The search for Merlin Homes 4/11

As they had expected, most of the villagers were out working in the fields, but with Morwenna’s agreement they headed straight for the village pub. It looked rather run down and was not very imaginatively called ‘Peter’s Pub’.

“Something tells me this place isn’t going to be much help to us,” said Jennifer Jane, as they all got off the scooter and walked towards the pub door.

Moggy stopped suddenly and had a quick sniff. “Fat mice,” he said and rushed off down the muddy track that served as the main street.

“I wonder if you can help us landlord, we’re looking for any witch around here who may happen to live in a cottage with a pretty walled garden?”

“Do you want a beer?” asked the man behind the bar rather rudely.

“I’d much rather have a ginger beer if you happen to have any,” said Jennifer Jane.

“Beer only, take it or leave it! This pub is for working men, not a load of silly women; of any age!”

He stared very rudely at Jennifer Jane for a moment, then turned to speak to Morwenna. “Why isn’t she at home with you,” he said, “helping to make the dinner? Come to that why aren’t you both at home? And what’s your interest in witches in any case?” He added as an afterthought.

The man obviously wasn’t very quick on the uptake; he was not much more of a man of action as his next movements showed. He lumbered out slowly from behind the bar and when he reached the door, yelled out at the top of his voice.

“Hey Dick my old son, we’ve got two ladies here interested in witches, I think this is a job for you!”

“With you in a minute,” came the reply, “I’ll just be off to fetch my hat!”

“He’ll soon sort you two out,” said the barman with a nasty grin, “only takes a minute to spot a witch does old Dick!”

Morwenna and Jennifer Jane sat down at a table near the door and waited for Dick to appear.

“I don’t think this is going to plan,” said Morwenna, “get ready to become invisible, then run for the scooter and get up in the air as quickly as you can. You can do invisibility spells I suppose?”

Jennifer Jane grinned.

“Oh of course you can, that was how I found you the first time wasn’t it!”

“Didn’t do me much good then did it!”

At that point Dick strutted through the door proudly wearing what he obviously considered to be some sort of uniform. He was wearing a grubby cloak and a very strange looking conical hat. Just above the brim were the rather badly spelled words ‘Which Hunter in Cheef’.

“Thought so,” said Morwenna, “do as I said as fast as you can!”

As Dick came in from the glare outdoors, he stood still for a moment blinking in the dimly lit pub. “Them’s the two,” said the landlord pointing.

By the time Dick had turned, the two witches had disappeared and were running back along the street to the spot where they’d left the scooter. In turn, the scooter became invisible as Jennifer Jane grabbed the handlebars and went up in the air to avoid the angry men coming out of the pub. One or two other workmen were coming in from the fields to see what all the fuss was about and began to sound equally angry as Dick began shouting.