Wirl's End Chapter 6.

Chapter Six.

 

The Cottages by the Gate.

 

The cottage on the right of the Gate looked to be the cleanest, so they went inside and made themselves as comfortable as they could on the bare floorboards. A few leaves had blown in, but the place was dry and solid. “This feels much safer,” James said. “But I wish we’d found the girls. It’s going dark, and the forest is even less safe at night.”

The two cats sat down facing them, unblinking.

“Right,” Brian said slowly. “The Witch said they weren’t far away ,  that we just needed to look harder. And I’ve got a horrible feeling she meant very close.”

Both cats purred.

Brian looked down at them. “Can you do a purr for yes and a hiss for no?”

Both cats purred.

“That could just be luck,” James said. “Our cat at home purrs whenever anyone speaks nicely to it.”

Both cats hissed.

Brian ignored him. “Are you really cats?”

Both cats hissed.

Brian swallowed. “Are you Lexa and Verity?”

The purring that followed was unmistakable ,  loud, eager, relieved.

“Did Calizone do this to you?”

The cats purred… then growled.

Brian pointed at the white cat. “Are you Lexa?”

The white cat purred.

James gasped. “Then this must be my Verity!”

The grey cat purred.

Brian didn’t know whether to feel relieved or horrified. “At least we’ve found them… but what do we do now?”

He crouched beside Lexa‑the‑cat. “Can you be turned back into a human?”

Lexa didn’t answer at once. She seemed to think ,  then gave a quiet, uncertain purr.

“Do you know how to change back?”

Lexa hissed sadly. Verity padded over and licked her ear.

James suddenly burst out, “This is great! Her parents and mine didn’t want us to get married, so we ran away ,and look what happened! And now King Rogan and Calizone are fetching our families here. They’re going to be furious. It’s all my fault.”

He sat down with his head in his hands. Verity curled beside him, whiskers drooping.

Brian sighed. “How am I going to explain this to your mother?” Lexa didn’t answer.

“And worse ,I can’t get hold of Mr Warder.”

He went to the wall where the Gate stood. “There should be a bell and a speaking tube…”

He brushed away dust and cobwebs. “Ow!”

He’d scratched his hand on something sharp.

“Great. Just what I need.” He wrapped it in his grubby handkerchief, then looked again. A metal hook stuck out of the wall. Beneath it, under the grime, was the speaking tube.

“James! Come here ,  I’ve found the tube!”

James hurried over. “What’s a speaking tube?”

Brian explained while brushing the floor, hoping the bell had simply fallen. Instead, he uncovered a large flat stone.

“What are you looking for?” James asked.

“A bell. It should hang above the tube.”

Verity, who had been listening intently, suddenly let out a howl so loud both boys clapped their hands over their ears.

When she stopped, Lexa rushed to her and the two cats stared into each other’s eyes, whiskers twitching, tails flicking.

“You’d think they were talking,” Brian whispered.

The cats finished their silent conversation and sat in front of the boys, staring.

“I think they’re trying to tell us something,” Brian said.

Both cats purred.

James frowned. “Verity had a bag with her when she stormed off. She said it was her family secret.”

Verity lifted a paw and showed five very sharp claws.

“All my fault,” James added quickly.

Verity purred.

“Does the secret matter now?” Brian asked.

Verity purred.

“Do you still have it?” James asked.

Verity purred again.

“Is it a bell?” Brian blurted.

Verity purred so loudly the floorboards vibrated.

“Where is it?” James asked.

Verity lifted her chin. Beneath her long fur was a collar ,  and on it, a tiny cat‑bell.

“May I take it?” James asked.

Verity purred.

He unfastened it carefully. “Ow! It’s hot!” He dropped it ,  and the tiny bell vanished.

In its place lay a much larger one.

Brian grabbed it. “Brilliant!” He shook it ,  nothing. “Oh no…”

Verity padded over, stood on her hind legs, and pawed at the bell.

Brian turned it over. “It’s stuffed full of handkerchiefs!”

Verity sat down and washed her paws smugly.

“She must’ve done that so she could run away without being heard,” James said.

Verity purred.

Brian pulled out the stuffing and hung the bell on the hook. He reached for the clapper ,then hesitated.

“I’m not sure I want to talk to Mr Warder yet. Not until we know how to change the girls back.”

James agreed. Both cats purred.

Brian paced, thinking. He stubbed his toe on the flat stone he’d found earlier.

“Ow!” He hopped, muttering rude words under his breath.

He picked up the stone. “Stupid place to leave a stone.”

He carried it to the doorway to throw it out ,  but the last rays of sunlight caught it.

Words.

He scraped away the dirt. The stone had broken long ago, but two words remained:

ALL MAGIC

Brian stared ,  then whooped so loudly the others ran out.

“Got it!” he shouted, waving the stone.

“What?” James cried. The cats yowled.

Brian grinned. “The Royal Historian said they found a stone that read: ‘All magic stops beyond the end of the world.’ Don’t you see? This is the end of your world. If we send the girls into my world, the magic stops ,  and they change back!”

“Fabulous!” James shouted. Both cats purred wildly.

“Quick ,hang the bell up. Let’s see if Mr Warder is there.”