Eve 6/8

He appeared to be taller than most of the trees he was passing and was coming nearer extremely quickly. He stepped across the river and came to a halt on the green. He was carrying a huge box, which he put down very carefully and then invited his customers to climb inside and sit on the seats provided. Eve followed the others but she was shaking like a leaf as she sat down. This was absolutely unbelievable; he really was a fairy tale giant of the Jack and the beanstalk type.

The passenger next to Eve turned to her. “Is this your first time my dear?” she asked kindly. “It takes us all like that at first, but we know that he don’t eat people any more and we’re quite safe really. Just try to relax and enjoy it. The inside of the castle is well worth seeing. If you want to speak to him his name is Arthur and his wife is called May, but you’ll have to shout to make yourself heard because they’re so tall.”

Just then there was a lurch and the box full of visitors rose in the air as Arthur started back towards his home. Eve peered fearfully over the edge and found that they’d already crossed the river and were rapidly approaching the large piece of open ground where the two old ladies with a shop had made such a fool of her and George.

Opposite them was a castle, but the giant kept to the side nearest the shop and then turned left up a small road which rose slowly up a hill as it went on. Then at last over the treetops she saw the turrets of a much larger castle and a few giant steps later; the box was placed gently back on the ground by the drawbridge.

“Please have your food payments ready,” boomed the giant, as they all climbed out of the box and got back on the ground.

Eve queued up with the others and passed through a normal sized door which had been cut in the bottom of the giant sized entrance. In front of her, people were putting their food parcels into the small end of a funnel propped up a few feet from the floor. Some of them ran ahead and watched the magically enlarged item land with a thump from the larger end. Eve did the same when it was her turn and was amazed and a bit frightened to see her loaf of bread arrive with a thud, now the sort of size that a giant would find adequate.

Visitors were already climbing up a set of stairs onto a platform which ran round the walls, rather like a huge shelf. Once she’d followed them up there, she realised that this was intended to provide an adequate view of the rooms without getting in the giant’s way.

She wandered round with the others, slowly getting used to the idea that this must really be a magical world. The only other alternative was that she had to be dreaming and she was sure that wasn’t the case. So if it was all real, then she really could go and speak to a dragon and if George had thought it was safe when she was here before then it must be safe now.

Arthur was sitting in the sun waiting for his visitors to finish their visit, as Eve climbed down the stair at the end of the platform and walked over the drawbridge.

“Would you mind if I left you now and walked back on my own,” she shouted, “I’d very much like to go and talk to the dragon who lives at the bottom of the hill.”

“Its fine with me,” boomed Arthur, “you’ve paid your entrance fee so you can do what you like. But I’m told it’s rather a long walk for you little people and to be honest I don’t think Tornak is at home at the moment.”

Eve set off down the hill with her mind in a whirl. Stretching her imagination to the limit, she could just about accept a real giant, but talking dragons would have to be seen to be believed. The last time she’d been here she was sure that the lad pretending to be a dragon had called himself something more than just Tornak. She waited outside the cave for a moment trying to remember the name she should use.

She was pretty sure it was Tornak the Horrible, but it seemed a bit rude and if the dragons were as real as everything else, then it certainly wouldn’t do to upset them. She made up her mind to go in and ask for Tornak, when she suddenly remembered. She walked bravely into the dark cave and called out.

“Is Tornak the Terrible at home?”

She was half hoping that there might be no answer, but then just as she was about to turn away, a rather sleepy voice answered her from the back of the cave.

“No, he’s away for the week, who are you?”

A large sleepy looking dragon walked slowly into the sunlight shining in from the cave entrance.

Eve gulped nervously, this really was true. First giants and now talking dragons, all just as written about in fairy tales but happening in front of her eyes without any film trickery or stage props.

“My name is Eve, I’m a neighbour of Jennifer Jane’s in the alternate world,” she said rather nervously

“Very pleased to meet you I’m sure,” said the pale green dragon, “my name is Tasmin.”