CHAPTER 16
Returning to the Cottage, Alice asked him if he was going to take her down to the haberdashery as there was still time, she also needed to get some things for the coming birth and for Sophie.
“Come then Alice lets be on our way and see if we can’t get all these things organised and seen to in one day,” then turning to Sophie he asked.
“Are you well Sophie?”
“Aint never felt better.”
“We shouldn’t be too long,” Having said that he took Alice by the hand.
It didn’t take them long to reach the Haberdashery.
Wizzo tried to make himself inconspicuous. This was made almost impossible because of the amount of ladies coming and going and very often pushing past him in their haste to get from one end of this large establishment to the other with either bolts of material, large wicker baskets, or perambulators with more often than not hungry howling children in then. He hoped that Sophie’s little one would not turn out to be this way inclined. He soon realized why it was that all the ladies with children were passing on this side. There was a young woman carrying a child on the other side of the shop, the child without a doubt had the whooping cough, he made his way over to her.
“Madam, excuse me, but I couldn’t help but notice that your child suffers from the whooping cough,” he then took from inside his cloak a small stone jar. “One teaspoon in the morning and one at night should see the little fellow regain his health,” she was looking up into his honest eyes and without realizing it reached out and took the precious jar in her hand.
“How much?” was all she could say.
“No charge madam, none at all, but remember these instructions. One teaspoon in the morning and one at night and above all shake the jar well before each use. I would also advise you to get the little fellow home and make sure that he is kept warm otherwise you will without a doubt lose him. Now then off you go and do as I say.” He watched the young lady hurriedly leave clutching the precious jar. A well-dressed sharp faced lady seemingly of some distinction seeing what had taken place came over to him.
“I do not wish to seem impertinent, but do you know that lady Sir?”
“I have no idea who she was madam.”
“Am I right in thinking that you gave that woman a tonic for her child?”
“You understand correctly madam.”
“Are you a physician, or perhaps a surgeon Sir?”
“I consider myself to be somewhat of a healer madam.”
“And am I correct in thinking that no coinage changed hands Sir?” she said this with a noticeable frown on her face.
“Again you are indeed correct madam,” Wizzo already knew in his mind what the next question would be but said nothing as he could now see Alice working her way towards him carrying a cloth bag that she had purchased so as to be able to carry everything.
“Had you enough coinage Alice?” he called out to her.
“Yes Wizzo and plenty to spare” he had given her two of his sovereigns.
“Alice this dear lady wishes to know whether the potion that you observed me give to the young lady will cure the child of its affliction?” Alice assuming a tone of arrogance said.
“If it doesn’t, nothing will,”
“You mean it will actually cure the child?” asked the woman. Alice looked at her with some surprise.
“Course it will lady, he’ll be as right as rain he will, you see if he ain’t, this gentleman looks after little ones he does.” Wizzo took Alice gently by the arm.
“Come then Alice we must be off, you’d best let me carry that for you, it looks rather heavy, now then where do we need to go next?”
“Just up the road a short way, Sophie needs some undergarments and the little one will need something to keep him warm when he arrives.”
“While you’re there Alice, get yourself some undergarments, do you think that three sets each will do?”
“Don’t know, I never had the privilege of wearing such things,” she said laughing.
“Best make it three sets each then Alice. --- Don’t look round now but were being followed,” she couldn’t resist it and looked behind her.
“It’s that woman from the haberdashery, she tried hiding behind that fellow when I looked round, what’s she doing following us?”
“How far have we to go Alice?”
“It’s here,” they were now standing outside a large milliners, he offered her another sovereign.
“Will that be enough?” she pushed his hand away and at the same time opened her other hand.
“I still got plenty Wizzo, don’t need any more.”
“Off you go then Alice, I’ll wait out here for you,” he said this with a cheeky look on his face and at the same time glancing up the road to where the lady after seeing them stop was now attempting to hide in a shop doorway.
“What ya going to do with her Wizzo?”
“I haven’t made up my mind yet Alice, there were all sorts of thoughts going through that ladies mind and I wasn’t able to sort them out, you go inside and let’s see what happens.” Wizzo walked down towards the lady, she stepped out of the doorway to face him.
“Can I help you in anyway madam, you seem to be most concerned about something?”
“It is simply this Sir. I know that there is no known cure for whooping cough and many children die of it. You see my husband is a physician, so by telling that poor woman that what you gave her would cure the child would be most misleading under any circumstances, what I don’t understand is why did you not charge her for your services, such as they were?”
“Normally I don’t, --- the rich pay for my services madam the poor do not.”
“She wasn’t poor by any means Sir.”
“In my eyes she was, by chance do you know the lady madam?”
“I’ve seen her before.”
“Then if you perchance see her again you must ask her if the tonic that was so freely given affected a cure, now I must bid you good day”. Wizzo not really wanting to continue the conversation turned and left the lady.
On reaching the millinery shop and to his relief Alice was now coming out carrying another cloth bag, “Alice I thought that a millinery shop sold only hats?”
“They sell everything in there they do, you should ave got yourself a new shirt, that one’s looking a bit rough round the collar if you don’t mind me sayin so.”
“Later perhaps, now let’s be off, that dreadful woman’s coming this way again, have you got everything that you need?”
“I think so;” she at the same time looking back at the approaching woman. He took her and about two shops up they found a convenient alleyway, a few steps inside it, his cloak went around her and they were gone.
Sophie was most exited on their return and wanted to know where they had been, what did they do, and what had she bought. Wizzo was too tired to listen so he made himself comfortable in his chair. After a glass of portage he dozed off leaving the ladies to sort everything out.
Alice woke him sometime later with a good meal, after that the two ladies busied themselves tearing apart and remaking little James his Jackets and breaches.
The next day, Alice informed Wizzo that they had run out of cheese, meat, and vegetables.
“Then we’d best go down to the Covent Garden markets Alice, I’ll go and harness High Hopes up to the Dogcart, he’s in need of a run out.”
“Ain’t they’re no markets closer Wizzo?” asked Sophie not wanting to be left alone.
“I’m afraid not Sophie and anyway High Hopes will be happy to take us there. Don’t you feel well Sophie?”
“It’s getting near me time Wizzo!”
“In that case I’ll go and get what we need and Alice can stay here with you,” Sophie liked that idea much better. Before he left he made sure that there was plenty of fruit for them, Pee Wee wanted to know if he could come with him as he’d never seen London before.
“I’ll have to put my cloak around you Peewee
--- and you’ll have to stay in the Dogcart or you may get trampled on;” Peewee was now jumping up and down with excitement.
“I won’t get out, I promise!”
“Very well then my little friend, let’s go and see what London has to offer us in the way of entertainment,” Pee Wee ran up to him waiting to be picked up, Wizzo turned to the ladies.
“Is there anything of a special nature that you good ladies would like me to bring back in the way of food?”
“Some candy Wizzo, if it ain’t too much to ask?”
“Candy it is then Sophie, would you like anything Alice?”
“A pumpkin Wizzo, a big one, I can do all sorts with a pumpkin.”
“A pumpkin sounds like an excellent idea Alice; I’ll get four they should last us for a while.”
“If you're going to get four, make sure at least three has the storks left on them, that way they’ll keep for a while.”
“Now that you mention it, I seem to remember something about that,” he picked Peewee up. “
I suppose there’s no strawberries, --- I got a terrible fancy for strawberries Wizzo” said Sophie.
“Strawberries indeed;” Wizzo had never tasted a strawberry before, they had never appealed to him, “I’ll see what we can do Sophie.”
Wizzo and Peewee spent most of the day in and around London. It was cold but the sun was shining, the snow clouds had disappeared, the wind had decided to rest so in all it was quite pleasant day. They had procured all their groceries and were about to set off for home. Peewee had concealed himself inside Wizzo’s cloak for most of the time and all you could see of him was a little inquisitive face, being full of curiosity he wanted to know about everything and anything. He spotted a Dwarf doing a juggling act on the sidewalk.
“Stop! Wizzo stop! There’s a shrunken giant, can I talk to him?”
“Sorry to disappoint you Peewee but they’re ordinary people who for some reason don’t grow; they’re called Dwarfs or midgets.”
“Are there others, I mean ladies of the same size, or even smaller?” he said, getting excited with the prospects of it.
“They would be too big for you I’m afraid Peewee, they’re normally in circuses, or fun fairs, I’ve met a few of them in my travels, ---- most of them have ladies, they tell me that it’s a good life, to them size doesn’t make much difference.”
“There’s a lot of them?” asked Peewee excitedly, Wizzo pulled on High Hopes reins and they stopped to watch.
“I’ve never seen one smaller than him Peewee;” Wizzo took a silver piece from his money pouch and beckoned the Dwarf over, on seeing the silver coin he moved fast for such a little person. Wizzo leaned down and was about to hand him the coin but instead asked him.
“I have a friend who wants to know, just how tall the smallest lady that you know of is?” the Dwarf seemed somewhat surprised at the question. Wizzo held up the silver piece.
“As far as I know, the smallest lady in the world is a girl named Abby, she’s two feet nine inches tall and lives somewhere in France.”
“You see Peewee I told you they were all too big;” the Dwarf was staring at the face he could just see under Wizzo’s cloak.
“Hey little fellow come on out, lets ave a look at ya;” Wizzo reluctantly opened his cloak.
“Blimey! You’re a wonder you are; you could make a bloomin fortune you could, you got to be the smallest man in the whole world you ave!”
“What does he mean Wizzo?”
“I’ll explain later Pee Wee.” We enjoyed your act, and we thank you for your information,” Wizzo handed him the three penny piece, the little fellow stepped back and touched his cap, Wizzo clicked the reins and they set off at a brisk pace.
“I think we’ll turn for home Pee Wee, I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
On their arrival back at the Cottage they found that Alice and Sophie had already finished one of the suits for James, he was now looking very smart indeed. As soon as he saw Peewee he ran up to him wanting to play their favorite game of hide and go seek.
“Not in them clothes you don’t, thems for going out to town in,” Alice said knowing that these two got up to all kinds of mischief around the place. James with a cheeky look on his face was off and running, much to the delight of Peewee who was doing his best to encourage him to run faster. Alice after chasing him three times around the room managed to catch him. She undressed him, slipped his robe over his head and while he was completely inside and unable to see, she tickled him, this made him roll around all over the floor trying to get away. Peewee had in the meantime climbed up on his stool and was informing James as to which way he could make his escape, James of course couldn’t understand a word he was saying and could only go by the sound of laughter coming from the rest of them. He almost made his escape under the table, only to be dragged out by his feet; Peewee was jumping up and down and laughing so much he almost toppled off the stool. Alice realizing that it had gone far enough so with a friendly slap on James’s backside, sent the two of them off to play.
“If you two are going out to them stables, make sure you put something warm on!” She looked at Wizzo, “There’s no telling what them two get up too.”
“Boys will be boys Alice;”
“That Peewee certainly ain’t no boy.”
“I think that’s because he’s trying to get over the loss of Athermine. He mentioned her today, he’s still very sad about his loss and what happened,” looking thoughtful he added, “only time will tell Alice, only time will tell;” he turned to Sophie, “Everything alright Sophie, are you feeling well?”
“Good as gold Wizzo, especially after them strawberries ya bought me.”
“I’m pleased that you enjoyed them.” --- It should all happen on the stroke of midnight Sophie, I think I’d best go and prepare the room.” He went upstairs.
Somehow he didn’t believe everything that Shealther had said about a Dragon Queen or maybe it was that he really didn’t want to believe it. He thought it might just be possible that the child Sophie was going to have might not only be the Dragon Queen but his long awaited apprentice as well. If it was a girl, he would have to make all the necessary arrangements just in case she was the one.
On entering Sophie’s room, he removed all the bedding and furniture, sending it one after the other floating off down the hallway into another room. He then marked a pentagon of exact dimensions on the floor, this was then enclosed by a perfect circle. At the five points of the pentagon he placed gold chalices filled with the purest of water, over each of these he spent some time casting spells and muttering incantations. This was a very important time for him, everything had to be carried out in a precise manner.
He hadn’t as yet informed the two ladies that they would need to wear the special garments that he had. These had been passed down from Wizard to Wizard and were fashioned long ago by the Atlantianes. They were made of a material that neither age, nor the passage of time had any effect, these he laid out carefully on his bed in his room.
By the time he had finished, it was approaching seven o’clock. It was already dark outside; he sealed the window and the chimney with a spell, and then closed the drapes. He then placed four glowing orbs about the room to give it sufficient light, the smoke from candles wasn’t welcome at this time, satisfied with his work he went back down stairs.
Alice who at this time could not sit still for two minutes without finding something or other to do had prepared food for them all. When they had finished eating he told them about the special garments they had to wear and exactly what they had to do. He also told them about the positions that they would need to be in regarding the pentagon, he asked Pee Wee to look after James who by this time was curled up in front of the fire asleep. When he had organized everything to his satisfaction they all sat and waited for the event to unfold.