The search for Merlin Homes 13/15

“I suppose there’s nothing else to do but go on trying,” said Morwenna. “After all just because this dragon doesn’t know anything about Merlin Homes doesn’t mean they don’t exist in this world.”

“Maybe you’re right,” replied Jennifer Jane rather grudgingly, “at least let’s try to find a small town somewhere that might have heard of them without wanting to burn us at the stake!”

They began to climb back onto the scooter. Moggy hurried out from behind his rock and snuggled down by Jennifer Jane’s feet. Once he was settled he kept a wary eye on the dragon, looking cautiously round the front apron of the scooter.

“Hey you can’t leave me like this,” said the dragon, “any passer by with a sword can come along and kill me. Without a flame all I can do is run away and I certainly can’t get my flame back without having a peasant or two for a meal.”

“You said this was Wales, do you know what coal looks like when you see it?”

“Of course I do, horrible filthy black stuff. Gets in between my talons and makes them itch, the dust makes me sneeze and what it does to my colour has to be seen to be believed!”

“Just find a couple of lumps and eat them. That’ll start up your flame again. The dragons in my world think it tastes nice and they don’t have to eat anybody any more. Who knows, if you convince enough dragons to eat coal instead of people you might not be chased around by knights on horseback ever again!”

The scooter took off leaving the dragon to begin his search for some suitably sized lumps of coal. Once again they headed off in a random direction and after an hour of flying over small villages, were rewarded by the sight of a market town.

“Merlin Homes?” said the landlord of the first pub they entered. “Everybody’s heard of them, they work in a place called England where everyone eats raw meat and paints themselves blue!”

“But I thought this was England!”

“You don’t see too many people walking about painted blue do you? And I'm sure I'm not going to start eating raw meat just to please you.”

Jennifer Jane didn’t know what to do, then remembered how she used to get her way with grownups when she was little. She put on a brave smile, made her bottom lip quiver a bit and burst into tears. She was quite convincing, even Morwenna looked impressed, while Moggy came and rubbed his back round her legs meowing pitifully.

“Now then little girl, don’t take on so, I can assure you that there’s no Merlin Homes office in this world. I’ll find you a witch or a wizard, I’m sure they’ll explain the system of parallel worlds to you. Perhaps your mother will be able to understand, it’s all a bit complicated.”

He leaned over the bar and patted her on the head, then looked across to Morwenna with a friendly smile.

“Albert,” he called after looking round all the customers in the pub, “explain about Merlin Homes to these good people will you? I don’t understand a word of it,” he said as Albert got up from his table, “but he’s a well known wizard in these parts and if anyone knows, he does!”

Albert beckoned for them to follow him outside and mounted a horse that had been tied to a rail outside the pub. As he rode off, the scooter followed quite a way behind him, so as not to frighten the animal. He led them down the road until they left the town altogether, arriving at last in a clearing in a wood.