The Fairy Godmother Part 103

“Ethel,” said Myrtle as soon as she appeared back in the office.

“Tell her the update has only just started, there is no way I can do anything with it for at least one day,” said Ethel slowly looking up.

“We told her that,” said Myrtle. “But that isn’t what I’m here about. Her phone’s died.”

“I sorted that out last week, there’s nothing wrong with it,” snapped Ethel.

“Except she couldn’t ring you,” said Myrtle.

“That shouldn’t happen,” Ethel replied trying to ring Violet.

“This number can not be found,” the phone explained.

“I suspect it is place related,” Myrtle replied.

“Do you think it is something to do with their computer system crashing?” Ethel asked.

“The King had a row with their computer person, they left, the computer system crashed and when the King started to sort it out, it got worse and now he’s gone fishing,” Myrtle explained.

“You think the computer person crashed the system?” asked Ethel.

“Everything points to that way,” said Myrtle. “But it doesn’t smell right. Violet’s phone not working does rather underline the whole thing.”

“I don’t understand?” said Ethel.

“If the phone system isn’t working, how come the Valet managed to call us for help?” Myrtle replied.

“Are Violet and Rosemary in any danger?” asked Ethel.

“I don’t think so, it’s like the Valet called them there to have a witness to something,” said Myrtle. “Can you locate either the King or Liam, that’s their computer person.”

“I should be able to,” said Ethel, turning to her laptop. “What the!”

The look of panic that crossed Ethel’s face caused Myrtle to wave her wand and put everything on pause.

“Looks like the computer failure is spreading,” thought Myrtle. “Or at least someone is making it spread,” she added winding the clock back to just before Ethel tried to find the King.

“You asked me to do something, I think,” said Ethel looking at her laptop.

“Can you protect our system from any computer bug that might come to it from their system?” asked Myrtle.

“Yes,” said Ethel, “But if I do that I wont be able to use our computer system to find out what is going wrong with theirs.”

“We wont be able to use our computer system if it crashes as well,” said Myrtle.

“Hadn’t thought of that,” said Ethel, redoubling her efforts to prevent any contagine.

“I think we will have to go old style to do that,” said Myrtle, heading for the Hall of the Fairy Council.

“What do you mean?” asked Ethel dashing after her.

“We’ll go talk to the mirror, she knows everything,” smiled Myrtle.

“But wont this update affect her?” asked Ethel.

“Why should it, she’s a mirror, been around longer than any computer and doesn’t need an update, because she is perfect the way she is,” said Myrtle smiling at the mirror.

“You are supposed to say “Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all,”, but I like what you said, so we’ll skip that. How can I help you?” asked the Mirror.

“We are trying to find King Rufus and his computer expert Liam,” said Myrtle.

“And you are asking me instead of the computer,” said the Mirror.

“There are a lot of updates freezing the computer system,” said Ethel.

“The computer system is in danger of being corrupted,” said Myrtle. “Whilst we know that nothing and no one could corrupt you.”

“That sounds like you are buttering me up,” said the Mirror.

“We need answers and we know you can get them,” said Myrtle. “We wouldn’t bother you if it wasn’t important.”

“OK,” said the Mirror. “When Rufus became King he wasn’t really ready for the responsibility. His Valet suggested that, when things got too much he could go fishing, to help him relax. Rufus wasn’t that keen on the actual fishing bit, but the Valet said all he had to do was go out on the boat, he didn’t have to catch anything.”

“Wouldn’t he be seen going to the boat or something?” asked Ethel.

“The Valet told him of a secret way to get to the boat, down a hidden staircase, into a labyrinth, under the castle, through that to a hidden boat, he and Liam could then go fishing on the lake without anyone knowing about it,” the mirror explained.

“Surely it would be simple enough to look for a boat on the lake?” asked Myrtle.

“The Valet put the route to the boat on a map on Rufus’s mobile phone,” the mirror explained. “And Rufus was using the torch on the phone to find his way. Rufus and Liam both put their phones on charge at night, the valet slipped into their rooms and took them off charge. As the two were heading for the boat, the batteries died and they were stuck underground, in the dark in a labyrinth that goes on for miles.”

“And they are still there,” said Myrtle.

“Walking round and round in circles,” said the Mirror.

“All I have to do is find them in time for the conference,” Myrtle smiled.

“Might be an idea to give yourself a bit of time to make them presentable for the occasion,” said the Mirror. “It’s not exactly clean down there and some of those delegates will take insult from the least thing.”

“Thanks,” said Myrtle. “I’ll bare that in mind. How are you liking it here?”

“It’s nice seeing people coming and going,” said the Mirror. “But it would be nice if they stopped for a chat sometimes.”

“I’m along here a lot,” said Ethel. “It would be nice to have someone to talk to sometimes.”

“It would be nice to talk,” smiled the Mirror.

“I’d better go,” said Myrtle. “You know what it’s like, Kings to find, conferences to kick into action, Kingdoms to save.”

“Take care you don’t get lost,” said the Mirror as Myrtle waved her wand.

“If we had something to draw on the wall as we went along,” said Liam searching through his pockets for the umpteenth time.

“It wouldn’t make any difference,” said Rufus. “We can’t see the wall, let alone anything we drew on it.”

“I’m trying to think of a solution,” shouted Liam.

“I know,” said Rufus. “And I appreciate your effort. But it wont work. So if you could just keep quiet for a little while, perhaps one of us can think up something that might work. And before you say it, string is not a good idea either, nor is fishing line because we didn’t bring the fishing gear with us.”

“I knew I’d forgotten something,” said Liam, putting his hand out towards the wall. “There’s something warm here,” he added his hand coming into contact with Myrtle.

“I take it you are King Rufus and Liam?” asked Myrtle.

“Yes,” said King Rufus. “And who are you?”

“I am Myrtle, your Fairy Godmother,” she replied. “You can take your hand off me now,” she told Liam, turning up the wick on her storm lantern.

“And can you get us out of here?” asked Rufus.

“No sooner the word than the deed,” said Myrtle waving her wand.

“These are the King’s quarters,” said the Valet, opening a door for Violet and Rosemary to walk through and then slamming it shut behind them and locking it quickly.

“I don’t think these are the King’s quarters,” said Rosemary.

“And what gives you that idea?” asked Violet.

“It’s dark in here, I’ve just walked into a hoover and the place stinks of polish,” Rosemary replied.

“I agree with you,” said Violet. “This is much too small for the King’s quarters.”

Violet waved her wand, she and Rosemary arrived in the King’s quarters at the same time as Rufus, Liam and Myrtle.

“I get the feeling that the Valet is at the bottom of all of this,” said Myrtle.

The Fairy Godmother Part 103

“Ethel,” said Myrtle as soon as she appeared back in the office.

“Tell her the update has only just started, there is no way I can do anything with it for at least one day,” said Ethel slowly looking up.

“We told her that,” said Myrtle. “But that isn’t what I’m here about. Her phone’s died.”

“I sorted that out last week, there’s nothing wrong with it,” snapped Ethel.

“Except she couldn’t ring you,” said Myrtle.

“That shouldn’t happen,” Ethel replied trying to ring Violet.

“This number can not be found,” the phone explained.

“I suspect it is place related,” Myrtle replied.

“Do you think it is something to do with their computer system crashing?” Ethel asked.

“The King had a row with their computer person, they left, the computer system crashed and when the King started to sort it out, it got worse and now he’s gone fishing,” Myrtle explained.

“You think the computer person crashed the system?” asked Ethel.

“Everything points to that way,” said Myrtle. “But it doesn’t smell right. Violet’s phone not working does rather underline the whole thing.”

“I don’t understand?” said Ethel.

“If the phone system isn’t working, how come the Valet managed to call us for help?” Myrtle replied.

“Are Violet and Rosemary in any danger?” asked Ethel.

“I don’t think so, it’s like the Valet called them there to have a witness to something,” said Myrtle. “Can you locate either the King or Liam, that’s their computer person.”

“I should be able to,” said Ethel, turning to her laptop. “What the!”

The look of panic that crossed Ethel’s face caused Myrtle to wave her wand and put everything on pause.

“Looks like the computer failure is spreading,” thought Myrtle. “Or at least someone is making it spread,” she added winding the clock back to just before Ethel tried to find the King.

“You asked me to do something, I think,” said Ethel looking at her laptop.

“Can you protect our system from any computer bug that might come to it from their system?” asked Myrtle.

“Yes,” said Ethel, “But if I do that I wont be able to use our computer system to find out what is going wrong with theirs.”

“We wont be able to use our computer system if it crashes as well,” said Myrtle.

“Hadn’t thought of that,” said Ethel, redoubling her efforts to prevent any contagine.

“I think we will have to go old style to do that,” said Myrtle, heading for the Hall of the Fairy Council.

“What do you mean?” asked Ethel dashing after her.

“We’ll go talk to the mirror, she knows everything,” smiled Myrtle.

“But wont this update affect her?” asked Ethel.

“Why should it, she’s a mirror, been around longer than any computer and doesn’t need an update, because she is perfect the way she is,” said Myrtle smiling at the mirror.

“You are supposed to say “Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all,”, but I like what you said, so we’ll skip that. How can I help you?” asked the Mirror.

“We are trying to find King Rufus and his computer expert Liam,” said Myrtle.

“And you are asking me instead of the computer,” said the Mirror.

“There are a lot of updates freezing the computer system,” said Ethel.

“The computer system is in danger of being corrupted,” said Myrtle. “Whilst we know that nothing and no one could corrupt you.”

“That sounds like you are buttering me up,” said the Mirror.

“We need answers and we know you can get them,” said Myrtle. “We wouldn’t bother you if it wasn’t important.”

“OK,” said the Mirror. “When Rufus became King he wasn’t really ready for the responsibility. His Valet suggested that, when things got too much he could go fishing, to help him relax. Rufus wasn’t that keen on the actual fishing bit, but the Valet said all he had to do was go out on the boat, he didn’t have to catch anything.”

“Wouldn’t he be seen going to the boat or something?” asked Ethel.

“The Valet told him of a secret way to get to the boat, down a hidden staircase, into a labyrinth, under the castle, through that to a hidden boat, he and Liam could then go fishing on the lake without anyone knowing about it,” the mirror explained.

“Surely it would be simple enough to look for a boat on the lake?” asked Myrtle.

“The Valet put the route to the boat on a map on Rufus’s mobile phone,” the mirror explained. “And Rufus was using the torch on the phone to find his way. Rufus and Liam both put their phones on charge at night, the valet slipped into their rooms and took them off charge. As the two were heading for the boat, the batteries died and they were stuck underground, in the dark in a labyrinth that goes on for miles.”

“And they are still there,” said Myrtle.

“Walking round and round in circles,” said the Mirror.

“All I have to do is find them in time for the conference,” Myrtle smiled.

“Might be an idea to give yourself a bit of time to make them presentable for the occasion,” said the Mirror. “It’s not exactly clean down there and some of those delegates will take insult from the least thing.”

“Thanks,” said Myrtle. “I’ll bare that in mind. How are you liking it here?”

“It’s nice seeing people coming and going,” said the Mirror. “But it would be nice if they stopped for a chat sometimes.”

“I’m along here a lot,” said Ethel. “It would be nice to have someone to talk to sometimes.”

“It would be nice to talk,” smiled the Mirror.

“I’d better go,” said Myrtle. “You know what it’s like, Kings to find, conferences to kick into action, Kingdoms to save.”

“Take care you don’t get lost,” said the Mirror as Myrtle waved her wand.

“If we had something to draw on the wall as we went along,” said Liam searching through his pockets for the umpteenth time.

“It wouldn’t make any difference,” said Rufus. “We can’t see the wall, let alone anything we drew on it.”

“I’m trying to think of a solution,” shouted Liam.

“I know,” said Rufus. “And I appreciate your effort. But it wont work. So if you could just keep quiet for a little while, perhaps one of us can think up something that might work. And before you say it, string is not a good idea either, nor is fishing line because we didn’t bring the fishing gear with us.”

“I knew I’d forgotten something,” said Liam, putting his hand out towards the wall. “There’s something warm here,” he added his hand coming into contact with Myrtle.

“I take it you are King Rufus and Liam?” asked Myrtle.

“Yes,” said King Rufus. “And who are you?”

“I am Myrtle, your Fairy Godmother,” she replied. “You can take your hand off me now,” she told Liam, turning up the wick on her storm lantern.

“And can you get us out of here?” asked Rufus.

“No sooner the word than the deed,” said Myrtle waving her wand.

“These are the King’s quarters,” said the Valet, opening a door for Violet and Rosemary to walk through and then slamming it shut behind them and locking it quickly.

“I don’t think these are the King’s quarters,” said Rosemary.

“And what gives you that idea?” asked Violet.

“It’s dark in here, I’ve just walked into a hoover and the place stinks of polish,” Rosemary replied.

“I agree with you,” said Violet. “This is much too small for the King’s quarters.”

Violet waved her wand, she and Rosemary arrived in the King’s quarters at the same time as Rufus, Liam and Myrtle.

“I get the feeling that the Valet is at the bottom of all of this,” said Myrtle.

“Makes a change from the Butler,” said Rosemary.

“He walked out after a row with the Valet, I’ve been trying to get a replacement to no avail,” said King Rufus.

By Janice Nye © 2021

“Makes a change from the Butler,” said Rosemary.

“He walked out after a row with the Valet, I’ve been trying to get a replacement to no avail,” said King Rufus.

By Janice Nye © 2021