The chain of coincidences 6/11

Malcolm the wizard was feeling a lot happier. He thought he'd solved the problem of the re-appearing brat. The protective spell that he assumed she'd been given, apparently only worked if she was in immediate danger. After all he'd been able to kidnap her and send her off to another world without any trouble.

The spell he'd used in the circus would have got rid of any normal person for good. The immediate danger intended by his spell must have triggered her defence and sent her back home. As a result of his thinking, he intended the next attempt to be gentler.

He held out his hand and twiddled his fingers, a book arrived and he searched the index for worlds where magic wouldn't work. The plan was to disguise himself and gain the kid's confidence, then send her to the chosen world with a wish. It would be a one way trip, since she wouldn't be able to wish her way back again.

Nothing harmful would happen to her and if he was right, the protective spell wouldn't be able to reach her once she'd arrived safely.

It didn't take too long to find what he wanted in the 'Register of Known Parallel Worlds'. World number 724 was exactly what he hoped to find. It had an advanced technology so that no one would believe in the possibility of magic.

Since magic wouldn't work there, she wouldn't be able to prove her story and unless some amazing coincidence happened, no one would ever find her. He made up his mind and drove off towards Holmwood and the soon to be ex-Patrol Leader Bell.

The local telephone directory gave him the name of her house and a helpful policeman directed him to a spot where he could park his caravan out of the way of the traffic. When he studied a map of the locality he realised how lucky he'd been.

His caravan was parked in an area which had once been cleared for a bypass road and then abandoned. All he had to do was climb a small cliff, walk through the woods and find the house he wanted.

The cliff presented no problem to a wizard and he walked confidently through the deserted woods, studying the lie of the land. It came as rather a shock to hear voices. He crept carefully from tree to tree so as not to be discovered and was surprised to come to quite a large river, which had only been shown as a small stream on his map. Not too far away he could see a steamboat moored in a lake.

Then he recognised one of the voices. It belonged to Barnacle Bill who he'd seen on several occasions at the Witches' Home. The goblin was talking to a giant who occasionally splashed a huge tear into the lake when he wasn't speaking. Now he realised why the river was only shown on the map as a stream. That was all it would seem to be, to someone without magic powers.

Malcolm smiled quietly to himself and went back to his caravan. It was well known that the brat was friendly with Barnacle Bill and often visited him.

All he had to do was wait until the next time she went to see him and then kidnap her as he'd done before. Details of the plan were forming in his mind. He'd wait until she was away for the day on a visit to the Therdle. No one would miss her, at least until the evening and by then he could be well out of the way and nobody would suspect a thing.