The Rookery Boxset by B G Denvil

Author:B G Denvil [Denvil, B G]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gaskell Publishing
Published: 2020-07-16T22:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

“An interesting adventure,” Whistle said.

Rosie regarded the small red squirrel and reached out a finger. The fur was resilient but soft, the face was sweetly pretty, and the tail was magnificent. Certainly nothing like Whistle. “You’re really him?”

“Not him, but me,” said the squirrel with an impatient slick of the tail. “You asked for a change? Well, you got it. Yet I hear neither gratitude nor admiration.”

“You have both,” said Edna quickly, “and I am distinctly impressed. You are welcome to visit any day.”

Rosie nodded, “Oh yes, indeed. Move here permanently if you’d like. I’m quite happy to have a resident ghost. And please, dear Whistle, tell us whatever you’ve discovered.”

“The red cup,” said the squirrel with pride, “has a special place built for it beneath the ground not far from Kettle Lane, but no longer beneath The Rookery. Yet, which I found most odd, neither it nor those it has affected, seem able to ignore the calls of the church. The cup positively shivered and cracked, and the people plodded off to church as though sleep-walking.”

“What happened when the bells stopped?” Rosie asked. “The cup put itself together again?”

“So who has built this underground cave for it?” demanded Mandrake, whom no one had heard entering.

Whistle stared at Mandrake with a sniff. “Should you be here? How much do you know about the shadow side? Have you been cleared of any dark shadow dealings yourself?”

“Of course I have,” snapped Mandrake. “And before you ask, I’ve cleared myself. Now, who is the one who has been dabbling with the shadows?”

“Unfortunately, it has to be Alice,” said Rosie. “As this Troilus bug, she’s the only one I see burrowing underground through such tiny holes. And she’s never stopped following the darkness.”

“But,” the squirrel was hopping up and down, and eventually could not resist hopping onto Rosie’s shoulder, “I know exactly where the spot is. I’ve even marked it. Straight down – and there it is. One red cup waiting to be found. And it’s not on old Mike Postlethwaite’s farm, so he can’t come raising his fists and roaring about us ruining his crops. You just need to dig along that bank, opposite here but over a bit.”

“And then we have a good view of a red cup that we can’t touch.”

“If you’re going to be ungrateful again,” said the squirrel, “then I’ll go and find myself a roost.”

“Squirrels don’t roost. Only birds do that.”

“I’ll do whatever I wish,” said the squirrel. “Ghosts can’t be forced to do anything they don’t like.” Whistle turned to Mandrake. “And I suppose you’re getting involved now too. It’s not enough to have three witches nagging me, I have another wizard too. And not even a high powered one. What are you? A fifty-five or something?”

Mandrake pulled himself to his full height, which was a considerable amount taller than Whistle always was, not to mention now being a squirrel, and said, “I’ll have you know I’m a seventy-eight. That’s a high score, even if not as high as yours.

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