The travel agent 20/21

“Gee up,” said George to his horse. “I think they were jesting,” he said over his shoulder as they rode off along the path. “Esmerelda and Dulcibella have only sold medicines all the while I’ve known them. It wasn’t until Jennifer Jane introduced them to Ermintrude that they made enough profit to build that shop.”

Eve only laughed, the more she saw the more she was convinced that the whole trip to ‘another world’ was a set up. Now she was only waiting to see the ‘dragon’ before she was certain.

George had turned off the main track and was now riding along a much narrower path going slightly uphill. One hundred yards along, he stopped and dismounted.

“We have to go carefully from here. Tasmin is one of the nicest dragons I know, but if her husband Tornak is at home, we could be in for a shock if we just barged in without warning.”

Eve got down as well and followed George as he led his horse along the narrow path. The horse suddenly neighed. George looked puzzled.

“That’s strange; my horse says there’s no one at home!”

“Oh what a pity,” said Eve, “now can you please stop this farce and just take me home. If we go the whole way on horseback I should be home in time for a good meal and a decent night’s sleep."

Before George could answer, there was a roar from a cave mouth twenty yards in front of them. Flames shot out across the path while a voice boomed out. “Go no further, or brave the wrath of Tornak the Terrible.”

The horse stood still, snickering to George who was looking very bewildered. Eve took no notice and ran up to the cave mouth and looked in.

As she suspected there was no dragon there at all. A young man was standing just behind a rather badly made papier-mâché dragon’s head working a large pair of bellows from behind a blazing fire.

As Eve put her head round the entrance he began to shout into a large metal bucket. “You have been warn... oh!” said the booming voice of the ‘dragon.’

“You lot really are a pathetic load of amateurs!” stormed Eve, “if I ever find out where this place is I’ve a jolly good mind to set the law onto you.”

George had followed her into the cave. “Hello Robert,” he said, “what on earth are you doing here? Where’s Tasmin?”

“Don’t blame me,” replied Robert with a grin, “I’m only doing what I was told by my employers. I think when you’ve taken your visitor home you’d better go and have a word with them.”

“Oh crumbs now I’m in trouble,” said George. “Come on ma’am we’d best be getting you back home before any of them take serious action. I don’t suppose for one minute that I’ll ever see you again and it looks as if my money making scheme is over. Pity, it was a lot more profitable than telling stories.”

Eve was waiting outside with a furious look on her face, while the horse was whinnying and snickering more or less continuously.

“All right, all right,” said George as he climbed back into the saddle and gave Eve a hand up, “don’t keep on about it.”

“I haven’t even begun to speak my mind about this disgusting charade. Just trying to make a few pathetic pennies from innocent people.”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” said George, “I was talking to the horse.”