Sir George goes home part 2

Alfredo reached the police car just as the driver got out.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Si Senor. We have found an English madman riding a horse along the motorway. He thinks he is a knight riding in search of another world and he wants to right wrongs and slay dragons on his travels. He seems to be harmless, so we thought he might be of use to you in your circus."

Alfredo looked hopefully at the man leading his animal from the horsebox. He certainly looked strange. He was wearing a long sleeved, belted smock and the horse was a stocky type tending towards the Shire but not so large. An idea formed in Alfredo's mind.

"I'll look after them," he said on the spur of the moment. The police ran back to their cars and drove out of the field quickly before he could change his mind.

"I'm the Great Alfredo, owner of this show," he said, "but you can call me Alf."

George solemnly shook his hand. "A travelling show of such a size," he said, "doubtless you have many tumblers and fools with cap and bells and, if I mistake not, performing animals to boot."

Alf looked at him curiously. "No, it's just an ordinary circus and I need a new act. If you really want to fight dragons then you could be just the bloke I'm looking for."

"The witch Abigail said I must not kill dragons in this world,” replied George, "I do not see how I can be of much assistance unless you have a wrong to right, or know of a damsel in distress?"

"You are joking aren't you mate?" said Alf.

"Nay I do not jest, why the great Karg lay dead at my feet not one week since. See I still have some of his treasure to hand."

"You really are from another world," said Alf in amazement as he looked at the handful of glittering rings and pearls.

"I speak truly, I must to England and seek the witch Jennifer Jane who holds the secret to my return."

"Well we're heading that way," said Alf, "and if you'd like to work with me, I'll give you free board and lodging for you and your horse, until we reach England and I can hire some new performers."

----O----

"Please Dad can we go to the circus this afternoon?" asked Jennifer Jane.

She was looking at a poster for Alfredo's Amazing Circus (afternoon performances Wednesday and Saturday, children half price). The family was on holiday driving round the coast, trailing her father's sailing dinghy and racing in their class at every meeting. Jennifer Jane was crew when the wind was light and her mother took over from her for stronger winds when more weight was needed to help keep the dinghy upright.

They has just finished their racing at Dover and had two days to spare before moving on to the next meeting.

"I don't see why not," said Dave answering Jennifer Jane's question. "We've time to spare and it could be fun."

"The poster says that the brave knight, Sir George fights a fire breathing dragon every day. That looks jolly exciting."

She couldn't mention that she knew a real knight named George who really did kill dragons, or that she was quite friendly with several real dragons in both this and another world.

The family turned up early for the afternoon performance.

"So we can make sure of a seat in the front row,” said Dave. It wasn't really a very good circus. There were only two clowns who threw custard pies at each other and fell over a lot.

Three ladies rode horses round the ring doing handstands and back springs while the Great Alfredo stood in the middle of the ring cracking his whip and trying to make every act sound as if it was the greatest to be seen anywhere in the world.

Finally the 'dragon' came into the ring. It looked very much like a pantomime horse with a new head. Every now and then it roared and smoke came out of its nostrils. The two clowns ran away and pretending to be frightened. They kept falling over and getting up again just in time not to be 'caught and eaten by this ferocious flame throwing monster'.

"Now the mighty slayer of dragons, Sir George, comes to the rescue," shouted the Great Alfredo. There was a roll of drums from the very small band and into the ring trotted a knight on horseback.

"Die foul beast!" shouted Sir George, as he brandished a large wooden sword and trotted forward. The clowns stood on the side of the ring and cheered as he rode past. The horse was neighing rather a lot as he trotted round the ring after the dragon and to Jennifer Jane's amazement she could understand what he was saying as he passed her front row seat.

"Thick he is, thick as two short planks, a bag of oats a day, lots of mares for company and no danger, and what does he want to do? Why go home of course, so he can get us both killed fighting real dragons."

Jennifer Jane was amazed; it must be the real Sir George and his horse from the other world. She'd never seen him without his full armour before, but she certainly recognised the horse.

After another turn or two round the ring George caught up with the dragon and smacked it a few times with the flat of his sword. The dragon fell over and pretended to be dead.

George dismounted, put his foot on the dragon's head and brandished his sword, "So die all tyrants!" he shouted.

Then the two men inside the dragon crawled out and they all bowed to a polite, but very scattered round of applause before running from the ring.

"That dragon wasn't nearly as good as the ones who came to our party," said Dave as the show finished and people started to leave the circus tent. "I think I'll go and have a word with the ring master and offer him a few tips on how to improve his dragon."

Jennifer Jane spotted George leading his horse over to the tent which was used as a stable. "Sir George," she called, "wait a minute, it's Jennifer Jane."

"Praise be, my search is at an end, it is truly Jennifer Jane found at last, just as the witch Abigail promised."

"Oh lor' that's torn it," said the horse, "there goes easy living."

"Sssh," said Jennifer Jane, "Not so loud, people in this world don't understand about witches and dragons."