M. de Villefaramir, astonished at this sally more brutal than the laughter of the Roi-Sorcier of Anguemar, trembled, and a disdainful frown indicated that he did not consider the Count to be a gentleman, or gentilhobbite, or even a gentildwargue. He looked around for some object on which to fasten a conversation that seemed broken and in need of being reforged.
"You take an interest in cartography?" he said, indicating the map on which the Count was intent. "It is a study of many years, especially for one such as you who have doubtless traversed all the regions on your map."
"Oui, monsieur," replied Monte Fato. "I have chosen to make of the human, elvish, dwarvish, orkish, entish, roggish... well, it is a long list, and you Arnorians are an impatient people, so I will simply say, of all speaking peoples ... what you have done for the exceptions: that is, I have split them apart (for the most part, only metaphorically) to execute upon them a physiological study. For that, said Gandault, is the path of wisdom. At the least, it is a very interesting algebraic theorem ... But be seated, monsieur, I beg."
Villefaramir sat on a very elegant stone dwarf that Jadis Joppelin, Duchess of Narnia and archmistress of Poudeglomme, had sold the Count in exchange for Sudron Delight. "If, like you, monsieur le comte," said he, "I had nothing to do, I would find a happier way to pass the time, such as sending anonymous troll letters to the newspaper or writing quizzes about myself."
