After incredible difficulties, the bundle attained a sitting position.
“You kid'n me?” it demanded thickly, looking at Oliver with as much surprise as if he had just grown up out of the floor like a plant.
“Oh no. No.”
“You're nah kid'n me?”
“No.”
“Ah ri'. 'S countersign. Pass. Fren'.”
It attempted a military gesture but succeeded merely in hitting its mouth with its hand. It then looked at the hand as if the latter had done it on purpose and became sunk in profound cogitation.
“Not feeling very well today?” Oliver ventured.
It looked at him.
“Well?” it said briefly. Then, after a silence devoted to trying to find where its hands were.