@LazyInit @CheckForNull private transient Comparator<? super K> comparator;

    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    @Override
    public Comparator<? super K> comparator() {
      Comparator<? super K> result = comparator;
      if (result == null) {
        Comparator<? super K> forwardCmp = forward().comparator();
        if (forwardCmp == null) {
          forwardCmp = (Comparator) Ordering.natural();
        }