Catweazle

Catweazle fell on his knees, covering his eyes, but
after a moment he slowly took his hands away from his face and screwing up his
eyes, blinked at the light hanging from the roof of the barn. Then, turning to
Carrot, he bowed low in obeisance.
    ‘Master!’ he whispered.
    ‘Eh?’ said Carrot.
    ‘Let me serve thee!’
    ‘What!’
    ‘Teach me thy electrickery - that I may do it.’
    ‘Do what?’ said Carrot.
    ‘Put the sun in a bottle,’ said Catweazle, pointing up at the
light-bulb.
    Carrot helped the old man to his feet and took him over to the switch.
‘Look,’ he said, putting his finger on it. ‘It’s electricity,’ and he switched the
light off and on again a few times while Catweazle stood amazed at the power of
the young magician.

    Back in the farmhouse, Sam was looking for Carrot. Trying to get a
better picture on the television set, he had twiddled the knobs until he had
lost it altogether. When he went into the kitchen he saw the barn light
flashing on and off, on and off, across the dark farmyard. In the barn,
Catweazle, mastering his fear, was happily playing with the light switch.
    ‘What’s Carrot playin’ at?’ muttered Sam, and left the house to
investigate.
    ‘All right,’ said Carrot, ‘that’s enough. Here’s your food,’ and he held
out the carrier bag. Catweazle was about to take it when he stopped and drew
back, looking towards the door.
    ‘My thumbs are pricking,’ he said. ‘Someone comes!’ and, running into a
dark corner, he hid behind a pile of turkey crates.
    Seconds later, Sam poked his head round the door. ‘What are you playin’
at?’ he said, as Carrot hid the carrier behind him.
    ‘Practising Morse,’ he replied. ‘I thought you were watching the telly?’
    ‘Picture’s gone wrong,’ said Sam rather shamefacedly, knowing it was his
fault. ‘Can you fix it?’
    ‘Think so,’ said Carrot.
    ‘Well come on then. We’re missin’ it,’ and before Carrot could do
anything, Sam pushed him out of the barn in front of him.
    Catweazle listened to the receding footsteps and then, drawn by the
smell of the food, he sniffed his way out of the barn, and careful not to be
seen, followed them across the yard.
    Carrot hurriedly adjusted the television in the sitting-room and Sam
once more settled down utterly absorbed as the racing cars snarled by on the
screen. He didn’t even notice Carrot slip out of the room behind him, and run
softly back to the kitchen, where he found Catweazle, looking round in
bewilderment.
    ‘I told you to stay in the barn,’ Carrot whispered putting a chair
against the door as a barricade.
    ‘I starve,’ said Catweazle.
    ‘O.K.’ said Carrot, ‘but you’ll have to be quick,’ and he retrieved the
food from the scullery.

    Catweazle sat down and began to wolf the sandwiches while Carrot watched
him. Chewing and swallowing at the same time he stuffed the food into his mouth
with both hands.
    ‘You are hungry, aren’t you?’ said Carrot with some surprise.
‘Would you like some orange juice?’
    Catweazle, who had never heard of orange juice, gulped down another
sandwich.‘I know not,’he mumbled through the bread and cheese.
    Carrot brought him a glass. ‘Try it,’ he said. ‘It’s jolly good.’
    Catweazle eyed it for a moment and then took a huge mouthful. Rising
quickly, he spat it out all over the table. Shouldst thou seek to poison me,’
he said, trembling w ith rage and fear,‘I will call up Demons to
destroy thee!’
    ‘You’re crackers,’ said Carrot, backing away.
    ‘Nay, I am Catweazle,’ the magician corrected.
    ‘Who?’
    ‘Catweazle,’ the old man repeated. ‘Hear me, young sorcerer. I come from
the time when this land was conquered by William of Normandy.’
    The ‘young sorcerer’ seemed unimpressed.
    ‘You will tell no one?’ Catweazle went on.
    ‘No. Of course not,’ said Carrot, anxious not to offend him.
    ‘You must swear it. By Adamcos,’ said Catweazle, drawing his ceremonial
knife.
    ‘Crumbs! What’s that?’ asked Carrot, very taken with the knife.
    ‘ ’Tis my witch knife, Adamcos. Sacred to Hecate,’ explained Catweazle,
puzzled that the young magician should find such elementary magic hard to
understand.
    He held it up in front of Carrot’s face and moved it slowly from side to
side.
    ‘I swear,’ intoned Catweazle.
    ‘I swear,’ repeated Carrot.
    ‘By the Spirits of the Brazen Vessel,’ the old magician continued.
    ‘By the Spirits of the Brazen Vessel -