The travel agent 12/21

“I expect you may remember me, I’m the witch who knows Jennifer Jane. Have you brought another group to visit our world?”

Jarge held up his hands to stop the people with him from asking questions. “Why hello there,” he said, “nice to meet you again. I’m not really supposed to be here you know, so please don’t talk about me to Jennifer Jane or any of the other witches you may know. We haven’t been properly introduced yet.”

He stood up and held out his hand. “My name is George; I’m a retired knight from what Jennifer Jane calls the alternate world. I expect she’s spoken to you about me. I used to have to kill dragons and right wrongs, until she persuaded the dragons to eat coal instead of people. Then I made a living telling stories about your world, until one day I had the idea of bringing small parties over here to see for themselves. Of course I couldn’t use the Gate at Lurbridge, but then by chance, I happened to meet a witch who was prepared to open a small door for me once a fortnight. So here we are and a very good business it’s turning out to be.”

Eve sat down with the group and drank her tea. She was finding it very hard to believe what she’d just been told. The point was, that if you believed that Jennifer Jane could really do magic, then everything else seemed to be true. She suddenly made up her mind.

“Do you think I could come back with you and see your world for myself. I’d love to meet a dragon, but the people at the Lurbridge Gate won’t let me through.”

George thought for a moment, a happy smile slowly spreading across his face. “Take a party each way,” he muttered to himself, “why not? Cuts the costs in half as well. I’ll do it just for you,” he said in a louder voice, “I won’t charge you this time, but if it works out, I could arrange for regular parties to cross in each direction when the door is opened. That’s a thought, if I show you round my world, then perhaps you could take over as a guide, while I’m showing another group round yours. Is it a deal?”

Eve didn’t hesitate or stop for a moment to think things through. “Deal!” she said and shook hands with George. “When are you going back home?”

“Tomorrow night, We have to cross over in the dark in case someone sees what’s going on and uses the door by accident.”

He explained where Eve should go to meet him, but repeated his warning about keeping it secret from Jennifer Jane and the other witches.

He seemed quite worried that anyone should find out what he was doing and this made Eve even more certain that he could well be telling the truth. Even if it was all a big confidence trick it wouldn’t cost her anything, while if it really was true just think of the adventure!