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Pondering her question, the troll smacked the flaps of his mouth for a moment and then said, "Let’s say Jocko wanted a knife"

"For what?"

"Let’s say … for paring his toenails"

"I can get you clippers for that"

"But let’s just say Let’s just say Jocko wanted a knife to pare his toenails, and let’s say it was really urgent The toenails--see, they had to be pared right away, right away, or all hope was lost So let’s say Jocko hurried to soet the knife What happens then is what always happens Let’s say Jocko gets to the kitchen, and sees some … bananas, yes, that’s what he sees, a platter of bananas Are you with Jocko so far?"

"Yes, I am," she said

His conversation was not always easy to follow, and sometimes it made no sense at all, but Erika could tell that this reat deal She wanted to understand She wanted to be there for hioes all the way to the kitchen It’s a long way because this house is so big … this i about so house Jocko needs to pare his toenails right away If he doesn’t, all is lost! But Jocko sees bananas The next thing Jocko knows, Jocko is juggling bananas, capering around the kitchen in San Francisco Capering or cartwheeling, or pirouetting, or soets about the knife until it’s too late to trione, Jocko has screwed up again, it’s all over, it’s the end of EVERYTHING!"

Erika patted his warty shoulder "It’s all right It’s okay"

"Do you see what Jocko means?"

"Yes, I do," she lied "But I’d like to think about what you’ve said for a while, a day or so, maybe a week, before I respond"

Jocko nodded "That’s fair It was a lot for Jocko to duood listener"

"Now," she said, "let’s go back to the one special thing you would like but don’t think you deserve"

That sweet, yearning expression returned to his face, and none too soon His huge yellow eyes sparkled with exciteoodness, oh, how Jocko would like a funny hat!"

"What kind of funny hat?"

"Any kind Just so it’s very funny"

"I won’t be able to find a funny hat tonight"

He shrugged "Whenever If ever Jocko--he doesn’t deserve it anyway"

"Yes, you’ve said But I promise I will have a funny hat for you within a day or two"

Regardless of what difficulty Erikaa very funny hat, she was rewarded in advance for her trouble when she saw his delight, his tears of gratitude

"You are such a kind lady Jocko would kiss your hand, except he doesn’t want to disgust you"

"You’re ht hand

The loose flaps around his mouth and the brief touch of his sticky teeth were even more repellent than she expected, but Erika smiled and said, "You’re welco I hope you can do for me"

"Jocko will read a book to you," Jocko said, "two books at once, and one upside down!"

"Later, you can read to rabbed his feet with his hands and rocked back and forth on the floor "Jocko doesn’t know about a whole lot besides stors, but he can try"

"You’re Jonathan Harker, or were Harker, whatever So you know the New Race has little emotional life When they do have eer, and hatred, only emotions that turn back on themselves and can’t lead to hope, because he says hope leads to a desire for freedom, to disobedience and rebellion"

"Jocko is different now Jocko feels big good things with great exuberance"

"Yes, I’ve noticed that Anyway, I don’t have the knowledge or the breadth of vision to understand fully why a genius like Victor would create his New Race this way Only I, his wife, am different He allows e way lead to hope, and hope to tenderness"

Feet in his hands, rocking, his head turned toward her, the troll said, "You are the first ever, Old Race or New, to be kind to Jocko," and again tears spilled down his cheeks

"I hope for s," Erika said "I hope to become a better wife day by day I hope to see approval in Victor’s eyes If in tis, if in time he comes to cherish me, I will ask him to allow others of the New Race to have hope as I do I will ask Victor to give entler lives than they have now"

The troll stopped rocking "Don’t ask Victor anytiot to be a better wife IAhasuerus"

"Renorant screwup"

"They’re figures in the Bible, which I’ve never read Esther was the daughter of Mordecai She persuaded King Ahasuerus, her husband, to spare her people, the Jews, fro’s realm"

"Don’t ask Victor anytime soon," the troll repeated "That is Jocko’s opinion That is Jocko’s very strongly held opinion"

In heron the floor of the h her two hearts

"That isn’t what I want your opinion about," she said, getting to her feet "Coe I need to show you"

The troll hesitated "I who ao, but I who a as I live"

She held out a hand to him "You are my only friend in the world I have no one else to who off the floor and stood en pointe, as if about to pirouette, but still hesitated "Jocko one to the Hands of Mercy The staff is at the back of the estate, in their dormitory We have the house to ourselves"

After a moment, he caonna be a very, very funny hat, isn’t it?"