The statue 6/15

The other witches were equally deferential when Matilda confirmed that Jennifer Jane was really who she said she was. It was soon established that the problem was the lack of power to enable witchcraft to be performed, so the students had all been sent back to their families until teaching could continue.

Jennifer Jane thought for a good while, feeling rather uncomfortable knowing that all eyes were watching her and expecting a rapid result from the ‘Greatest Grande Dame who ever lived!’

“I’m not really sure what to do,” she said at last. “I think the best thing is to go outside and have a good look round, then I might be able to see something which is unusual to me, but that you take for granted. Since I can’t fly without magic, I’ll go to Lurbridge and see if I can hire a horse, at least I’ll be able to move about reasonably quickly that way. If you don’t mind I’ll also go by myself,” she added as Matilda volunteered to come with her, “then no one will know who I am and won’t be expecting too much as a result.”

She walked through to the castle side once again and set off towards the village. The most obvious change apart from the smaller size of the forest, was a very good road made of crushed stone, which had replaced the old cart track. It turned the corner opposite the Home and headed off towards the castle where Wilfred lived, just as the old track had in her time and ran towards Lurbridge in the other direction.

A strange feeling that something wasn’t right started bothering her. Then it suddenly struck her; she’d been able to walk between the two worlds just as usual. Perhaps the magical failure wasn’t quite as bad as Matilda had suggested.

She was still wondering how this could happen, when she heard the clip clop of horse’s hooves and the rumble of iron shod cartwheels coming along the road behind her. She turned round and watched as a gaily painted red and white cart approached. As it got nearer, she noticed a sign painted on the side. It looked like a red cross on a white shield.

On impulse she stepped out onto the road and held out her hand as if she was stopping a bus at home. The driver didn’t seem at all surprised and pulled up beside her. He was smartly dressed in an off white smock, with the same badge on his arm as that painted on the side of his cart.

“Can you give me a lift into the village please?”

“Certainly miss, as you’re obviously only a half fare that’ll cost you sixpence!”

The driver took her money and put it in his pocket without looking at it, as she climbed up beside him. The horse started off again, trotting along the road with the lightly loaded cart rattling along behind him. Surprises then followed in quick succession. Half a mile before the bridge over the river, cultivated fields began to appear, with a small cluster of workmen’s cottages beside them.

“Trollbridge,” said the driver, seeing that she was taking an interest.

“I never thought there was enough fresh water locally to water large fields like these?”

“The squire thought of the idea and had a dam built upstream. That holds back sufficient water for the farmers’ needs unless it’s a very dry year. The produce is very useful for the locals, although it does mean the Company lost a bit of business bringing them fresh vegetables!”

The next surprise came as the cart drove straight over the bridge, without any challenge from the resident troll. Jennifer Jane had to know why and asked the driver.

“Trolls?” he said in an amazed tone of voice. “There’s been no trolls here in my lifetime nor yet in my father’s. Come to that I can’t remember my granddad speak of them either. Whatever made you think there were any trolls round here?”

“It’s the name, I mean why call a place Trollbridge if there isn’t a troll living under it?”

“I suppose that makes sense, I’ve never given it much of a thought before. There could have been a troll round here hundreds of years ago, but I don’t suppose there’s any one living here now who would know. You could try asking the squire, I hear tell he’s got lots of books in that great house of his up on the hill. He may know the answer if he’ll let you in.”

The last surprise came as they drove into the village of Trollbridge itself.

“Where do you want me to drop you off?” asked the driver.

Jennifer Jane just had enough sense left after all the previous surprises, to say, “Outside the Inn please,” instead of calling it the George and Dragons.