Catweazle

Dad to hear what they say
behind his back. He’d soon chuck ’em out. Sam says Mrs Skinner reminds him of a
horse his father had. He said they had to shoot it,’
    ‘Evil
oft wears a smile. Let us plague them with Demons.’ Catweazle pushed Touchwood
off the book and began looking for a suitable spell.
    ‘I
think the demons would get the worst of it,’ said Carrot bitterly. ‘I’d better
get back. Look after Touchwood.’
    ‘Thou
art changed, my brother,’ said Catweazle, looking at him intently.
    ‘No,
not really,’ said Carrot. ‘It’s just that, well, I can’t come to see you so
often. The holidays are over now.’ Catweazle sighed. ‘Soon I must garner the
nuts and prepare for the Long Sleep,’ he said.
    ‘You
mean you’re going to hibernate?’ said Carrot.
    ‘I know
of no way, no spell to carry me back to mine own time. I choke in this unknown
world, a fish out of water,’ said Catweazle, who was feeling very sorry for
himself.
    ‘Look,
I’ll try and come tomorrow,’ said Carrot.
    ‘Thou
wilt bring the curved fruit - the bananas?’
    ‘If I can
make it. I’m in trouble with Dad, you see,’ Suddenly, Catweazle’s thumbs
pricked violently as Arthur began to climb the ladder below. He grabbed
    Touchwood
and hid under his bed of straw, like a fox going to earth, just as Arthur’s
head appeared at the inspection hole.
    ‘I said
I’d find it didn’t I, Eddie?’ he grinned.
    ‘If you
come in here, Arthur,’ warned Carrot, ‘I’ll give you a thumping you’ll never
forget.’
    ‘Don’t
you worry,’ jeered Arthur. ‘I ain’t coming in. I’m going back to the farm to
tell your Dad all about it. This is the end of your little hideout, mate,’ and
he laughed as he began to climb down again.
    There
was a pause and then Catweazle emerged from the straw, his old joints cracking.
The two of them looked apprehensively at each other.
    ‘What
are we going to do?’ said Carrot.
    ‘Fear
not,’ said Catweazle grimly. ‘Thou and I shall draw his venom.’
    ‘But
Catweazle - ’
    ‘Go,’
ordered Catweazle. ‘Remember thy oath. Say nothing of me and on the morrow we
will be revenged.’
    It was
useless to argue, so Carrot went home to the worst dressing down he had ever
had from his father, while the Skinners stood by, hardly bothering to conceal
their pleasure.
    ‘Not
only were you trespassing,’ stormed Mr Bennet, ‘but you could easily have been
killed. That tower is not safe. You’re lucky it didn’t collapse around you.
From now on, as far as you’re concerned, those woods are out of bounds.’
    The
next day, before breakfast, Mr Bennet told Sam all about it while Carrot stood
by, red-faced and unhappy.
    ‘There’s
a reel of barbed-wire somewhere,’ said Sam. ‘If I wind it all round the ladder
an’ all, no one’ll be able to get up there.’
    ‘Good
idea,’ said Mr Bennet as he drove the tractor off to the turkey pens with
Arthur sitting triumphantly beside him.
    ‘Thought
you’d got more sense,’ said Sam. All the same, he shouldn’t have told on you
like that.’
    ‘Do you
have to do it now, Sam?’ said Carrot desperately, following him into the barn.
    ‘The
sooner the better, I reckon,’ said Sam, glancing around. ‘No it ain’t in here,’
and he went out leaving Carrot wondering miserably what would happen to
Catweazle.
    There
was a croak behind him. It was Touchwood! Carrot found him behind the bales of
straw watching Catweazle, who was kneeling on the ground carefully stirring a
milk bottle full of a brackish looking mixture.
    ‘Thank
goodness you’re here!’ said Carrot.
    ‘I am
come for our revenge,’ said Catweazle, busily stirring away. ‘Where is the
young snake?’
    ‘He’s
helping Dad. And his Mum’s getting breakfast ready. What’s that stuff?’ asked
Carrot looking at the milk bottle.
    ‘ ’Tis
the Wisdom of Solomon,’ said Catweazle, his eyes glittering mysteriously. ‘Give
them a drink of this and thy father shall see them as they are. They shall
speak from their black hearts.’
    ‘Pongs
a bit,’ sniffed Carrot. ‘Sure it’s not poisonous?’
    ‘
’Twill draw out their poison,’ said Catweazle, picking up a sack containing his
magical belongings. ‘Now I shall return to my castle.’
    ‘But
you can’t!’ said Carrot. ‘Sam’s going to put barbed-wire all over the ladder. It’s
sort of iron thorns,’ he explained hurriedly.
    ‘Men
make iron thorns?’ said Catweazle.
    ‘That’s
right. So now you can