The photograph 1/9

Somehow or other, Adam was determined to resolve his wife’s suspicions about Jennifer Jane’s mysterious visits to the woods at the end of their garden. They had been taking it in turns to spy on her movements from an upstairs back room window, for just over a month now. They had carefully noted the times of her walks and at last Adam thought he had discovered a pattern.

“During term time she only goes there at weekends,” he told Eve. “Occasionally her mother or father go with her, but usually she’s by herself. There’s nothing suspicious about that of course, but it does mean that if I get up early, I can hide somewhere and watch where she goes. I don’t expect for one minute that there’s anything in your suspicions, but just in case I see something interesting, I’ll take my camera along!”

Jennifer Jane had decided to go and see how Sir George was getting on with his carting business, so the very next Saturday she set off as usual to go to Wilfred’s pool and paddle her canoe through the travel fog to the Witches’ Home. She was going there so frequently nowadays, that in the summertime she didn’t bother to bring Drawrof back home with her. But just in case it rained, she kept it upside down on the quayside just beside her dads’ lugger.

“No one will spot it there,” the giant had said. “I’ll keep an eye on it for you, or one of the goblins will if I’m not here. Not that many humans have ever managed to find the pool, as you know!”

So she walked along the forest paths without a care in the world, knowing that the goblins kept an eye open for anyone following her, in which case they’d move the path so that she couldn’t be followed.

Unfortunately she didn’t know that this particular day was the oldest goblin’s birthday. The whole village was busily arranging his party. All the lady goblins were baking cakes, chairs were being moved round between the houses and decorations put up as quietly as possible.

Although the oldest goblin obviously knew what day it was, everyone in the village was determined to keep as much as possible of the preparations a secret if they could. There was so much work to do, that even the goblin who was supposed to make sure no one followed Jennifer Jane along the woodland paths, had been told to help fetch some clean tablecloths from the laundry.

Adam of course, was totally unaware that there was anything different about the woods on this particular day. As he’d promised his wife, he set off so early in the morning that he didn’t even have time for any breakfast. Then he’d hidden as far as possible along one of the most used looking paths.

Eve had told him which way to go, as she had met one or other of the Bell family on several occasions and they had nearly always been coming from the same direction. He didn’t have too long to wait in spite of the early time!

Jennifer Jane went straight past the place where Adam was hiding and soon arrived at the pool. Wilfred wasn’t there, but that was no surprise. Ever since the salt-water pump had been installed by Fundin, he often went to the alternate world to have a chat with his friend Arthur. However, he usually made sure he was back in time for the goblins to bring him his dinner, before sitting down for an afternoon nap. When he woke up, he’d turn off the pump and have a good afternoons cry, just so that he felt he was earning his keep.

Because all of the goblins were busy arranging their party, Adam was able to follow his quarry quite closely. He was sure that the child was never more than fifty yards in front of him, but when he finally turned a corner to discover a clearing amongst the trees; he was most surprised to find that she’d disappeared.

There was a small pond in front of him, but no sign of her anywhere and yet the pond was only about forty or fifty yards across. There was no way she could have walked round it in the time available.