Well, he was a doctor and a Captain – and he had a very good opinion of himself as a result. But serous cases of over-inflated pride need urgently to be pricked , don’t they? (And I knew just the person to do it.) I bided my time. Eventually, the lecture came to an end – even David had long since ceased roaring and lapsed into a torpor. “I will take any questions from the floor,” stated the Captain. A few perfunctory and obvious questions were posed and answered – more or less correctly. Then: “Captain, can zombies talk?” “No,” asserted the Captain. “Zombies do not possess the power of speech. They have never been known to utter a single word. In fact, ...” This was my chance to do some pricking. “I beg to differ,” I interrupted. “I have met several talking zombies. Most of them spoke in single words – but a few could form complete sentences of a non- complex kind.” This was, of course, a lie – or, at best, a major exaggeration – but the audience, as one, turned to look at me. I think they had assumed that I could not speak either . “Silence!” ordered the Captain. (Since I was daring to upstage him in his finest hour .) But I was in front of a public audience. I was not to be silenced as easily as all that. “Oh, come on, Captain. These fine young GI’s deserve to hear it from the horse’s mouth. They need to know everything they can about creatures like my brother, David. Their lives will undoubtedly depend on it once they leave here.” “I demand you remain silent, prisoner!” spat the Captain. I turned and pointed at the creature beside me in the cage – who made a pathetic groan (again, right on cue!) I felt the ‘mood of the meeting’ might be turning. I played for sympathy.
Wel, medhek ha Kapten o – ha’y dybyans ev yn y gever y honan o ughel dres eghenn. Byttegyns, pan eus goeth dhe nebonan yw gorhwythys res yw poran y biga, a nyns ywa? (Ha my a wodhya an gour gwiw rag y wul.) Yth esen ow kortos bys pan o gwiw an termyn ynwedh. Wor’tiwedh, y hworfennas an areth – ha Davydh re hedhsa bedhygla dres termyn hir ha koedha yn eghenn a gosk. “My a wra dhegemmeres nebes govynnow dhiworth an woslowysi,” yn-medh an Kapten. Yth esa nebes govynnow sempel lowr a veu gorthybys yn ewn – moy po le. Hag ena: “A Gapten. A yll an zombis kewsel?” “Na yllons,” yn-medh an Kapten, meur y surneth. “Nyns yw galloes kewsel dhe’n zombis. Ny vons i nevra godhvedhys leverel ger vyth. Yn hwir, ...” Hemm o’m chons dhe wul nebes pigans. “Edrek a’m beus na allav assentya,” a wodorris vy. “My re dheuth erbynn lies zombi a ylli kewsel. Rann vrassa anedha a gewsis unn er unnsel po dew martesen – mes yth esa nebes yntredha a ylli gul lavarow dien, sempel lowr aga furv.” Hemm o gow, heb mar – po, y’n gwella, gorlywans bras – mes an woslowysi, warbarth, a dreylyas rag mires orthymm. My a grys i dhe dhesevos na yllyn kewsel – kepar ha’m broder. “Taw taves!” a erghis an Kapten. (Drefenn my dhe vedha y ankombra yn y dekka our.) Byttegyns, ottavy a-dherag an woslowysi, meur aga niver. Nyns o mar es dhe wul dhymm bos tawesek. “A, bydh lel, a Gapten! Yma’n soudoryon deg ma gwiw dh’y glywyes yn ewn dhiworth an bennfenten. Res yw dhedha godhvos puptra oll a-dro dhe greadoryon kepar ha’m broder, Davydh y hanow. Heb dhout, y fydh ow kregi aga bywnansow war an derivadow ma pan dhiberthons alemma.” “My a ergh dhis bos tawesek, ‘brisner!” a drewas an Kapten. My a dreylyas ha poyntya dhe’n kreador rybov y’n vagh. Ev a wrug hanasas truedhek (unnweyth arta, kepar ha pan eus lostlavar!) Y krysyn bos ow chanjya ‘cher an kuntellyans’. My a assayas dhe waynya y dregeredh.langbot langbot