The business empire 1/10

In which Adam finds there are no photographs of Jennifer Jane’s conjuring during the school show. Eve follows Jennifer Jane through the woods. Sir George breaks the witches’ rules and Jennifer Jane suggests an idea for his future.

----O----

Adam had tried hard to find out how the next door neighbour’s child had performed those amazing tricks at her school concert.

One of his colleagues at work had a child there and had taken a video camera to record the show. Everything had come out perfectly except for the conjuring that next door’s kid was doing. It was alright for all the performances before, but not for the turn that she did! Even his spare battery had gone flat.

His friend had been hoping to run the tape in slow motion to see if he could spot how she did her tricks, but of course there was nothing there.

Adam explained his concerns to his wife at breakfast a few days after the show.

“I know you think I’m being silly,” replied Eve, “but I still think there’s something unusual about that child!”

Adam smiled and shook his head sadly at his wife, then left the table and went to the front door as he heard the newspaper arrive with a thud on his doormat.

He came back into the room reading a copy of the Holmwood Advertiser.

“Now here’s a coincidence,” he said, then read from the paper: “Magical mystery at school show. The evening began with a delightful selection of music given by the infant recorder group under the able tutelage of Miss, blah blah blah, then there’s a whole lot more about the show, ah here we are!”

It appeared that the newspaper’s photographer had been taking pictures of each act as they went on the stage. Although most of his pictures were as he expected, he was most surprised when told back at his office that none of the shots taken during Jane Bell’s conjuring act had come out.

Adam continued reading the relevant paragraphs out loud. “Could it be that what the audience thought of as conjuring really was magic which affected our reporter’s camera? Readers should remember the magical raising of a standing stone recently, claimed as the work of a local group of witches known as MAGIC. Our reporter noticed that Miss Bell was wearing such a badge amongst others on her cloak. Anyone having any pictures of this act is asked to send a copy to the Advertiser for our records.”

“That proves it,” said Eve, “if neither your friend, nor even the professionals could take pictures, then something had to be affecting all the cameras in the school just for that performance. If it’s not natural, it has to be magic!”

“It does makes you wonder,” said Adam. “It can’t be magic, there’s no such thing, in spite of what you say, but I think it will be well worthwhile keeping an eye on the paper for the next few weeks.”

The Holmwood Advertiser had also been delivered to the house next door. Jennifer Jane’s dad read out the same article, then looked over the top of the paper at his daughter.

“I don’t suppose you had anything to do with that?”

“It was nothing to do with me,” she replied, “although several of the children at school have told me that their parents took lots of pictures of the show, but I haven’t heard of anyone getting a picture of my act. Just as well I suppose. I wonder if Abigail had anything to do with it? I think I’d better go and see her as soon as possible”