Tibbs lay stretched out on the front room window sill at Malkin Tower gazing out over Pendle Hill, its frosting of ice crystals giving it the appearance of a giant wedding cake. He watched Alizon walking up the path towards the front door; she was enjoying scrunching up the ice in the puddles beneath her black boots.
Demdike sat snoring in front of the fire as usual; it was her favourite place for spending the long cold winter months. She stirred as Alizon clattered in through the door, throwing her cloak across the back of a chair and struggling to cast her boots off so she could warm her chilled toes in front of the fire.
‘W’er you bin?’ Grumbled Demdike, disturbed from her dreams.
‘Bin to London,’ answered Alizon, twinkling her toes in the warmth from the fire.
‘London eh, whatever for?’
‘Folk ‘av bin askin us to sort out this credit crunch business; sum as are losin ther jobs n homes n all and sum ar worser n that even.’
Tibbs stretched out his paws and jumped down off the window sill to come and curl up on Alizon’s lap.
Demdike sat up and leaned forward to stir the pot of onion soup simmering away on it’s cradle in the fireplace. She gave Alizon a quizzical look and settled back in her chair. ‘What av you done?’ She asked suspiciously.
‘Is that soup done?’ Asked Alizon, avoiding the question; Demdike did not always approve of Alizon’s witchcraft: it was too modern for her tastes…. too… method school.
‘No,’ answered Demdike ‘now, what’ve you done girl?’
‘Well...I..er…..oh, not much, really. Just tinkering, really.’
‘And……?’
‘Well, just sort or rearranging the government a bit, that’s all.’
‘How, exactly?’
Alizon decided that it was useless to avoide Demdike’s questions: they would go on and on and on, all night if needs be, till the truth came out.
‘Er…..well, I sent Gordon and Alastair away for the weekend.’
‘Oh, good grief…..where to?’
‘More…er… sort of when and where to, really’
‘C’mon girl.’ Demdike gave her a sharp look. ‘Where, when?’
‘Oh, medieval England, about 1263, give or take. Sherwood Forest to be precise. I gave Robin and Alan a Dale the weekend off. Be good if they bump into the oak dragon, don’t you think?’
Somewhere in Sherwood, 1263, give or take…….“Kind gentlemen and yeomen good
Come in and drink with Robin Hood.
If Robin Hood he be agone
Come in and sup with Gordon Brown.” ..(?..no idea)
“No! those days are gone away
And their hours are old and gray,
And their minutes buried all
Under the down-trodden pall”“Though their days have hurried by
Let us two a burden try.”…(Keats….no?)Gordon: You look good in those tights, Darling.
Alastaire: Thanks.
Gordon: And what’s with those eyebrows? Bet they’re a chick magnet.
Alastaire: Sometimes. What are we doing here?
Gordon: *shrugs*
Alastaire: What shall we do about this economic downturn?
Gordon: I know, how about we rob from the rich AND the poor and give it to the banks instead?
Alastaire: Yeah, that'll work. How do you do that thing you do with your chin?
……meanwhile, back in Malkin TowerA pall of golden light spreads across Pendle Hill as the sun begins to set.
Demdike chuckles heartily. ‘For once, Alizon, m’dear, you’ve excelled yourself.’ She ladles some steaming onion soup into Alizon’s bowl and hands it to her.
‘Got any good ideas for Cameron?’
‘Hmmmm’
