The travel agent 21/21

“You just can’t give up can you?" said Eve "why don’t you just keep quiet and take me home. By the shortest route this time.”

Peace reigned until they reached Gordon’s bridge. “Answer,” shouted Gordon.

“The answer you silly ignorant little man is ‘nail two bears together,’ why any of you are still persisting in this farce is absolutely beyond me!”

The horse had stopped for a moment to make sure that the troll would accept their passage across the bridge.

“Nailing a bear would certainly make him cross,” said Gordon in a puzzled tone of voice, “but why two of them I wonder?”

“How would you make a cross out of wood?” shouted Eve furiously, as the horse began walking again.

“Why I’d nail two pieces of wood together in the right shape; oh I see what you mean. That’s quite clever really; it’s a play on words and a joke as well. I wonder if any more of these riddles are like that?”

His voice faded away as the horse headed for the inn.

“He doesn’t sound any more intelligent than the rest of your cronies in this sham,” said Eve “and I’m going to tell the so called Landlord exactly what I think about his pub.”

George waited outside, while Eve went inside the George and Dragons to collect her knapsack. He could hear people shouting at each other, although fortunately the words couldn’t be made out.

“That’s what comes of trying to be too clever,” said the horse, “you should have stuck to taking the yokels from this world. At least they were getting a genuine experience, what on earth made you set up all that trickery?”

“I didn’t set up anything,” replied George rather miserably, “I honestly thought that the traffic would work both ways, but some one seems to have gone out of their way to make every thing look like a fake.”

“Has to be the witches over at the Gate; boy are you in trouble!”

George returned Eve to her world as quickly as the horse could make it, then waited until she’d passed through the door by herself and was well out of earshot.

“Leah,” he shouted and waited for a moment or two.

An old witch hobbled out on to the path beside him.

"We'll have to forego this ploy in the future. I think the witches at the Gate have found out about our little venture.”

Leah made a quick gesture towards the door which collapsed on the spot. “I’m sure they have my dear Sir,” she said, “one of them came to see me yesterday and told me exactly what would happen to me if I ever did it again. I daresay they’ll want to have a quiet word in your ear as well, before too long.”

George turned and rode back towards Lurbridge looking as miserable as he felt.

“Told you so!” said the horse.