It is difficult to describe Xakhe Jauhs. Apart from saying that he was clever, there is very little else that can be said about him, that is perhaps because there is very little else to him. What is a person of no qualities called? Do you judge qualities by reactions in situations? Let’s try that then. Let it be said - he never initiated conversations and very rarely replied. It was not easy to say if he was happy or sad but it was suspected that he was never bored. There was a little blobbing nerve at his temple that would become a bit more obvious if he was not usual. But exactly what could by discerned by this is not known.
XJ was used to being alone. He saw his parents a couple of times a week and they always smiled at him kindly. They left him secret messages about what food was available and where. He enjoyed treasure hunts, we think.
XJ was up to very important work some of those days. He was trying to develop an improved variety of elves that were good at scrubbing out shirt collars.
XJ was usually eleven years old unless he was being fifty-six. Sometimes, rarely, he was about a year and a half. If his parents came in unexpectedly and found him like that they would smack their heads for not thinking of leaving some baby food. They were kind that way. They would go away again grinning together. They always did everything together. They were like a split zygote or something.
Once, many years ago, the parents had lost XJ for three days. A gypsy had thought him very pretty and put him in her crystal ball. He had been a baby when they got him back. But the parents recognised him immediately.
When XJ once averted a very important international crisis, his parents were very proud of him. They ordered a very handsome tombstone with the legend “Clever Boy” and had it installed on his grave for all the neighbours to admire.
Did I tell you that when he died at age eight, the minister said he was a Clever Boy?
