Cursed Times - Only Yesterday! Sequel to Wattys 2015 winner!

Chapter 32: Trueth - Avebury Reloaded

'Why do you have all these green containers sitting by the side of the road?' For what must be the hundredth time, Seisi pushed the button to lower the window and stuck his head outside the car.

'Those are rubbish bins, Sei. People throw in their refuse and they get emptied afterwards. Now be a nice ancient Egyptian and let me concentrate on my driving.' Trueth was trying to manoeuvre her swish SUV through the hedge-lined side streets of Avebury, which had not been built with supersized modern vehicles in mind. The silvery monstrosity they were travelling in was not her choice of transport either, but the Al-Nours never did anything on a small scale.

'Keep a lookout for the 'Witches Retreat'. It must be here somewhere.' She rounded the corner and stomped on the brakes as a tractor pulling along a mountain of manure sputtered and clanked across her path.

'Why do your people announce their hiding place so openly?' Thankfully Seisi had closed the window, barring the healthy smells of the Wiltshire countryside from getting more pervasive than they already were. Unfortunately, the tinted windows also kept out some much-needed afternoon sun.

'They don't. This was just somebody's idea of a quaint name for a B and B.'

Seisi arched one eyebrow. 'I wonder what makes me think you might be using another one of your modern expressions? Why can't you simply say two bees? And what are they doing here anyway?'

Trueth banged her fists on the steering wheel in frustration. 'Bed and Breakfast, for heaven's sake! It's the place where we will stay the night before we meet with this Damian Ragwort type tomorrow. At least I've just spotted the local watering hole. Once I'm done driving, I need a double dose of G and T.'

Seisi said nothing.

'Gin and Tonic! In the pub! Taverna, if you prefer.'

'This is not your usual medicine,' he ventured.

'No, if I drink coffee in the afternoon, I'll rotate under the ceiling all night. Figuratively speaking, of course.'

'Of course.' Seisi said in a deadpan voice.

Was he now pulling her leg? In any case, she had finally spotted a whitewashed wooden board announcing their accommodation from a distance. She accelerated towards this welcome homing beacon, squeezed the tank through the narrow entrance into the yard and turned off the engine.

Trueth lowered her stiff limbs to the ground and yawned. 'Let's check in and then stretch our legs a bit before dinner.'

Seisi's head appeared from the stern of the monster; he was lifting suitcases. 'Metjen instructed me to keep you away from this stone circle.'

'My so-called brother never instructs, he just bounces orders around like rubber balls, but never you mind. I have no intention whatsoever of getting sucked into more magical black holes, assuming there is one, too much of that recently. Maybe you can have a sniff round, check if you sense anything. I'll wave at you from the fringes.'

Her companion adjusted his sunglasses on his nose, nodded and carried their luggage towards the quaint gabled portico that sheltered the entrance. The chunky building housing the B and B radiated solid respectability from each of its greyish-brown bricks. Hanging baskets harbouring memories of what must have been a geranium riot welcomed the guests from both sides of the entrance.

Trueth rang the bell.

'Coming!' A cheerful female voice trilled from inside. The door opened an instant later and they were greeted by the smells of baking apples as well as a beaming woman whose face was much younger than the greying strands of her ginger Bob tended to indicate.