first, but then, increasingly tedious. She was getting restless; she wished to be off, and the longer Denny was a cat, the harder he would find it to adjust to two-leggedness again.
He told her that the people believed that their ancient religion was witchcraft because their lives were so dull and oppressed it gave them something to live for, some excitement, some rebellion. Tamar yawned; she already knew all this, and she hoped he would take the hint and suggest they retire. When he did not, but continued to go on and on about ridiculous superstition, she was tempted to turn Denny back into a man, right there. That ought to shut him up. Not that she disliked him, she agreed with most of what he said, and the world would be a better place, if there were more men who believed in tolerance, as he did. But still … so dull, so oblivious, and so intensely stuck-up. For all his admirable qualities, he was a typical, upper class twit, only not so stupid.
Eventually he decided to retire for the night and he showed her upstairs to a guest-room. She took Denny with her, and turned him back the moment they were alone. Then she sorted him out some clothes.
‘What’s with the new look?’ he asked.
She explained. He was not surprised.
‘I lost the Athame,’ he told her, it was in my clothes.’
‘I know, it isn’t now, somebody must have gone through them and picked it up.’
‘You’re kidding! What are we going to do?’
Tamar hung her head. ‘I don’t know, I’m sorry, this is all my fault. I don’t know what came over me. How did you end up here?’
He told her. She hung her head, again. ‘You were almost drowned? I’m so, so…’
‘Sorry, I know. Look it doesn’t matter now, we have to find the Athame – even if I didn’t want it, which I do, we can’t leave that kind of power in some peasant’s hands; it’ll change history in the worst way.’
‘Tell me about it,’ she agreed. ‘I can sense when magic is being used, usually, but that means, we won’t know where it is, until after someone has used it. And we’ll still have to search.’
‘I think we should both be in disguise,’ he said.
*
Tamar decided to leave a note. The next morning, William was to read, in some bemusement, the following copperplate production:-
Dear Mr. Tracey.
I must apologise for taking my leave of you in so abrupt a manner. No doubt you will think it strange, but I am as you will now realise, an educated woman and not a kitchen maid and I have, moreover friends and family who await me. I am sorry for not revealing this to you, there are reasons but it is not my secret to reveal. Many thanks for your service to me and for looking after my cat also, a small thing you may think, but you may believe me when I say, it meant a great deal to me.
If there shall ever come a time when my debt can be repaid, you can look to me to honour it, and in this I pledge my word.
Think not too hardly of me
Your Servant
Sally Evans.
* * *
Tamar and Denny returned to the town under cover of darkness, and began their search. But they found no sign, anywhere, that anyone had been using magic of any kind.
‘Doesn’t mean anything,’ said Tamar. ‘I mean, how long was it before you learned to use it?’
‘Not long,’ he replied. ‘But then, I was in the middle of nowhere with no food, no water, no way home, and being chased by vampires. If I’d been safe and sound at home, I might never have worked it out. Whoever’s got it, probably just stuck it in a drawer somewhere.’
‘They’ll probably try to sell it, in that case. Its solid silver, it’d probably fetch enough to feed a family for a year in these parts.’
‘They’d have to be careful, though, it might look to some people like stolen goods – which I suppose it is.’
‘Good point. So, some kind of Black Market?’
‘Did they have those, in those – I mean these – days?’ asked
He told her that the people believed that their ancient religion was witchcraft because their lives were so dull and oppressed it gave them something to live for, some excitement, some rebellion. Tamar yawned; she already knew all this, and she hoped he would take the hint and suggest they retire. When he did not, but continued to go on and on about ridiculous superstition, she was tempted to turn Denny back into a man, right there. That ought to shut him up. Not that she disliked him, she agreed with most of what he said, and the world would be a better place, if there were more men who believed in tolerance, as he did. But still … so dull, so oblivious, and so intensely stuck-up. For all his admirable qualities, he was a typical, upper class twit, only not so stupid.
Eventually he decided to retire for the night and he showed her upstairs to a guest-room. She took Denny with her, and turned him back the moment they were alone. Then she sorted him out some clothes.
‘What’s with the new look?’ he asked.
She explained. He was not surprised.
‘I lost the Athame,’ he told her, it was in my clothes.’
‘I know, it isn’t now, somebody must have gone through them and picked it up.’
‘You’re kidding! What are we going to do?’
Tamar hung her head. ‘I don’t know, I’m sorry, this is all my fault. I don’t know what came over me. How did you end up here?’
He told her. She hung her head, again. ‘You were almost drowned? I’m so, so…’
‘Sorry, I know. Look it doesn’t matter now, we have to find the Athame – even if I didn’t want it, which I do, we can’t leave that kind of power in some peasant’s hands; it’ll change history in the worst way.’
‘Tell me about it,’ she agreed. ‘I can sense when magic is being used, usually, but that means, we won’t know where it is, until after someone has used it. And we’ll still have to search.’
‘I think we should both be in disguise,’ he said.
*
Tamar decided to leave a note. The next morning, William was to read, in some bemusement, the following copperplate production:-
Dear Mr. Tracey.
I must apologise for taking my leave of you in so abrupt a manner. No doubt you will think it strange, but I am as you will now realise, an educated woman and not a kitchen maid and I have, moreover friends and family who await me. I am sorry for not revealing this to you, there are reasons but it is not my secret to reveal. Many thanks for your service to me and for looking after my cat also, a small thing you may think, but you may believe me when I say, it meant a great deal to me.
If there shall ever come a time when my debt can be repaid, you can look to me to honour it, and in this I pledge my word.
Think not too hardly of me
Your Servant
Sally Evans.
* * *
Tamar and Denny returned to the town under cover of darkness, and began their search. But they found no sign, anywhere, that anyone had been using magic of any kind.
‘Doesn’t mean anything,’ said Tamar. ‘I mean, how long was it before you learned to use it?’
‘Not long,’ he replied. ‘But then, I was in the middle of nowhere with no food, no water, no way home, and being chased by vampires. If I’d been safe and sound at home, I might never have worked it out. Whoever’s got it, probably just stuck it in a drawer somewhere.’
‘They’ll probably try to sell it, in that case. Its solid silver, it’d probably fetch enough to feed a family for a year in these parts.’
‘They’d have to be careful, though, it might look to some people like stolen goods – which I suppose it is.’
‘Good point. So, some kind of Black Market?’
‘Did they have those, in those – I mean these – days?’ asked
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