CHAPTER FORTY NINE

It was almost an hour before Trinket came back.

While she was away the horse groom had arrived, a woman who looked like a witch. She came from the side door of the Inn. She had a big evil nose with a snag at the end, and a weird smell like boiling nettle. She shuffled and spat and shook her hair and glared at everyone. Then she saw Tom. She stared at Tom, then dropped her eyes and muttered, ‘My lord.’

She shuffled up to Trinket’s horse then squatted and slung an old sack from her shoulder, slumping it onto the ground. She analysed the horse’s legs as though she could see past the sweaty hide, right through to the muscle and bone. She muttered to herself and reached into the bag and pulled out a jar filled with a rub that looked like urine coloured ghee. With three fingers she scooped out a slump of ghee and proceeded to rub it into the horse’s tendons. She worked the front legs then moved to the back. The ghee smelled like a cross between charcoal and pine.

After rubbing the front and back legs of the horse, the horse groom went back to her bag and brought out a pail filled with what looked like small pebbles, or sheep droppings. The horse groom placed the pail in front of Trinket’s horse, and the horse immediately dove its nose in, and came up chewing with big white teeth. The horse food smelled rich, like molasses and bark.

Meanwhile Jane dismounted, almost falling from the saddle. She landed on legs as stiff as twigs. The pain of everything kicked from her ankles up to her hips. She took two disabled steps then lowered herself to the ground where she lay with her legs out and spread slightly. Her muscles slumped like lead.

The witch was about to start on the second horse when she looked at Jane laying on the ground. She considered Jane for a moment, then she packed her unctions back in her dirty sack and came over to Jane.

Jane had her eyes shut, and if she wasn’t feeling so much pain she might have gone to sleep. The horse groom spoke under her breath. She brought out the ghee, and opened the lid, and scooped three fingers of the clob. She began to rub the ghee into Jane’s legs, and Jane’s legs jumped as the nerves became agitated. The witchy groom crooned, and Jane settled.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

The ghee ran heat into Jane’s legs, heat that immediately penetrated the skin and permeated deep into the muscles. Her feelings seemed to whoop. She started to tremble and the witch scooped more ghee and started on Jane’s other leg. Jane breathed out and her breath rushed. She felt like she was getting younger.

Meanwhile, Tom had lowered himself from the horse to land lightly on the cobblestones. He walked toward where the fawn was standing behind the far table. When he approached, the fawn stepped back. The fawn looked horrified. Its hooves clicked against the cobblestones. Its eyes darted about as though looking for a way to escape this encounter.

‘I’ve never seen a creature like you,’ said Tom.

The fawn started nodding its head as though it had just realised something.

‘My Lord, I know I accused you … but I didn’t know all the facts.’

Tom said ‘What now?’

The fawn shook its head to tell Tom to stop being kind.

‘You don’t have to pretend. I know what I believed and I know now that I was wrong.’

Tom was about to answer when Trinket returned, stepping around her horse. Her voice rang out.

‘What exactly is happening?’

The witch turned her head. Her mouth was mooned down and icy.

Trinket said, ‘I have just paid the Innkeeper for your services … horse groom. I have paid for you to attend to the horses, to prepare them to pass the silent children.’

The witch spat and she shook her head as though she was listening to stupidity.

‘That feels wonderful,’ said Jane to the horse witch, without opening her eyes. ‘You can leave me now.’

The witch moved herself and her paraphernalia to the second horse, and started working the ghee into the horse’s legs.

Trinket stepped over and crouched beside Jane. She put a hand on Jane’s arm.

‘We are friends.’

Jane kept her eyes shut and didn’t answer.

Trinket said, ‘I want you to trust me.’

Jane opened her eyes.

Trinket said, ‘I have been in with the Innkeeper, and amongst other things I have organised for you to stay here, with all comforts and luxuries provided until Elion has taken his seat in the machine.’

Jane shook her head. ‘I am here to get the book.’

Trinket smiled sadly.

‘Jane, you will be staying here.’