As Aiden ambled along one of the quiet country roads that led out of town, he was reminded how extraordinarily clean the air smelled here, and that was something he’d noticed as soon as he’d arrived. On the right hand side of the road, tall hedges provided a jagged barrier to lush, verdant fields that stretched for miles. He also noticed that the grass seemed to be a much darker shade of green here, as if it were also cleaner, more alive.
Managing to work his way through a hole in the hedge without ripping his clothes, he bent down and laid his hand on the grass; it was warm and soft to the touch, its smell fresh and vibrant in his nose. There was a large oak tree nearby and its leafy branches reached out wide from its huge trunk, offering a protective canopy for anything that wished to nestle below.
‘That’s the beggar, over there,’ Half-blind Ron said, from behind the tree. ‘He’s changed his clothes but I’d recognise that bloody hair anywhere. What’s he thinking Your Highness, Princeness, Majesty?’
‘Your Highness, are you sure it was a good idea to bring him with us?’ Captain Marmaduke said, with a pained expression.
‘He’s already proven his worth, Captain. And I’m sure if we tell him he can have an extra chicken as a reward, if he keeps quiet, he’ll comply completely, won’t you Ron?’
‘Mmm, mmmm!’ said Half-blind Ron, nodding his head and putting his paw over his mouth.
‘Right, then,’ Theo said, as they peeped around the large oak tree, ‘please be still and I’ll try and reach into his mind.’
Prince Theo had the rare gift of being able to go beyond simple telepathic conversation and could actually probe deep into the minds of other creatures. He could not only read their thoughts but could also sense their emotions and moods. The gift became apparent when he was a kitten and it was cultivated through teachings by his mother, the sadly departed Queen Tiddles, who had been blessed with the same talent. She had instructed him how to master and control his gift, how to access thoughts without being detected, and how to create permanent connections for short periods of time. The wise Queen also taught him how to protect himself against any malevolent forces that he may encounter when using his gift. Theo loved her very much and always listened, knowing that someday a need may arise where it would be necessary to put those lessons into action.
‘His mind is full of strange things,’ he said, as he concentrated. ‘He’s not from this world, and he’s not from this time. The place he’s from is similar, but also very different. He’s a good man, very clever. He likes music and… there are lots of images of females, including one who he met in The Sheep’s Stirrup last night. There’s something about food… breakfast at the pub and something called “pizza”. I’m also picking up images of possessed vacuum cleaners, some very scary men in black and yellow, something called a “Nova phone” and a love of swords. He really is most unusual.’
‘But is he the one mentioned in The Prophecy?’ the Captain said.
‘I do believe that he may be, Captain. Although he’s out of place here, he doesn’t feel out of place, if that makes sense. His mind is unique… but he has a dog.’
‘A dog!’ Half-blind Ron exclaimed. ‘I told you he was a weirdo. If the bloody thing comes near me I’ll scratch its knackers.’
Theo concentrated again and probed a little deeper. ‘He’s already made quite a few friends, including Cracky, so I think we should pay a visit to the Diner later.’
‘Agreed, Your Highness,’ said Captain Marmaduke.
‘Wait a minute, there’s something disturbing here,’ Theo said. ‘I can see two figures. He met them yesterday in the pub. They were in disguise but I’d recognise them anywhere.’
‘Go on,’ said the Captain.
‘It’s Hob and Nob. They were staying in The Sheep’s Stirrup yesterday. He had a bad feeling about them.’
‘Well, he’s a good judge of character,’ said the Captain. ‘They’ll be on Blacktie’s business, that’s for sure. But what could be so pressing that it called for him to despatch his two top spies to Llangollen?’
‘I’ve no idea, Captain. But I think we better go and find out.’