A flight too far 1/6

The whole Bell family were feeling excited. Abigail had invited them all to stay at the Witches' Home for a long weekend.

Dave was looking forward to the opportunity to have a really good look at the workshops, while Mary was always pleased to be able to have a nice long natter with the witches. With a bit of luck she thought she might be able to persuade Abigail to teach her a bit more magic. Cherry cake was all very well but she felt it would be nice if she could expand the choices available to her.

The trip would give Jennifer Jane the chance of a lot more flying experience. She had been wondering how the giant was getting on after opening his castle to visitors and planned on going to see him to find out.

So after Dave came home from work on Friday, they had all trooped down to the giant's pool and set sail in their lugger Misty Magic for the magic fog and the Witches' Home,. They arrived just in time to join the evening meal in the Refectory before being shown to their rooms in the guest wing. It was the first time any of them had been upstairs and Jennifer Jane was pleased to find that her room was in the castle side of the Home.

She was in one of the circular turrets built on the corners of each of the massive stone walls. There were two windows, one of which overlooked the forest and the giant's castle, while the other gave a good view of the track which led towards Lurgin's Bridge.

Jennifer Jane found it very difficult to restrain her impatience at breakfast the next morning, but at last the meal was over and she ran to the gatehouse to sign out her broom for a trip to see the giant.

She was so early that Esmerelda and Dulcibella hadn't even arrived to start one of their fires. Tasmin put her head out of her cave, yawned and then gave her a wave as the broom flew over. Jennifer Jane was beginning to worry about being too early for the giant and she was quite relieved to see him sitting in the early morning sunshine just outside his front door. She landed nearby and propped her broom carefully against a convenient stone. Then she noticed Fundin sitting on the giant's shoulder discussing something on a piece of paper. The giant picked her up and put her on his other shoulder.

"It's a lovely morning," she said, "I expected to see lots of visitors on their way here as I flew up the road."

"That's the problem we were talking about as you arrived," said Fundin, "there haven't been any visitors for days. It's too far for them to walk."

Jennifer Jane had already thought of the answer. Ever since she'd realised that the castle had been too far away to visit before she had her broom, she'd been wondering if the locals would find it too far as well.

"Simple," she said, "get someone to make you a large enough box with a handle, to carry about ten or twenty people. Then you can pop down to the village once or twice a week at pre-arranged times to collect your customers."

Fundin laughed and handed her the piece of paper he'd been studying with the giant before she'd turned up. It was a dimensioned drawing showing a box similar to what she'd just described.

Two rows of ten people sat facing each other. They were drawn sitting on bench seats leaning back against shoulder high sides. Posts at each corner supported a pitched roof to keep off the rain and above it all was a long handle to allow the giant to carry it in comfort. Along the outside was a notice, 'Visit the castle every Saturday leaving at ten in the morning. Return about four in the afternoon.'

"All we need now is get someone to take the plan to the timber yard near Lurgin's Bridge so that it can be made."

The giant and Fundin both looked hopefully at Jennifer Jane.

She felt a bit upset at not having been allowed to solve the problem herself, but had to admit that Fundin had made a far better job of the design than she could have done. At least she could help in the project by agreeing to take the plans to the timber yard.

"Right I'll go straight away." She put the drawing in her pocket and flew off in the right direction.

She was able to cut off quite a large corner by flying over the trees and was soon over the river which flowed into Timber Creek. One of the advantages of flying was that there was no longer a need to think up riddles for Gordon every time she had to cross the river.

She handed the plans over to Phil who studied them carefully.

"Simple enough even if it is a bit bigger than we're used to. Be about two weeks I guess, allowing for the paint to dry. So where will you be off to now young lady?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," said Jennifer Jane, "I think I'll just go and fly around for a bit and get used to seeing things from the air."