A week with Peter 10/17

“Right, giant’s castle next,” said Jennifer Jane as they rose in the air and waved goodbye to Tasmin. “You’ll be relieved to hear that he hardly talks at all.”

She had to hover in front of the giant’s door and knock. “The castle is normally only open to visitors on Saturdays, but I expect he’ll let us in because you have to go home then.”

The giant opened the eye level flap in his door and looked at them. “Yes?”

Jennifer Jane explained the position. The giant closed the flap and they could hear him shouting to his wife.

“Jennifer Jane and a friend for a special look round, are we tidy enough to let them in?”

Apparently the castle furnishings were in a fit state for inspection and the main door opened. The broom flew over to the shelf provided for visitors to walk along and the children got off.

“No need to pay,” said the giant, “someone who’s strong enough to beat that blacksmith at his own game is all right with me. You don’t look all that tough, how did you do it?”

“Technique,” said Peter.

“Ah,” said the giant, nodding his head wisely and trying to look as if he knew what the word meant.

Peter started his walk round the giant’s home while Jennifer Jane asked if she could go up on the battlements and have a look at the view. An hour later he came up to join her.

“That was interesting, I don’t suppose I’ll ever see anything like it again. Where does the giant at your pool live?”

“I’ve never thought to ask, I think he just stays out of doors the whole time. Next time we go that way I must try to remember to ask him what he does for shelter when it rains and how he keeps warm in the winter.”

“This is a terrific view,” said Peter, he turned slowly. There’s the Witches’ Home over on the horizon and the village must be that way behind those trees.”

He turned further round until the Witches’ Home was behind him.

“What’s over there behind that range of mountains?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never been that far. We could pop over there and have a look round tomorrow if you like, but I honestly don’t know if there’s anything worth looking at. We ought to go back down again now and I’ll introduce you to Fundin. You should certainly find him worth talking to.”

The giant obligingly banged on the trap door slab and a few moments later it raised up a little way and a pair of eyes peeped out. The eyes looked first at Jennifer Jane and then turned to look at Peter.

“It’s alright Fundin, he’s with me.”

The trapdoor opened fully and Fundin climbed out wearing his dirty old boiler suit and wiping his oily hands on a piece of cotton waste.

“Can’t really shake hands,” he said, ”you must be the young fellow who beat the blacksmith at the village fair. Judging by the size of you there must be more to it than that technique you’ve been boasting about, come down and tell me all about it.”

Peter and Fundin were soon deep in a technical discussion about solar powered tools and energy enhancement. Jennifer Jane could only understand about one word in ten and wandered round looking at the drawings spread around on various drawing boards and plan files.

“We could easily rig up some panels on the battlements and run wires down here. How do you go about the manufacture again?”

The discussion continued and looked as if it was going to go on for the rest of the day. But at last Jennifer Jane had to interrupt, so that they could get home in time for supper.

“A very interesting dwarf,” said Peter as they flew off, “he really understands what I’m talking about. He’s done wonders himself, given the level of technology that this world has and his workshop is really quite advanced.”

Peter was still talking about Fundin after dinner that evening.

“He seems to have found a kindred spirit there,” said Dave, “it’ll be rather interesting to see what use Fundin makes of all his new knowledge once Peter’s gone home.”