The Royal Palace was certainly a magnificent building, with large
and lofty rooms and superb furnishings, all being in shades of blue. The soldier and the boy passed through several broad corridors and then came to a big hall where many servants were congregated. These were staring in bewilderment at Cap'n Bill, who had been introduced to them by Captain Ultramarine. Now they turned in no less surprise to examine the boy, and their looks expressed not only astonishment but dislike.
The servants were all richly attired in blue silk liveries, and they
seemed disposed to resent the fact that these strangers had been
added to their ranks. They scowled and muttered and behaved in a
very unfriendly way, even after Captain Ultramarine had explained
that the newcomers were merely base slaves, and not to be classed
with the free royal servants of the palace.
One of those present, however, showed no especial enmity to
Button-Bright and Cap'n Bill, and this Blueskin attracted the boy's
notice because his appearance was so strange. He looked as if he
were made of two separate men, each cut through the middle and then
joined together, half of one to half of the other. One side of his
blue hair was curly and the other half straight; one ear was big and
stuck out from the side of his head, while the other ear was small
and flat; one eye was half shut and twinkling, while the other was
big and staring; his nose was thin on one side and flat on the
other, while one side of his mouth curled up and the other down. Button-Bright also noticed that he limped as he walked because one leg was a trifle longer than the other, and that one hand was delicate and slender and the other thick and hardened by use.
"Don't stare at him," a voice whispered in the boy's ear. "The poor
fellow has been patched, that's all."
Button-Bright turned to see who had spoken and found by his side a
tall young Blueskin with a blue-gold chain around his neck. He was
quite the best looking person the boy had seen in Sky Island, and he
spoke in a pleasant way and seemed quite friendly. But the two-sided
man had overheard the remark, and he now stepped forward and said in
a careless tone:
"Never mind. It's no disgrace to be patched in a country ruled by
such a cruel Boolooroo as we have. Let the boy look at me if he
wants to. I'm not pretty, but that's not my fault. Blame the
Boolooroo."
"I--I'm glad to meet you, sir," stammered Button-Bright. "What is
your name, please?"
"I'm now named Jimfred Jonesjinks, and my partner is called Fredjim
Jinksjones. He's busy at present guarding the Treasure Chamber, but
I'll introduce you to him when he comes back. We've had the
misfortune to be patched, you know."
"What is being patched?" asked the boy.
"They cut two of us in halves and mismatch the halves--half of one
to half of the other, you know--and then the other two halves are
patched together. It destroys our individuality and makes us complex
creatures, so it's the worst punishment than can be inflicted in Sky
Island."
"Oh," said Button-Bright, alarmed at such dreadful butchery. "Doesn't it hurt?"
"No, it doesn't hurt," replied Jimfred. "But it makes one
frightfully nervous. They stand you under a big knife, which drops
and slices you neatly in two, exactly in the middle. Then they match
half of you to another person who has likewise been sliced, and
there you are, patched to someone you don't care about and haven't
much interest in. If your half wants to do something, the other half
is likely to want to do something different, and the funny part of
it is you don't quite know which is your half and which is the other
half. It's a terrible punishment, and in a country where one can't
die or be killed until he has lived his six hundred years, to be
patched is a great misfortune."
"I'm sure it is," said Button-Bright earnestly. "But can't you ever
get--get--UNpatched again?"
"If the Boolooroo would consent, I think it could be done," Jimfred
replied, "but he never will consent. This is about the meanest
Boolooroo who ever ruled this land, and he was the first to invent
patching people as a punishment. I think we will all be glad when
his three hundred years of rule are ended."
"When will that be?" inquired the boy.