The Golden Acorn - Catherine Cooper [28]
‘That’s a good lad. You’ve washed up and put everything away.’
‘Is it lunch time now?’
‘I should say. I’ve worked up quite an appetite this morning. There must have been a fox in the garden last night. It’s bashed all my spring onions down. It’s taken me ages to sort them out.’
Jack knew exactly who’d been in Grandad’s garden but couldn’t tell him.
‘Are you off to Ewell House this afternoon?’
‘Yes, if that’s alright. I’ve been invited.’
After they’d eaten Grandad got up and took an envelope from the mantelpiece. ‘I nearly forgot. This came for you this morning.’
Grandad handed the envelope to Jack. He thought it might have come from his Dad but it didn’t have a stamp. There was a card inside.
‘It’s from Elan. She’s having a party on Friday night. There’s a note in here for you too.’
Grandad took the note from Jack.
‘Nora’s inviting you to stay for the weekend. Now you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.’
‘I think I’d like to go,’ Jack said after he’d pretended to think about it for a while.
‘Will you need a present?’
‘It just says a party. It doesn’t say it’s her birthday.’
‘I’ll make up a bouquet of flowers for you. I bet she’ll like some Lily of the Valley. I’ve got pink ones as well as white.’
Jack thanked his Grandad and went back upstairs. This time his room was as he’d left it; nothing had been disturbed. Before he was ready to leave he wet his comb and tried to make his hair sit down. It didn’t.
Grandad was back in the garden.
‘I’m off now,’ Jack called as he made his way towards the gap in the hedge.
Nora and Elan were sitting at the kitchen table making cheese sandwiches when Jack arrived.
‘Isn’t Camelin here?’
‘Still in bed. He had rather a late night,’ laughed Nora. ‘Motley tells me you gave our Bogie quite a fright.’
‘I didn’t mean to; it just happened.’
‘No harm done. It will do him good to have something to think about. As a precaution I’ve doubled the Night Guard. If anything so much as moves beyond the hedge we’ll know about it.’
Jack was still worried about Peabody going through his belongings.
‘I think he was looking for the acorn. He said he wanted gold.’
‘All Bogies want gold,’ laughed Nora. ‘He probably thought you were an easy target; he got more than he bargained for.’
‘But how did he know I had any gold?’
‘He probably didn’t, but I don’t think he’ll be bothering you again in a hurry.’
Jack hoped Nora was right.
‘Thanks for the invitation.’
‘Are you going to accept?’ Nora asked.
Jack nodded.
‘How did you get on with the list of questions I gave you?’
‘All done.’
‘That’s good because I’ve got some words for you to learn for the ritual.’
Jack took the paper and read the words aloud…
A feather from a raven’s wing,
This is the token I do bring.
As sunrise lights the darkened sky,
Transform me so that I can fly.
‘You’ll need to be word perfect,’ said Nora.
‘I will be,’ Jack assured her.
‘These sandwiches are for Camelin,’ explained Elan.
‘All of them?’ exclaimed Jack.
‘He’s very partial to cheese and Nora needs one of his wing feathers for the ritual. We’re going to try to persuade him to make the right decision.’
There was a familiar caw as Camelin swooped into the kitchen.
‘They smell good.’
‘They do,’ said Nora without looking up. ‘They’re for Jack.’
‘All of them?’ exclaimed Camelin.
‘He missed his breakfast,’ Nora replied.
Camelin gulped and looked longingly at the pile of sandwiches.
‘So did I, and I haven’t had any lunch either.’
Nora looked at Camelin and Jack.
‘You both realise how important this ritual is don’t you? We only have the one chance to get everything right.’
They both nodded.
‘I can’t wait to see Jack as a raven,’ chuckled Camelin without taking his eyes off the plate.
‘We’re going to need one of your feathers.’
‘A feather!’ he squawked. ‘Don’t you know how precious feathers are? I’d be naked without any feathers!’
‘We only need one,’ said Nora persuasively.
‘I don’t want to pluck out any of my feathers. It hurts and I’d feel very faint. I’d need a great deal of food to help me feel better.’
‘Maybe