| Mistress Cratchet steps out of the butcher's - and stops in amazement.
Helena! And not looking at all like her usual slovenly self. Even her hair
is under control rather than falling over her face like it usually does.
Most remarkable of all, she's riding a horse! And she has some very strange-looking
companions.
"Helena, you wicked girl!" Cratchet says. "What do you mean by running
off like that? Wizard Prang was most upset when you never arrived at his
room. Now get down off that horse and come with me this instant. And apologise
to these people for imposing on their kindness." She indicates Annafrid's
travelling companions with a wave of her hand. "What can you have
been thinking of when you allowed them to give you a horse and clothes?
And is that a sword at your belt?!"
Mistress Cratchet eventually has to pause in her tirade to draw breath.
Annafrid is too stunned to say anything for the moment, so Astra seizes
the opportunity to say: "Did I hear you mention Wizard Prang? He is the
very person we are coming to see. Perhaps you would be good enough to accompany
us and guide us for the last bit of the journey? But you must be confusing
Annafrid with someone else. She has never been anywhere near this region
before." Astra has realised that it would be impossible to explain to the
woman that Annafrid has memories of having been Hannah and memories of
having been Fred, but none whatsoever of ever having been someone called
Helena. From what they had learnt from talking to Chelene, it seems impossible
that Annafrid could have any connection with the girl Helena, whoever Helena
might be.
Mistress Cratchet purses her lips dubiously. The girl certainly looks
just like Helena. Beautiful girls with very blonde hair and a very buxom
figure are hardly common, after all. On the other hand, the red-haired
young woman had spoken with an air of great authority, and the confident
way that the party members hold themselves suggests that they are people
of some importance. Though they are certainly a strange bunch, she
thinks to herself. One's an oriental, one's an elf child, and goodness
only knows what the small one who looks like she's half fox can be.
Deciding eventually that it would be unwise to argue with folk who look
as though they might be gentry - though very strange gentry - Mistress
Cratchet says: "Yes, ma'am. I'm sure you're right. Me and my helpers will
be most happy to show you the way to the Sunset Home for Retired Wizards.
Wizard Prang don't get many visitors, and I'm sure he will be glad to see
you."
On the contrary, Wizard Prang has become increasingly worried over the
last few days that all his attempts to deal with the group who are coming
to see him have failed. He seems to have two choices now. He could let
them have the herb they want - whichever one it turns out to be - and forget
about revenging himself for the loss of his "pet" dragon and also punishing
Annafrid for her temerity in somehow returning after having been banished
from this universe. Though taking no action against them would go against
the grain, it would be consistent with his policy of ensuring that at all
costs his true power should not become known. Whilst he could probably
cast a spell to ensure that any staff members who saw anything that they
shouldn't would forget all about it, if one of the other wizards should
happen to notice anything untoward then dealing with him would be far harder.
The one good thing was that many of the wizards were senile, so the chance
of one of them noticing anything was substantially reduced.
Alternatively he could still take his revenge, preferably in some subtle
way that wouldn't be obviously his doing. Something that would only take
effect after a time delay of a few hours, perhaps, when his visitors would
be some miles into their journey home. Of course, his revenge would be
slightly less satisfying if they didn't realise that it was his doing,
but one couldn't always have everything.
-
 Prang decides...
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