The problem with cats 3/8

About a month after she’d given George the idea of setting up as a carrier of goods, Jennifer Jane decided to go and see how he was getting on. As usual she started her search by flying over to the George and Dragons to have a word with the landlord there.

“It’s funny how we miss him now that he’s left us, but I hear he’s doing well. Phil at the timber yard says he’s paid off all his debts and has set up a central office over at Lower Dene.”

She got back on her scooter and flew to the Swan. She was quite sure that George would have his office in a pub and she was right. Fortunately he was there when she arrived.

She walked over to the bar and ordered her usual half-pint of ginger beer then went to his table and sat down beside him.

“How’s business?” she asked.

“Very good on the whole, the only snag I’ve run into recently is a group of witches who live in a forest. The road through the forest is about thirteen miles shorter than the way round the outside, but they charge a toll for any one who goes that way. I’m trying to make up my mind whether I should pay in future or just spend longer going round! I wonder if you would like to come with me on my next trip and see for yourself. After all a bit of magic on my side can’t hurt can it?”

George dipped his finger in a puddle of beer, then drew a map on the tabletop. “I’ll be there in a weeks time,” he said pointing, “would you be able to meet me, then we could go through together.”

Jennifer Jane agreed to help him out and a week later was waiting about a mile before the fork in the road for George to come along. She didn’t have to wait very long for the cart to appear.

“I’ll put your scooter on the back, then you can come up on the front with me and see what happens when we get stopped.”

George lifted the scooter onto the cart and covered it over with a heap of parcels, so that it wouldn’t look too obvious. Then they all set off along the road, turning at the fork to enter the wood. They got nearly half way through, before the old lady, still wearing her cloak and shawl, stepped out in the road to stop them.

“Hello again young man, bringing your daughter with you won’t make us any more generous I’m afraid. Now then let’s see what you’ve brought us this time.” She had a quick look in the back of the cart. “Fifty guineas for that lot!”

“But it’s not worth anything like that,” said George in amazement. “I’d be back in debt if I paid you. I think I’ll go back to the beginning of this road and go round the long way.”

“Well you can if you want to, that’ll only be twenty five!”

“Dad isn’t driving through the woods,” said Jennifer Jane, “he’s going back again, you can’t charge him for that!”

“He’s come more than halfway, so he gets charged.”

“But that’s not fair!”

“No it isn’t is it!” said the old lady with a nasty grin, “and what are you going to do about it.” She threw back her cloak and started to flex her fingers.

Jennifer Jane didn’t hesitate for a moment. She knew what was going to happen next and threw her most effective weapon straight at the witch before she could do anything.

To her great surprise, the huge chocolate Swiss roll came straight back at her before it got more than half way. She ducked quickly, but poor George was hit, the left-hand side of his face splattered with the sticky mixture. Almost as she’d anticipated and before she could do anything else herself, a fireball hurtled towards her, followed by a bucket full of water and a freezing spell.

Fortunately her recent training took over, so she just managed to deflect everything, but the spells were coming so quickly one after the other that she knew she was completely outclassed and took the only way out that she knew.

She turned herself invisible, jumped off the cart and ran for cover. Hopefully she could get her breath back and think of something more effective.

She was out of luck; the witch raised a small dust cloud round the cart, which made her visible as a dusty figure, then she felt a thump as the next spell hit her and she found her self lying helplessly on the ground.