Pendragon looked rather astounded last night when I related my tale of the " neighbouring Primpoles and the blue stripey blanket shoved slyly into the back of motor carriage". He did not seem to take it in at first,and asked me to tell him again. His initial puzzled expression turned from rueful and worried facade, to amused grin demeanour,back to puzzled and yet unharried smile. He doesn't believe me,I thought. He thinks I am either gilding the lily for fun, or have allowed something simple to become a mountain rather than remain a molehill. In truth he never said that, but he didn't jump up and down yelling for the number to call the Dingley Dell Investigation Runners either. But he did eventually realise I wasn't joking, and rather limply said I should call them if I was really worried.To be fair he was tired ,having had his own brand of problems to solve within his daily workload. We sat down to eat our simple supper, and sensing I was a bit quiet,he asked me why I thought something untoward was going on in toadstool number six. It was difficult to explain,since I had no evidence other than that of my eyes and ears ,but I was able to tell him that Severity had just looked a bit shifty.
"Shiftier than usual", said Pendragon ,with his irresistible twinkle in both eyes.
"Yes,"I said softly."I am just responding to my inner intuition".
At the words "inner intuition" Pendragon knew to take me more seriously. My inner intuition in the past has proved to hold more than a little accuracy. He touched me gently on the shoulder.
"Stay vigilant," he said." Don't say anything to anyone about this. But stay alert. Maybe some other clue will develop. Maybe you will discover that there is not much to this. Maybe your bag of bottles theory will prove to be the true one".
I slept soundly,as I always do after a heart to heart with Pendragon. He is a Mystic,Philosopher,and Healer of Souls, and has the relevant skills to soothe the troubled heart.
I woke early this morning to the sound of twin barking coming from number six,so at least it cannot or does not appear to be either of the wildebeests wrapped in the untidy blanket. If it had been the black one with the evil eyes,I doubt if I would have lost much sleep. But if the beasts are still there, I now need to rule out Granny Primpole.
Granny Primpole is the older image of her daughter Severity, just a lot plumper and with white rather than grey cropped hair. She is large,- in fact you could roll her like a barrel down the toadstool path. Her huge surface is clothed in large tent like structures with brightly coloured patterns. She has the daily miserable and mean appearance which I associate with Primpledom. It seems they only allow themselves a smile and a laugh on special occasions. I have never seen Granny Primpole laugh.I would imagine if she did,the whole world would shake and avalanches would fall. She usually is helped out of the motor carriage by Weedy on a Friday night,and steered towards the toadstool lest her wobbly gait should overturn her on the path. Maybe they have simply tired of her vicious stare,or felt the need to access Granny's geld account.The major stumbling block to this theory though,is the fact that I doubt if the stripey blue blanket was large enough to cover any of Granny's extensive bulk.
So, my possibilities are narrowing. I am now looking for something or someone small ,who has gone missing.
No stone in Lobelia Drive shall remain unturned until this mystery has been solved.Primpoles beware, Amarantha is on your trail.
It will have to wait till the weekend,though, as I journey to Brigantia tomorrow,to see the Faery Physio.
Tendonitis in my left hand is improving,but I am hoping she will have some further ideas for me to get rid of it all together. I am attending some art classes in the Metropolis in July and I do not want it to hinder the possibility of my creating a few decent works of art.
My new chair has arrived for my working space in the Blue Room. It is pink and perfect,and so comfortable. Imagine my surprise to find that it is high enough for me to see across my desk,out of the window onto to our backyard, and down into the Primpole's paved garden space. This could be useful,as I sleuth my way into next week.
Kindest regards to you all my friends,and may the dust of mystery fall from all your eyes,clearing all current secrets from your lives. From Amarantha Willow, scourge of the deceiver and the malcontent. From dearest Amarantha,the Rainbow Faery.
