Catweazle

with his tea while Mr Bennet looked at
Carrot. ‘You’ll have to do something about your temper, my lad,’ he said.
    ‘I
found it really,’ Arthur went on maliciously. ‘But Eddie’s given me his
telescope for it.’
    ‘What?’
said Mr Bennet.
    ‘Yes,’
said Arthur, rubbing it in. ‘And ten bob.’
    ‘What?
For a toad?’ said Mr Bennet. Carrot nodded miserably.
    ‘Whatever
for?’
    ‘Just
didn’t want me to have it, did you Eddie?’
    Carrot
could contain himself no longer. He leapt to his feet, and grabbed Arthur and
the two of them crashed to the floor, rolling over and over. Mr Bennet managed
to pull them apart.
    ‘Go to
your room,’ he ordered Carrot.
    Carrot
marched out, unrepentant, with a final murderous glance at Arthur.
    ‘Are
you all right, dear?’ said Mrs Skinner, kneeling over Arthur, who was
pretending to be badly hurt.
    ‘Yes,
Mum, I think so,’ he said bravely.
    ‘I
can’t have your son bullying my Arthur,’ said Mrs Skinner looking up at Mr
Bennet. ‘He’s not strong.’
    ‘He
won’t, Mrs Skinner,’ said Mr Bennet, infuriated by Carrot’s behaviour. ‘I can
promise you that.’
    Arthur
got unsteadily to his feet. ‘I’d better find out why I’ve upset him,’ he said
as he left the room.
    ‘He’s
got such a forgiving nature,’ said Mrs Skinner. ‘Takes after me of course.
We’re all very sensitive in my family, you know, especially my brother. Mind
you, we
    don’t
go to see poor Sid very often now. Was the black pudding all right?’
    ‘What?
Oh yes. Fine, fine,’ said Mr Bennet still worried about Carrot’s outburst.
    ‘I
don’t think we can stay if there was going to be any more trouble.’
    ‘Don’t worry,
Mrs Skinner,’ said Mr Bennet anxiously, ‘Carrot’s just got to learn a bit of
give and take, that’s all.’
    Upstairs,
Arthur poked his head round Carrot’s bedroom door. ‘I’ve come for my
telescope,’ he said, ‘and the ten bob.’ Carrot gave them to him without a word.
    ‘What
are you going to do with the frog?’ asked Arthur inquisitively.
    ‘That’s
my business,’ said Carrot.
    ‘Taking
it to your hideout?’ asked Arthur casually. Carrot looked up sharply. ‘What
d’you mean?’ he said.
    ‘In the
woods somewhere ain’t it?’ pressed Arthur.
    ‘I
haven’t got a hideout,’ said Carrot.
    ‘Oh yes
you have. Sam said you was always going off somewhere in the holidays.’
    ‘You’ve
got the telescope,’ said Carrot. ‘Now get out.’ ‘O.K. mate,’ said Arthur going
to the door. ‘I can take a hint. But I’ll find it, you see if I don’t.’
    Carrot
sat for a long time wondering how he could get Touchwood back to his master
without Arthur following him. He hadn’t dared visit Castle Saburac since the
Skinners had come to the farm but now he simply had to risk it. He emptied his
satchel, put Touchwood carefully inside, and climbed swiftly down the creeper
which grew outside his bedroom window. He ran to his bike and pedalled off up
the lane, glancing behind to make sure Arthur wasn’t following. He did’ not
know that a thin trail of sugar was beginning to trickle from a small hole in
his saddle-bag.
    As
Carrot went out of sight, Arthur, who had been hiding near the bikes, set off
in pursuit, following his cunningly prepared trail.
    Carrot,
quite unaware that he was being followed, reached Castle Saburac and with a
final look round, climbed up to the water tank.
    Catweazle
sat in his magic circle eating blackberries. His thumbs had been pricking for
some minutes, so he was not surprised to see Carrot.

    ‘Thou
crawling belly-ache!’ said Catweazle reprovingly, as he took the toad in his
bony fingers. ‘Why did’st thou stray?’
    ‘He was
at the farm,’ said Carrot, ‘You owe me ten bob and a telescope.’
    Touchwood
croaked almost apologetically and crawled on to Rapkyn’s book.
    ‘If he
wanders off again,’ said Carrot, ‘you’d better get him a lead.’
    ‘Where
hast thou been?’
    ‘Well
school’s started again you see,’ said Carrot.
    ‘Hast
thou brought fire sticks?’ ‘You never listen,’ said Carrot. ‘School’s started
again, and we’ve got the Skinners.’
    ‘ ’Tis
a plague?’ said Catweazle, drawing back in alarm.
    ‘I’ll
say! I only wish I could get rid of it,’
    ‘Hast
thou no cure?’
    ‘It’s people, Catweazle,’
    ‘Ah,’
said the old man, shaking his head, ‘there is no cure for people.’
    Carrot
explained about Arthur and his mother. ‘I’d just like