Paul seemed unamused by my involuntary mirth: “It wasn’t funny, Peter! It was quite terrifying actually.” I composed myself and, with difficulty, removed the grin from my face. “Of course. Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. ... So, may I take it you were taken unawares by this rearguard attack?” He nodded in a sullen fashion. (Obviously, he didn’t much like my attempted joke.) “There was just one – there haven’t been many zombies passing through the cemetery. So, after we managed to fight it off, we decided to stay put. We managed to scavenge some food and cooking equipment from the gate-keeper’s house without being noticed again. So, we’ve been here ever since – or so I believe.” There was an obvious gap in his recollection – a gap which I thought Charles could not (reliably) fill. So, I decided to pursue the matter. “How did you manage to fight the, er, ‘Roundhead’ off?” “Well, Charles was completely useless, of course ...” commenced Paul Charles frowned and started to protest. “...Correction: His Royal Majesty immediately took command of the situation and, by dint of bravely fainting, allowed me to deal with it ...” Suitably mollified, Charles fell silent. The story that emerged (after lots of hand-waving and recounting of exaggerated deeds of valour) was that, with a profusely bleeding left buttock, a naked Paul had been able physically to repel the initial attack of the zombie – which then turned its attention to a less troublesome target: the supine and unconscious figure of Charles. This explained how Charles, too, had been bitten – albeit on a more ‘decent’ part of his body. “... So, at that point, I sought divine intervention ...” (Paul was very pious.)
Nyns o didhenys Powl gans ow lowender (nebes a’m anvodh), dell heveli: “Nyns o hwarthus, ‘Beder! Owth euthega dres eghenn o, yn hwir.” My a assayas y’m gwella stoppya ow lowender ha, meur ow haletter, ow gryslans vy eth dhe-ves. “Heb mar. Owth euthega. Dres eghenn, owth euthega ... Ytho, eses jy kontrawaytyes gans an omsettyans ma ‘a soudoryon dhelergh’?” Ev a benndroppyas, dihwarth y fisment. (Yn apert, ny garas meur ow ges assayes.) “Nyns esa mas onan anedha – ny via meur a zombis ow thremena der an ynkleudhva. Ytho, wosa ni dh’y fetha , ni a erviras triga omma. Ni a ylli ladra nebes boes (ha daffar rag y gegina) dhiworth chi an porther heb agan bos gwelys unnweyth arta. Ha, gans henna, yth eson omma a-dhia an termyn na – po dell grysav.” Yth esa aswa apert yn y gov – aswa na allsa Charles lenwel, dell grysyn. (Dhe’n lyha, na ylli ev y lenwel yn fydhyadow.) Ytho, my a erviras chasya an mater. “Fatell yllowgh hwi fetha an ...hmm, an Pennow-rond?” “Wel, euver yn tien o Charles, heb mar ...” a dhallathas Powl. (Y talgammas Charles ha dalleth protestya.) “... Ewnans: Y Veuredh Ryel a gemmeras a-dhistowgh maystri an studh ha, dre nerth a’y glamderans kolonnek, a wrug gasa dhymm y dhyghtya ...” Medhelhes dell dhegoegh, Charles a goedhas tawesek. Wosa wevyans meur y dhiwdhorn ha, wosa derivasow splann a weythresow, meur aga holonnekter, istori Powl o yndella: y bedrenn ow koesa yn hworfals, Powl noeth re allsa, dre y nerth fisigel, gul dhe gildenna an zombi. Byttegyns, an zombi ma re dreylsa y omsettyans ena troha kostenn arall, le y galetter.Furv Charles o, a’y worwedh ha heb omwodhvos war an leur. An studh ma a dhisplegyas dhymm keffrys dell via brethys Charles - ha dell via brethys rann moy ‘gwiw’ a’y gorf. “...Ytho, y’n tor’ na, my a wrug hwilas mellyans a Dhuw ...” (Meur o kryjyans Powl.)langbot langbot