“Random House is going to release The Princess Bride, unabridged and annotated,â€? Charley explained. “All of Morgenstern’s original text, translated into English.â€?

“All of it,â€? Mandrake repeated for emphasis. And then he licked his own eyeball.

“Well that’s just great,â€? I said, not knowing where they were going with all of this.

“The Morgenstern Estate wants you to do the annotations,â€? Charley continued.

My suitcase, my cell phone, and my jaw dropped. “Me?â€?

Mandrake stepped up. “While we believe that you have seriously maligned a true master, we must also recognize that what you have done has made Simon Morgenstern more accessible to an American audience.

“We further feel that as you are the one responsible for mangling Morgenstern, it is also your responsibility to correct yourself by pointing out where you veered from his vision, and how you’ve learned the error of your ways.â€?