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Several minutes later, as Lizberh neared completion of her
project, Rogers, with quivering lips, asked, "Are you sure this is not
unmasculine ?"

"I am sure:' Lizberh with a smile. "Have a look:' holding up a
mirror which she found in Edgewater's cart.

The old-timer, now flexing his biceps, now chomping his
teeth, examined his likeness in the glass from every possible angle while
in every possible pose, finally declaring, "The braid will do!"

Lizbeth, happy to have helped, beamed. "Not only is it stylish,
it is also shorter, since the hairs wrap round each other rather than fall-
ing straight down."

"You've saved me an immeasurable amount of breath, since I
no longer have to shout in pain every three seconds." Rogers made his
way to his cart and from out of a small box composed of silver, with
mermaids leaping from a lagoon engraved on its top, produced a small
vial. "Please take this as a token of my gratitude."

With trembling hands (for this gift seemed quite valuable),
Lizberh took the item and looked at it with an air of both reverence
and curiosity. Inside the ampoule was a liquid, golden, thick as honey.
"What is it?"

"Awish:' smiled Edgewater, hopping back onto his mule. ''And
that is all I will say about it." He winked at Lizbeth, took a deep breath,
held it, peered at the whispering treetops, and said, "Well, are you ready,
Mick?"

The cart commenced its creaking again as the duo started off.
Lizbeth watched Edgewater's beard, dangling right around Mickey's
belly, swinging like a priory's bell, and she called, "I hope I see you again,
Mr. Edgewater."

Turning his head, Rogers returned, "I think you will;' and dis-
appeared behind a particularly stout tree, while whistling a tune Lizberh
had never heard.

Lizbeth stood staring for a bit before resuming her apple col-
lecting and dropping the fruits into her apron. For some reason she now
felt quite gloomy, as if she had, for only a moment, sprouted wings and
glided with the wind to a distant locale, riper than her present, willing

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