The doors swung open and the ‘red carpet’ took the form of being dragged roughly from the rear of the paddy-wagon and being dropped onto the tarmac of the roadway. (Oh, goody, just what I needed: some more deep bruising to my upper body!) David was treated likewise but I don’t think he got bruised – as I’ve said already, his skin sort of ‘tears’ if you apply enough force but you can patch the tears, as I had done in the crypt. Apparently, the Captain who had captured (and spared) us wanted to present his still-bound, still-blindfolded prizes to his commander. As best I can recall, the exchange went like this: Commander: “What have we got here, Captain?” Captain: “A zombie and his non-zombie brother, sir.” Commander: “They both seem still to be moving, Captain. Have you put a bullet in the zombie’s brain yet?” Captain: “No, sir.” Commander: “Bugger it, man, why on Earth not? Best thing for a zombie is a bullet in the brain. Can’t risk having one bite any of the officers, can we?” Captain: “Of course not, sir. But we could do with one or two for training purposes, Commander. After all, we have a thousand yank soldiers due to come through here in the next few days. And, none of them has ever even seen a zombie, sir. We don’t want them mistaking any of the living locals for the enemy, do we, sir?” (There was a pause, apparently while the commander absorbed this logic.) Commander: “Very well. But what about the other chap, the one who isn’t a zombie. Has he been bitten?”
Y leskas ledan apert an darasow ha’gan ‘leurlenn rudh’ o y’n furv a dhraylyans garow dhiworth delergh an kertik ha droppyans war darmak an fordh. (Ass o henna da. An dra esa edhomm ewn dhymm: moy a vrywyon down dhe’m korf ughella!) Davydh a veu dyghtyes yn kepar maner mes nyns esa bryw vyth dhodho – dell leveris seulabrys, y groghen a wra skwardya nebes mars eus fors lowr gorrys dhedhi. Byttegyns, y hyllir kloutya an groghen, dell wrussen vy y’n gleudhgell. Yn apert, yth esa an Kapten (re wrussa agan kachya - ha re wrussa agan sparya) ow mynnes diskwedhes y biwasow, hwath kelmys ha gorherys aga dewlagas, dh’y gaslywydh. Dell grysav, hemm yw an keskows a sywas – po neppyth haval dhodho: Kaslywydh: “Pyth yw henna, a Gapten?” Kapten: “Zombi, Syrr – ha’y vroder nag yw zombi.” Kaslywydh: “Yth hevel bos an dhew hwath ow kwaya, a Gapten. Eus pellenn yn ympynnyon an zombi hwath?” Kapten: “Nag eus, Syrr.” Kaslywydh: “Buggra, ‘was! A-barth an nev, prag na? An gwella tra rag zombi yw pellenn yn y ympynnyon. Ny yllir kemmeres chons nebonan yntra’n soedhogyon dhe vos brethys, a ny yllir? Kapten: “Na, Syrr. Ny yllir. Byttegyns, ni a allsa gul devnydh a onan po dew anedha rag agan trenyans, a Gaslywydh. Wosa oll, y fydh mil souder yanki ow tos der omma yn nebes dydhyow – ha nyns eus denvyth yntredha re welas zombi kyns, Syrr. Ny vynnyn i dhe gul kammgemmeryansow pan welvydhons, y’n kynsa prys, an eskar. Res yw dhyn konsydra an dus ow bywa.” (Yth esa powes. Yth esa an kaslywydh ow prederi a-dro dhe’n reson ma, dell heveli.) Kaslywydh: “Pur dha. Byttygens, pyth a vynnydh gul gans an gwas arall, an huni nag yw zombi? Brethys yw ev?”langbot langbot