The magician's lecture 7/7

Despite all the dwarfs' efforts it was the following Saturday before the machinery was ready. The giant fetched his carrying box and put the whole lot, including Fundin and a couple of helpers inside and carried them over to the field just outside the Home. Under Fundin's directions some of the wizards helped erect a metal shed 'to contain the time distortion effect'.

The Magician had recovered sufficiently to show an interest and Fundin explained that he was required to stand in the shed and work his spell in reverse. As time inside the shed would run backwards, they should reach a point where the reversed spell would work and magic would be restored. The Magician was quite upset.

"I can't do a spell backwards, it took me six months to perfect that particular spell forwards."

Everyone was a bit taken aback, they all looked at the dwarf and Jennifer Jane. Fundin and Jennifer Jane looked at each other. Then there was a long silence.

"Supposing the machine kept driving time backwards while he makes the spell," said Jennifer Jane at last. "If he thinks he's doing the twiddle forwards, he'll really be going backwards. Won't he?"

"Sounds reasonable, let’s give it try, we certainly won't be any worse off."

"How will you know when you've driven time back far enough for the spell to work?" asked Jennifer Jane.

"That was the easy bit," replied Fundin. "We made a water clock that should run for eight days. It's just a large funnel with a small outlet rather like an egg timer. We checked the flow rate and calculated the amount of water it would pass every day. We'll put the correct amount of water underneath and when it's all gone back up to the top of the funnel we'll know we've gone back eight days."

Jennifer Jane was most impressed. "That's the sort of thing my Dad calls an elegant solution".

Fundin looked rather pleased with himself. The Magician didn't look quite so sure but he went into the shed and Fundin started up the generator. The mirrors started to rotate and quickly blurred into invisibility. The whole device was much quieter than Bill's had been. She watched the water clock carefully, sure enough it had started dripping upwards already. Fundin checked some of the gauges attached to the apparatus and made a few adjustments, then he opened the throttle. The generator engine speeded up but was still making no more noise than a car.

The design improvements were obviously very effective. Another glance at the water clock showed it to be about half full. The Magician was beginning to look a bit frightened but when Jennifer Jane waved to him he smiled bravely and waved back. At last the reservoir of the water clock was full and Fundin slowed the generator until the water was only dripping slowly upwards. Then he gave the magician a previously agreed signal.

Inside the metal shed the magician licked his lips nervously and extended his arm. The signing looked most peculiar even to Jennifer Jane. A blur of motion ending in a rotation of his right thumb at least proved the theory that the spell would be made to run backwards by the machine. Fundin slowed the generator even further.

A strange tearing sound filled the air round the shed as time began to catch up with itself. Then there came a cheer from the assembled crowd. The Witches' Home had reappeared. With a sigh of relief the Magician stepped from the shed, as the mirrors finally stopped rotating.

All the Witches present were signing frantically just to prove to themselves that magic really was working again. Jennifer Jane found herself making a chocolate swiss roll without meaning to. A general sigh of relief confirmed that all was well. Abigail hobbled towards Jennifer Jane.

"Thank goodness we can go back to flying brooms," she said, "I've got blisters on both feet. It's a jolly long way to the George and Dragons if you have to walk!"

The giant came striding towards the Gate with a large smile on his face.

"My box is working again, so I'll be off to the village for a batch of visitors. Any one want a lift?"

Jennifer ran forward holding up her hand. "Yes please, I left my canoe at the timber yard so I'll go back home through the fog. "'Bye Abigail, thank Fundin for me, I expect Mum will be worried because I've been away so long."

She climbed into the box and waved as the giant picked her up and headed towards the village.

All went well and it didn't seem too long before she was towing Drawrof on it's trolley along the garden towards her home. Mary came rushing out of the kitchen and gave her a big hug.
"Now that you're back I suppose everything has been sorted out?"

Jennifer Jane laughed, "Yes, thanks to Bill in the third world and Fundin, I remembered how to make time run backwards locally and that reversed the spell's effects. It took a week to make the machinery. Now 'Artie's' two thousandth spell has been put into a special book of forbidden spells, so that it can't be used again."

Dave had come out into the garden and was listening to the conversation. "Come inside and see if you can remember how that time machine was made. It sounds ever so interesting."

They all trooped back to the house. Although it was very clean, it didn't seem to be quite as sparkling as she'd become used to.

Mary noticed Jennifer Jane having a look round. "I've had to do the cleaning myself this last week. I suppose Jumping Jim couldn't use his half league boots to get here."

"Getting lost in other worlds seems to be becoming a habit with you," said Dave, "I hope you don't do it once to often. Now then, about this machine?"

A triumphant pattering noise heralded the arrival of Mary, carrying a nearly perfect cherry cake and three cups of tea on a tray. Everyday life had returned to the Bell household.