"Lor'!" he said, sitting up straight.
"What wouldst thou have?" enquired Eustace. "I am ready to obey thee as thy slave...."
"'Op it," replied Alf feebly. He had forgotten to think out any excuse for summoning the djinn, and could think of nothing else to say. Eustace, his opinion of Alf obviously lower than ever, disappeared.
"Lumme!" said Bill. He smoked in silence for some minutes, deep in thought.
"Where the 'ell does 'e come from, and what does 'e do?" he asked at length.
"'Oo?"
"That spook, o' course."
"I dunno. I rubs me Button, an' 'e bounces in an' asks for orders. 'Alf the time I don't want 'im at all. An' if I do tell 'im to do things, 'e gets 'em all wrong. 'E don't seem to lave no common sense, some'ow."
Bill was following out some train of thought.