Star polishing 8/11

“I didn’t think you had,” replied Richard, “my wife thought it peculiar that you suddenly turned up wearing those strange clothes, asking for a job.”

“Do you know Esmerelda and Dulcibella?”

“Well I’ve heard of them. They seem harmless enough, I don’t think they’ve ever been known to hurt any one. They’re supposed to be witches and tell strange tales of other worlds. One of their funniest stories is about a terrible witch called Jennifer Jane who eats giants for breakfast.”

He started laughing and then stopped again as a thought entered his head. “You’re going to tell me your real name is Jennifer Jane, you’re a witch and that contraption is your flying broom.”

Jennifer Jane nodded and Richard burst out laughing again. “I’m sorry,” he said, getting his breath back. “There are no such people as witches”

“In the other world that Esme and Dulce talk about, there are. They use their imaginations to make their stories sound more impressive, but it’s all based on fact.

My name really is Jennifer Jane, I’ve been responsible for killing a troll and made friends with lots of dragons. I’m an apprentice witch in a castle near the place where Esme and Dulce work and know them quite well.

Unfortunately they’ve gone on holiday and I’ve got no idea where they are. I got stranded here by accident and I can’t get home until they return, or unless I can find a boat to take me to a transport fog. You do have transport fogs I hope?”

“So the sailors tell me, although I’ve never really believed them before,” agreed Richard, “it all sounds far too complicated for you to have made up, but I find it very hard to believe.”

“Every word’s true, this is my flying broom, the seat makes it more comfortable for long distance flying, while the little box is where I keep my sandwiches. It won’t work in this world, otherwise I’d just fly to the nearest fog and get home that way.”

“Well there’s a trader due in this evening, I dare say the sailors will be coming in for a drink, you could ask one of them if they’re going your way.”

Richard looked at her rather strangely, stood up and went back into the pub. Jennifer Jane could hear him talking to his wife. There was a short burst of laughter and then it became quiet again.
She sat by herself for a while and then went back inside to ask if she could help with any work. Isabel said there was nothing for her to do until the evening rush, so she wandered down to the port and watched the comings and goings of the shipping.

There were no powerboats at all; all the work was still done by the wind and muscle power.

She was idly watching a topsail schooner beating up from the sea, when something about the ship rang a bell in her memory. It looked very like the Black Cat, of course she realised that any topsail schooner would look similar, but there was something about the trim that was familiar. She ran back to the Three Tuns.

“Does a sailor named John Jones ever come here?” she panted, “he’s no taller than me.”

Richard frowned, “I don’t know many of their names,” he said “but there is a crew who come here sometimes and they’re all small. Seems strange that a crew of midgets can handle a full size sailing vessel but they’re a nice enough lot.”

“The captain’s nickname is Jonah.”

“That’s the one, in fact I believe they’re due in any time now to pick up a cargo. They should be here tonight sometime and you’ll be able to see if it’s your friends.”

Jennifer Jane couldn’t wait for the evening rush to start. Sure enough about an hour after the pub had opened, in walked Jonah and three of his crew. Richard gave her the drinks that they’d ordered and winked.

“You go and surprise him.”

She served the drinks round the table and then stood back with a grin. “Is everything to your satisfaction sir?”

Jonah took a swallow of his beer and then looked at her, “Yes thank you miss it’s fine, crikey you look ever so much like a little girl I know, no wait a minute you are young J...

“My name’s Jane sir,” she interrupted, “in this world,” she whispered. “Please would you be able to give me a lift home. Otherwise I’m stuck here until Esmerelda and Dulcibella get back from their holidays in a months time.”

Jonah nodded. “You can come and stay on the Black Cat tonight if you like. The dockers should have unloaded our cargo of bricks some time tomorrow morning, then we make a passage to Wales to pick up some anthracite for Tornak and his friends, before returning to Timber Creek.”

Jennifer Jane worked until the pub was closed, then asked Richard if she could leave to go home with Jonah.

“When you’ve washed and dried the glasses,” he replied, ”then you’ll have done a whole day’s work and can have another sixpence.”

Jonah and one of his crew had stayed behind to take her to the port, so they helped and the washing and drying up was done in no time at all. Then she said her ‘goodbyes’ to Richard and Isabel and went off into the night to sleep on board the Black Cat.