means ‘the misshapen,’ as though they are describing themselves, their own appearance. But the word really means ‘misshapers.’ It is difficult to translate the difference. I do not know the words. ‘Mutilators’? That is better. They are the Mutilators.
“The name describes not what they look like, but what they do. They do not wish to give in return for the money that they beg: you will not receive from them music, a good medicine, a useful charm, your fortune; no. They are too lazy for that. They sell pity. They do things to their poor children and to children they steal. They set them to wandering through the villages, if they can wander, you understand? People see these babes and say, ‘Oh! What has happened to you, unfortunate one? What has happens to your eyes? What has become of your leg, your arm? Look how the poor thing must walk hunched over, look how it must drag itself through the dirt, look what it must accept my money with instead of hands!’“
The gypsy is quite red and he realizes he has raised his voice.
“Forgive me, please. It is just when I think...Well, the Verstummellin thought it would be amusing to make Henda here smile. They has tried many other things before, with other children, but never something like this. Henda already has a long career before I found him. It is why it is best that the rest of him remain so bundled, you understand? The face is really not so bad. Not like the rest. I do not think he is more than eight years old yet. So they thinks they would make him smile. And now poor Henda smiles and smiles, no matter what he may feel inside. My poor little Henda.”
He cradles the child’s head in his lap. Henda sniffles and drools.
“Now you two,” he continued, allowing the child to replace its raggedy mask, “you are welcome to sleep here. In just a few hours, we will be preparing to leave the city and things will be very busy. You will be coming with us.”
“With you? But how? The Guards’ll be searching everywhere. There’s no place in here we can hide from them. You said yourself they don’t miss a thing.”
“They do not think they miss anything, which is not quite the same thing. You must trust me. We gypsies have much experience at this. I believe that the Guards will abandon the idea of searching the city for you. All that is really necessary for them is to prevent you from leaving, is that not so? They do not actually have to catch you? Yes. I thinks as much. Well, I do not think, then, that they will waste very much more time chasing you through the streets. I think you have only made them angry this night. They will realize this. They will be very wary at the bridges and other places, instead of searching the streets. As long as you are trapped in Blavek, your brother and his friend have little to worry about, no? And after the coronation, what do they care?”
“Then you have a way...?”
“Do not have a mind about it. I will send Henda to wake you. My home is yours tonight.”
And without another word, the gypsy leaves the wagon, Henda following closely behind. The thick wooden slab of a door closes gently behind them.
“Did you see the kid’s face?” asks Thud. “How can somebody do that to a kid? Gave me the creeps, I tell you.”
Bronwyn lowers the iron bar across the door. She returns to where Thud lounges on the built-in bed, and sits beside him, drawing her legs up onto the cushion and resting her chin pensively on her knees.
“Thud, my worthy friend, I think we’re both learning that there’s a lot more about the world than we ever thought possible.”
“What do you think the gypsy meant about my picture? Do you think he can tell my fortune? I’ve never seen a gypsy before, but I heard they can tell people’s fortunes. How do you think they do that?”
He got no answer from the girl, other than the soft purring of her breath. She is fast asleep, her head against Thud’s broad hip, her hair spilling over his lap. Thud
“The name describes not what they look like, but what they do. They do not wish to give in return for the money that they beg: you will not receive from them music, a good medicine, a useful charm, your fortune; no. They are too lazy for that. They sell pity. They do things to their poor children and to children they steal. They set them to wandering through the villages, if they can wander, you understand? People see these babes and say, ‘Oh! What has happened to you, unfortunate one? What has happens to your eyes? What has become of your leg, your arm? Look how the poor thing must walk hunched over, look how it must drag itself through the dirt, look what it must accept my money with instead of hands!’“
The gypsy is quite red and he realizes he has raised his voice.
“Forgive me, please. It is just when I think...Well, the Verstummellin thought it would be amusing to make Henda here smile. They has tried many other things before, with other children, but never something like this. Henda already has a long career before I found him. It is why it is best that the rest of him remain so bundled, you understand? The face is really not so bad. Not like the rest. I do not think he is more than eight years old yet. So they thinks they would make him smile. And now poor Henda smiles and smiles, no matter what he may feel inside. My poor little Henda.”
He cradles the child’s head in his lap. Henda sniffles and drools.
“Now you two,” he continued, allowing the child to replace its raggedy mask, “you are welcome to sleep here. In just a few hours, we will be preparing to leave the city and things will be very busy. You will be coming with us.”
“With you? But how? The Guards’ll be searching everywhere. There’s no place in here we can hide from them. You said yourself they don’t miss a thing.”
“They do not think they miss anything, which is not quite the same thing. You must trust me. We gypsies have much experience at this. I believe that the Guards will abandon the idea of searching the city for you. All that is really necessary for them is to prevent you from leaving, is that not so? They do not actually have to catch you? Yes. I thinks as much. Well, I do not think, then, that they will waste very much more time chasing you through the streets. I think you have only made them angry this night. They will realize this. They will be very wary at the bridges and other places, instead of searching the streets. As long as you are trapped in Blavek, your brother and his friend have little to worry about, no? And after the coronation, what do they care?”
“Then you have a way...?”
“Do not have a mind about it. I will send Henda to wake you. My home is yours tonight.”
And without another word, the gypsy leaves the wagon, Henda following closely behind. The thick wooden slab of a door closes gently behind them.
“Did you see the kid’s face?” asks Thud. “How can somebody do that to a kid? Gave me the creeps, I tell you.”
Bronwyn lowers the iron bar across the door. She returns to where Thud lounges on the built-in bed, and sits beside him, drawing her legs up onto the cushion and resting her chin pensively on her knees.
“Thud, my worthy friend, I think we’re both learning that there’s a lot more about the world than we ever thought possible.”
“What do you think the gypsy meant about my picture? Do you think he can tell my fortune? I’ve never seen a gypsy before, but I heard they can tell people’s fortunes. How do you think they do that?”
He got no answer from the girl, other than the soft purring of her breath. She is fast asleep, her head against Thud’s broad hip, her hair spilling over his lap. Thud
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