The travel agent 11/21

When Eve returned home after watching the school show, she sat and thought quietly for a long time. “I know magic is very hard to believe in these days and if I’m honest about it, I must say that our little group can’t really do any thing very much out of the ordinary. But there’s something about that child that makes me wonder if it’s not all real after all.”

“Oh come along dear, the use of a black back cloth shows that she must have had some advice from a professional. There were probably half a dozen of her friends dressed in black costumes, helping her move things about on the stage. No one can see them because they work behind the lights, which are aimed so that they only shine on the performer. Why in some shows I’ve even seen the helpers step in front of the lights after the performance, take of their masks and gloves and then take a bow!”

Eve didn’t argue any more. Common sense told her that that was what must have happened, but seeing ‘Jarge’ in the town had made her wonder.

After all, amongst other things he’d said he was pleased to meet her in her own world. Now that wasn’t the sort of thing that strangers said, when meeting for the first time in a car park! She made up her mind to go to the town every day and keep a look out for strange goings on.

She had to wait for two weeks before she saw ‘Jarge’ again. The group he had with him this time looked similar, but Eve had a good memory for faces and was quite sure that most of the group were new to her, if indeed not all of them.

She followed them round the town for a while. They seemed particularly interested in travel agents advertising flights to far away places. Jarge would pop into the shop and come out with a handful of leaflets and distribute them around the party.

They also appeared more interested in cars and buses than old buildings and museums, while if an aeroplane happened to pass overhead they’d all stop and stare in wonderment.

She was near enough to overhear some of the comments on one occasion when this happened. She couldn’t fully understand the accent, but she caught phrases like ‘bain’t possible’ ‘and noisier nor dragons’ from the general sounds of wonder.

At last Eve followed them all into her favourite teashop where Jarge ordered refreshments for the whole party. Eve waited until everyone was settled and then took her tea across and made herself known.