"His majesty seemed in a better mood this eve. One might almost say he was amused."

"King Claudius, amused? I was standing beside you, my friend; but I saw no such thing."

"Did you not hear him chuckling as we took our leave?"

"That was a chuckle? To me it sounded more of a chortle."

"A chortle? Don't be ridiculous. It was quick and free, with a bit of a lilt at the end. Such clearly denotes a chuckle."

"A lilt it may have had, I'll grant; but 'twas also deep and throaty. Almost sinister. If anything bespeaks of chortling, 'tis that."

"Sinister? My dear friend, I love you like a brother: but such utter foolishness has never before forced its way past your lips."

"You don't deny it was as throaty in the middle as lilting at the end?"

"Of course not! King Claudius is a powerful man; 'tis no surprise he has the voice to match. I merely suggest that you — and I of course mean this in the most loving of ways — have clearly fallen from your rocker."

"No offense is taken; I share your sentiment in full, and reverse only its direction."

"A fair assessment, to be sure. But to return to the topic at hand: if you believe his majesty's laugh as sinister as that, then must I ask you: to him what possible motive could you ascribe?"

"He has summoned us here to spy upon his nephew."

"Out of concern. Certainly Lord Hamlet is as dear to his heart as he is in ours."

"If that indeed is your belief, then truly you are still as green as the first fresh buds of spring. Were you not struck in any way by his questioning?"

"I thought the questions reasonable enough."

"Rather the tone behind them, then."

"What tone would that be?"

"Desperation. Our royal host is a man with much to hide."

"And what of the prince, our dear companion?"

"The same."

"My dearest brother, your words have walked you remarkably close to a treacherous cliff. Will your next ones take you over its edge? Think on't: His majesty a villain? Lord Hamlet mad? Why, what's to follow: that our own lives are in mortal peril?"

"Ah, no... of course not. Once again your brilliant oratory has swayed me; fully do I now see the folly of my position. The laugh was aught but a chuckle after all, I suppose; let us not speak of it again. Yonder stands Lord Polonius, fresh from his own audience with the king. Shall we not walk with him awhile?"

Exeunt.