Everyone knows fairies can't fly 6/9

“We were lucky to get here," said Dave, "because Eve remembered about the door. I bet those sailors can’t find a travel fog either, so they’re off to see what the witches are going to do about it, the same as we are!”

An hour after Jennifer Jane and her party had left the pub; both groups had turned up outside the castle side gatehouse of the Witches’ Home. To her surprise the drawbridge had been raised and a witch came out onto the battlements just as she arrived.

“We can’t let anyone in, until we have some idea of why you're here!” she shouted down to the crowd, then she noticed Jennifer Jane waving enthusiastically from the people below. “Ah apprentice Bell! Perhaps you would like to climb up here and tell me what this is all about?”

The witch on the battlements dropped a long rope, so Jennifer Jane made herself light enough to climb easily and swarmed up hand over hand.

“She really is very strong for her age isn’t she,” said Eve in admiration. “You’d almost think she only weighed a pound or two!”

Mary and Dave solemnly agreed with her, Dave in particular having some difficulty in keeping a straight face. By this time Jennifer Jane had arrived on the battlements and duly explained why her little group had come and that she assumed that the sailors were on the same errand.

“Right, this is a bit more serious than I thought. You pop downstairs and have a word with Abigail and I’ll let in one of the sailors to represent his group.”

As expected, the sailor told them that the travel fogs had disappeared and that all long distance trading was now at a standstill.

“Most of us don’t know where the ports we ask for actually are, nor how far away they might be. The cargo might go rotten if it’s a along way away, or we could get lost trying to find out where we’re supposed to be going!”

Abigail smiled happily as Jennifer Jane said that she thought she might have guessed the reason for the disappearance of the fogs.

“I have an idea that it’s something to do with dad teaching Fern how to lose weight, so that she could fly properly. I know that she’d always wanted an excuse to go off to see Lieutenant Moonshine, just to show her how well she was doing since she left the Wish Warehouse. I wouldn’t mind betting that she’s taught all the other fairies how to fly and they’ve forgotten to work the travel fogs!”

“I’m afraid you’re probably right,” sighed Abigail, “there’s only one way to find out isn’t there? You take your dad off to the Wish Warehouse and sort it all out. He caused the problem so it’s up to him to clear it all up, perhaps that’ll teach him not to meddle in things which don’t really concern him!”

“I don’t know how to get there without using a wish or a travel fog!"

“I’m sorry, I was forgetting, I’m so used to you solving problems that I sometimes forget you’re still an apprentice. Come down to my room in the basement and I’ll show you how to get there using magic. It’s not supposed to be taught to any witch under the rank of journey woman, but I think I’m justified in teaching it to you. After all nearly all your work with us involves travel, so we might as well make it as easy as possible. However, you’re not to tell anyone else at all, especially not your apprentice friends!”

Then she turned to the sailor. “As you can see, Jennifer Jane is going to sort everything out for you, so you can go and tell your mates that she’s on the job and things will all be back to normal fairly soon!”

The sailor went off happily, while twenty minutes later Jennifer Jane had been taught the secret of bypassing all the usual means of magic transport. She could now go directly to the Wish Warehouse, the Witches’ Home or any of the places that were usually suspended in space and time to allow the people who worked there to have perfect peace and quiet.

By this time the sailors were well on their way back to Lurbridge, so Jennifer Jane and Abigail walked out to the castle side and asked for the drawbridge to be lowered.

Adam and Eve were very excited as they were invited in to have a look round the Witches’ Home for the first time, while Jennifer Jane had a word with her father, telling him what had happened during her talk with Abigail. Then mounting her scooter she and her dad flew off and disappeared, as she tried out her latest spell.