“If you wanted our attention why didn’t you just tell King Rufus’s Fairy Godmother?” asked the Head of the Fairy Council.
“I didn’t know how long it would take for them to pass the message along,” Liam replied. “And I don’t like waiting.”
“Or you could have just contacted us direct,” the Head of the Fairy Council continued.
“I don’t like to choose the logical route,” Liam smiled, like he knew something they didn’t.
“So why did you want to contact us?” asked the Head of the Fairy Council.
“Such a nice room this,” Liam replied, looking round it as if he was considering buying it.
“It isn’t the easiest of rooms to dust,” said the Head of the Fairy Council. “You haven’t answered my question. Why did you want to contact us?”
“No so quick, I like to savour my conquests,” Liam smiled.
“Conquests? We summoned you here,” replied the Head of the Fairy Council. “Hardly the act on a conquered people.”
“Try to use your computer, you will find that I have locked up you system so tight that you can only use it with my consent and if you don’t agree to me taking you over in, I’ll give you 24 hours, then everything will crash. I’ve been looking at your systems and I know just how much you will be left with, without them,” Liam laughed. “You have 24 hours and I’d like some decent accommodation whilst I await your decision or those hours may change into minutes.”
“We could put him in the Royal Suite,” suggested one of the councillors.
“Has it been cleaned since the last visitor?” asked another Councillor.
“Yes,” said the first Councillor. “The cleaning staff were most vocal about their thoughts on that guest, it took them a day just to clear out the rubbish.”
“Rubbish!” said the Head of the Fairy Council.
“They trashed most of the furniture!” the Councillor replied.
“Make a note not to invite them back again,” said the Head of the Fairy Council.
“Ladies,” said Liam. “I think you are getting side tracked. If the suite is clean, I’ll take a look at it. If it isn’t up to standard, I’m sure you can sort that out.”
“Of course,” said the Head of the Fairy Council. “Guards, could you accompany him to the Royal Suite.”
“Yes Ma'am,” said the Guard, bowing stiffly.
“Aren’t you going to take me?” Liam asked.
“You have left us with a lot to debate,” the Head of the Fairy Council replied. “I’m sure you would want us to spend all our time on making sure you get your answer sooner rather than later.”
“Of course,” smiled Liam. “You don’t want me to get board with waiting.”
“We would hate to detain you,” said the Head of the Fairy Council, waving to the guard.
“If you would come this way Sir,” said the Guard.
“Remember, I get board quickly,” said Liam as he followed the Guards out of the door.
“Should we send someone along to entertain him?” asked one of the Councillors, the others turned to look at her.
“We could send the mime artist down there,” said another.
“He’s been in therapy since the Royal visit,” said the Councillor sitting at the end of the table.
“What’s wrong with him?” asked the Council secretary.
“No one knows, he wont come out of the box he’s in, we think he can’t or wont find the way out, hard to tell, he wont talk,” the Councillor replied.
“The juggler?” asked another Councillor.
“He said he’d lost his balls, that’s why the mime artist was sent to entertain last time,” the Councillor replied.
“I think we’d better send him some food and think quickly,” said the Head of the Fairy Council.
“Enid,” said Myrtle, watching the Council Hall from the relative safety of the mirror. “When was your laptop last updated?”
“Two or three years back,” said Enid, looking at the ceiling.
“Are you sure?” asked Myrtle.
“OK, it was ten years ago,” Enid snapped. “I just haven’t got round to it.”
“Good,” said Myrtle.
“And do you work on the Fairy network?” Myrtle asked the Mirror.
“There was some talk of it, when I first came here,” said the Mirror. “But nothing ever happened. I’m still on the old Mirror network. Why.”
“We may have a way of getting round what he has done,” replied Myrtle. “The problem is that normally we would go to Ethel to sort out anything computer related.”
“Only she’s been compromised,” said Enid.
“Exactly,” said Myrtle.
“So you need a computer nerd who isn’t Ethel?” asked the Mirror.
“Yes,” said Myrtle.
“Maud, from the cafe, has employed one to make sure her orders don’t go astray,” said the Mirror.
“How do you feel about a quick walk down to the cafe?” asked Myrtle.
“Why don’t we just wand it?” asked Enid.
“They may be able to track us through the wands,” said Myrtle, looking at her wand. “Might be an idea not to have then with us.”
“I could send them both to my rooms,” said Enid.
“Good idea,” said Myrtle as the wands vanished.
“It feels odd,” said Enid. “Not having my wand with me.”
“Now you know how I felt when Lily took my wand away,” said Myrtle.
“I didn’t think I would feel so,” Enid paused trying to find a word to describe how she felt.
“Vulnerable?” suggested Myrtle.
“That’s the word,” said Enid.
“You’ll get used to it,” said Myrtle. “Any way, lets get to the cafe and see what we can do to expedite the whole thing and get back to normal.”
“I don’t see how my laptop is going to help,” said Enid.
“It might help us locate what he has put on the system,” Myrtle tried to explain. “It’ll be what isn’t on your laptop.”
“But there could be lots of things that aren’t on my laptop,” said Enid.
“True, but we will have some idea as to where to start,” smiled Myrtle opening the door to the cafe and feeling very glad that the morning sickness had passed.
“Are you OK?” asked Enid.
“Just hungry,” sighed Myrtle.
“What ever you want is on the house,” said Maud dashing up to them.
“We need the help of your computer person,” said Maud smiling. “And chips. I really want some chips.”
“Would you like to come into the back,” said Maud, looking at the Mirror. “I suspect this is Fairy Godmother business and you wont want everyone knowing about it.”
“You will have a long and prosperous life,” the Mirror smiled and Maud.
“That’s very nice to know,” said Maud. “Would you like some chips as well?”
“I don’t eat,” said the Mirror. “But I can appreciate the look and smell of your work.”
“Thank-you,” said Maud.
“Thank-you,” said Enid.
“This way,” said Maud. “I’ll send Mavis in with the chips and she can help with the computer stuff.”
“Thank-you,” said Myrtle.
By Janice Nye © 2021
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