The business empire 7/10

The following night at the Witch’s Home, she changed into the dress that she’d worn as Jenny when Malcolm had abandoned her in another world, combed her hair out loosely and swapped her scooter for her old broom.

She thought it might be as well to adopt a small disguise in case George didn’t want anyone from the Home to know what he was up to. If anyone happened to see her, she looked like any other apprentice, whereas her scooter was well known.

When she arrived, the inn appeared to be full. She pushed her way through to the bar and bought her drink, then went to the back and made herself as inconspicuous as possible. A cheer went up as George arrived, the crowd parting to let him make his way through to the front.

The landlord looked over the crowded floor with a big smile on his face and made a short welcoming speech.

“We all know Sir George now and the last time he was here he promised to show us light without fire and the small boxes that let people in the other world talk to each other when they’re miles apart. He hasn’t let us down so far with his wild stories, but quite honestly I think he’s gone too far this time. Light without fire, I ask you!”

The whole pub burst into applause as George jumped up onto the bar carrying a small bag.

“Would the landlord be kind enough to have all the lamps out except the one near the door!”

He waited a moment while those near the lamps blew them out and the whole room was in near darkness. Then he opened his bag with a dramatic flourish and held up a large electric torch.

“Light without fire,” he exclaimed in the sort of voice used by ringmasters in a circus. Then he pressed the switch.

A murmur of disbelief went up from nearly everybody in the audience. Jennifer Jane knew what was happening of course, she was wondering what the witches would say, if they ever found out that he was bringing things from her world into this one.

George turned off the torch and waited while the lamps were re-lit. “Pass it round and have a good look at it, you’ll not see the like in this world I warrant.”

One or two people managed to find out how the switch worked and every now and again a blaze of light would flash through the room.

Jennifer Jane was the last person to get the torch to look at; she undid the end and had a look at the batteries. They were the usual sort found in large torches and readily available in any electrical goods shop, so she put it all back together and placed it on the floor beside her.

Then she sat back and listened to the tale of the next marvel that was being explained.

George was talking about the uses of a telephone, but at first she listened with only part of her attention; after all she knew perfectly well how a telephone worked, although she was rather interested to know how George was going to demonstrate the use of one.

She was beginning to worry, now that she knew that George was still bringing things from her world into this one. This was strictly forbidden by the witches and in any case how was he managing to go there, now that the witches had closed his door and forbidden him to go back.

She began to pay attention again as she heard the tone of George’s voice alter as he started to explain how he was going to demonstrate the ‘talking box’.