Pendragon has been working away from home for the past two days. Sometimes his work takes him to the far flung outposts of civilized elven life,as he is a senior consultant in his role as Healer . There are troubled souls everywhere it would seem, and everyone wants my Pendragon to do something about their particular woes. He keeps in touch with me all the time on the woodland phone but I do miss his wonderful smile and loving ways when he is away.
I keep busy,as there is always something to do either in my business life or around our toadstool home.
I am cataloguing at the moment,as I have almost 400 used parchments for sale. It is important to know what you have for sale ,to have them in some order,and with relevant details recorded,so that you can cope with enquiries.
Everything is beautifully organised in the office upstairs and for the moment I am managing to keep it that way.
I spent some time this morning in Tinymidmunching, scouting for saleable used parchments. There were three possible merchants' stores to browse in ,although only one really provided the quantity or quality I was searching for. But by the time I had finished I left the store with 12 good pieces of work, all likely to double their money at least, once for sale on the open market.
I wanted very much to spend some time in the garden today,but the weather was poor. Strangley warm,but with a good wind blowing,and with the promise of frequent squally showers. There are jobs piling up and begging to be done. As I was walking up the path on returning to the toadstool,it occurred to me that I had not seen much of Bob the Bee recently. Little fat Bob has been in our garden every day of the summer this year,flying by on his way to some pollen infested blossom, usually in our front garden.
He has gotten fatter and fatter by the day,and looked magnificent in his natural black and yellow sweater last week when I saw him. But I have not seen him since last Friday . I hope he is ok. Summer is fading and I fear Bob may have had the best of his all too short life in the sun. He has given us much pleasure just in watching him fly by,and I hope we have added to the quality of his existence with some magnificent blooms from which to extract his nourishment.
I love watching the birds as well,as you know, but sometimes their behaviour does dumbfound me. Every morning around ten the local group of itinerant starlings descends upon our fat treats. Not one at a time,but in a group of about a dozen. They swoop and dive,bump into each other,jump on to each other,peck and attack ,all to get their unequal share of what's on offer. They are greedy and selfish in their modus operandi. I cannot understand why they come down together,when it is obvious that they can't all eat at the fat balls at the same time. You would think they could work out some kind of rota system ,to ensure everyone of them gets a square go at the food supply. But starlings are not endowed with finer grey matter,so they go through the same pointless,noisy ritual every day,grabbing and grasping and fighting it out,in such an unseemly manner. None of the tinier birds come down till later,clearly avoiding the melee.
I had my second meeting at the Daily Scandal this afternoon. My team were there,bright and cheerful ,and not the least bit upset by the rudeness of Gravelpounce Whimperstrand. They were all hugely sympathetic,but all had met him at some point before,and could confirm his unpleasant personality. Cub reporter Smurpo Weirdwater had had a run- in with him at a Dingley Dell Festival Meeting, and Trilloaka Bint had endured complaints from him on several occasions for having taken shots of him "in a bad light ".
"He is fussy about his hair",she said. "He doesn't like you to take photos of his bouffant without his hairdresser present. And I am sure he wears a fake sun tan lotion,as no one could be that nasty orange colour without having a terrible disease. " She giggled heartily,and the others joined in .
Squeeble the page designer added " He's always in the paper for some reason. Some good works or other. But what folk don't know is that he does it all to make himself look good. He isn't nice to his Staff, and his family- well, we'll just have to wonder about that. "
They were all trying to help,trying to give me as much information as they could, but little did they know,it was only serving to make me more insecure about my interview. I had re-sceduled for next Wednesday at two ,and I was looking forward to it even less than before.
Dubisthmus ,my sub editor saw my face as Squeeble finished,and hastily moved the conversation to what we had ready for next week. Photos of Zecturo,the flautist, the Dingley Dell finale concert, reviews of some new parchments, a local restaurant, and Amarantha's take on Festival Week. . My interview with Gravelpounce would complete the first page of my new column. It had to go well,and it now needed some thought as to how I would approach the world's most unpleasant benefactor.
As we packed up after our discussion, Dubisthmus approached me with a few timely words.
"Don't worry," he said, You'll be fine. Be aware of how he is, but remember, he wants publicity, and you are his means to get it. He won't want to annoy you,it's a good write-up he wants. He may appear churlish,even unhelpful , but he will make sure you get an article showing what a great guy he is. And it's an article you need. You don't have to like him".
I thanked Dubisthmus. He was right . Just do my job. I could see that Dubisthmus would do much to help me in my pathway to being a successful columnist. I had much to learn, and I knew how to listen. And he had much to teach.
Tomorrow Pendragon and I are meeting in Metropolis, to buy some new vestments, and pay a fresh visit to the Faery Seamstress for a fitting of my Betrothal Gown. Pendragon will wait for me while I endure much prodding and jostling. He cannot see my dress till Betrothal Day,so will drink copious cups of acorn coffee in a nearby vegetarian bistro.
On Sunday more theatrical playmaking,and a chance for Pendragon and I to spend some much wanted time together.We are at our happiest when we are together,exploring our new life as a couple.
So tonight, I will work for an hour or two longer, till the lavender candle melts to a puddle,and then to bed,my acorn tea in hand ,and my favourite picture of Pendragon by my side. I will sleep well.
Much sound sleep to you too ,my friends, my wondrous cast of redoubtables,and may it bring dreams of a new dawn with fame and good fortune at its centre.
From Amarantha Willow, toast of Dingley Dell, and the Belle of Lobelia Drive, the Rainbow Faery.
