon,"saidCarrot,hishonestbrowwrinklingwiththeeffortofcalculation."You’readwarf,right?Andmam’sadwarf.SoIshouldbeadwarf,too.Factoflife."

           Thedwarfsighed.He’dhopedtocreepuponthis,overaperiodofmonthsmaybe,sortofbreakittohimgently,buttherewasn’tanytimeanymore.

           "Sitdown,lad,"hesaid.Carrotsat.

           "Thethingis,"hesaidwretchedly,whentheboy’sbighonestfacewasalittlenearerhisown,"wefoundyouinthewoodsoneday.Toddlingaboutnearoneofthetracks...um."Thelooserivetsqueaked.Thekingplungedon.

           "Thingis,yousee...therewerethesecarts.Onfire,asyoumightsay.Anddeadpeople.Um,yes.Extremelydeadpeople.Becauseofbandits.Itwasabadwinterthatwinter,therewereallsortscomingintothehills...Sowetookyouin,ofcourse,andthen,well,itwasalongwinter,likeIsaid,andyourmamgotusedtoyou,and,well,wenevergotaroundtoaskingVarneshitomakeenquiries.That’sthelongandtheshortofit."