Catweazle

angrily to the loft, where he found
Catweazle sitting with the welding mask on his knees. He looked up guiltily as
Carrot came in.
    ‘I’ve
told you before’ about pinching things,’ said Carrot. ‘That belongs to Sam.’
    ‘ ’Tis
to protect me,’ snapped Catweazle, ‘from the Normans.’
    Carrot
sighed and took it from him. Then he peered into Catweazle’s sack. ‘Have you
taken anything else?’ he asked.
    ‘ ’Tis
mine, ’tis mine,’ said Catweazle, trying to wrest the sack from him, but Carrot
fended him off and eventually recovered the bicycle pump.
    ‘Soon I
shall be gone,’ said Catweazle grabbing the sack.
    ‘That’s
a good idea,’ said Carrot heartlessly. ‘Where to?’
    ‘Mine
own time,’ said Catweazle, eyeing Carrot’s cardboard box. ‘What hast thou
there?’
    ‘You’re
not having this,’ said Carrot. ‘It’s Dad’s birthday present,’ but he took the
lamp out and showed it off to Catweazle.
    ‘Electrickery!’
gasped Catweazle beginning to fizz with fear and excitement. He took the lamp
and shone it straight into Carrot’s face. Carrot flinched and shielded his eyes
from the beam.
    ‘’Twould
drive away the Normans!’ said Catweazle delightedly.
    ‘You
aren’t having it. It’s for Dad.’
    ‘I beg
thee - ’
    ‘No,
Catweazle.’
    ‘I
beseech thee – ‘
    ‘No,’
said Carrot, putting it back in the box.
    ‘Not
for thy brother?’ said Catweazle, switching to a pathetic tone.
    ‘I wish
you’d stop calling me your brother,’ said Carrot. ‘You’re too old to be my
brother.’
    ‘Come,’
said Catweazle, diving into his sack and producing a pair of bedroom slippers.
‘I will barter with thee.’
    ‘You’ve
got a nerve!’ said Carrot. ‘They’re mine! I’ve been looking all over for them.
What else have you got in there?’
    Catweazle
hastily put the bedroom slippers back and clasped the sack to him like a miser
with a hoard of gold. ‘ ’Tis mine,’ he snarled, ‘all mine!’
    ‘Hand
it over,’ said Carrot, getting it from him, ‘I’m going to have a good sort
through this lot.’
    ‘Thou
jackdaw!’
    ‘Look
who’s talking! You’ll get it back. I won’t take your stuff.’
    ‘Hog-snout!’
cursed Catweazle. ‘Slug-juice!’
    ‘I keep
you out of trouble,’ said Carrot. ‘Feed you, clothe you - ’
    ‘Ant’s
egg!’
    ‘And
look after you. And now you turn round and pinch half my things.’
    ‘Go,
before I blast thee!’ said Catweazle savagely.
    ‘Right,’
said Carrot picking up the sack.
    ‘Thou
art a nothing!’ said Catweazle putting a hand over his eyes. ‘I see thee not!’
    ‘Oh go
and jump in the lake!’ said Carrot as he left. Catweazle paused, surprised that
Carrot seemed to know his secret.
    And
then he whispered, ‘Ay, thou young fox, I will, when I have thy trickery lantern.’
    Aunt
Flo was busily piping cream on to a bright green cake when Carrot returned from
the loft carrying Catweazle’s sack over his shoulder.
    ‘What
have you got there, dear?’ asked his aunt.
    ‘Er,
Dad’s present,’ said Carrot hastily.
    ‘It’s
very large,’ said Aunt Flo with mild surprise.
    ‘Well,
there are other things in here as well,’ said Carrot looking goggle-eyed at the
cake.
    ‘The
icing was meant to be pale green,’ explained Aunt Flo, ‘like your
father’s aura.’
    ‘His
what?’ said Carrot.
    ‘His
aura, dear. We’ve all got one you know. Yours is pink. It’s a sort of halo, all
round you.’
    ‘Have
you got one?’ asked Carrot.
    ‘Oh
yes,’ said Aunt Flo. ‘Mine’s violet.’
    ‘But
why can’t I see it?’ said Carrot.
    ‘You
have to be very carefully trained,’ said his aunt matter-of-factly.
    Carrot
took the sack upstairs, dumped it in his bedroom and went in to see his father
who was sitting up reading the Farmer and Stockbreeder.
    ‘Aunt
Flo’s made a smashing cake,’ grinned Carrot. ‘It’s bright green. She says it
matches your aura.’
    Mr
Bennet laughed. ‘How are you and Sam managing?’ he asked.
    ‘Wally’s
coming to help tomorrow,’ said Carrot. ‘He might be able to stay till
Thursday.’
    ‘Good,’
said Mr Bennet, ‘I should be up by then if the
    doctor
knows his stuff,’ He nodded towards the chess board by the bed. ‘It’s your
move, by the way,’ he said.
    While
Carrot and his father played chess, Catweazle, now determined to steal the
trickery lantern, crept into the scullery and peered round the kitchen door at
Aunt Flo still busy with the cake.