Carbonel: The King Of Cats

14

Making Plans

John and Rosemary reached Tussocks in time for tea. Mrs Pendlebury Parker was out, so they asked if they might have theirs on two trays so that they could take them where they liked in the garden.

‘Let’s have it on the stone seat,’ said Rosemary.

It had been a hot, sunny day, and the seat was warm to sit on. There were fat cushions of moss and little plants growing between the paving stones at their feet, and the yellow roses above dropped slow petals on to their tea-trays.

‘I feel like a princess,’ said Rosemary.

‘You don’t look like one. You’ve lost one of your hair ribbons.’

‘Bother!’ said Rosemary. ‘You know, I think this afternoon was pretty satisfactory. The Occupier man, I mean. And I liked Molly, too. They promised to take care of the hat, and now we know from the handbill exactly where they are going to be, so that all we’ve got to do is to write and ask them for it when we are ready. You can have the rest of my cucumber sandwiches. I like the scrunch when you bite them, but I don’t like the taste much.’

‘I hope it’s all right, about the hat, I mean,’ said John doubtfully. ‘The trouble is you never can tell with grown-ups. You know how they say “Not today, dear, another time!” when you know perfectly well that that’s simply a polite way of saying “No, you jolly well can’t!”’

‘Oh dear, I hadn’t thought of that,’ said Rosemary. ‘All the same, it would be best to do as Molly suggested. I mean get the cauldron and the Silent Magic ready first, and then try again for the hat.’

John nodded. His mouth was too full to speak. Presently he said, ‘I say, we’ve got an awful lot to do. It will be hard enough to find the witch, let alone get her to tell us the spell.’

Remembering the strange old woman, Rosemary wriggled uneasily. ‘I know. You wait till you meet her!’

‘Well, I’ve been thinking. We can’t get on with anything much unless we can get more time on our own. I tell you what I’ll do. Mummy said she was going to ring up Aunt Amabel tonight, and she is sure to talk to me, too. I’ll tell her about you…’

‘Not about the magic,’ interrupted Rosemary. ‘I don’t think it is wise to talk about that unless we’ve got to. The Occupier went all queer and cautious when he saw we really meant it – about the magic, I mean. And he was so nice before that. Didn’t you notice?’

John nodded. ‘I won’t say anything about magic, only you. We’re allowed to do pretty well what we like at home during the holidays… if there are two of us. I can say we want to explore the old town, go to Fairfax Museum, and the cathedral and things like that, and she will speak to Aunt Amabel about it. Aunt Amabel thinks you are a “quaint, ladylike little thing”. I heard her say so. Of course,’ he went on reassuringly, ‘I know you aren’t anything of the kind, but she meant it as a compliment, so I expect it will be all right.’

The sky had clouded over, and great drops of rain were beginning to fall as well as rose petals. So they picked up their trays and ran indoors.

‘It was nice of John to come and thank me for letting him come to dinner,’ said Mrs Brown on the way home in the bus. ‘It quite cheered up my curtain making.’

‘Poor Mummy! Is it being horribly dull, the curtain making and sides to middling? It doesn’t seem fair when I’m having such a gorgeous time!’

Her mother laughed. ‘Then I don’t mind a bit. I’m glad you are enjoying it, darling. I was afraid they were going to be such dull holidays for you. Mrs Pendlebury Parker wants you to play with John every day it can be managed. Will you like that?’

‘I shall love it!’ said Rosemary.

She had no opportunity of talking to Carbonel until she went to bed that night.

‘Well, I suppose you’ve learnt something,’ he said rather grudgingly, when she had told him all about the day’s adventures, ‘even if it’s only when to hold your tongue with human grown-ups. Still, to be fair, the temptation to say the Summoning Words and produce me must have been overpowering,’ he added complacently.

He was washing the difficult part under his chin as he sat beside her on the bed, and broke off to say:

‘On the whole you managed quite creditably.’ He transferred his attention to his right hind leg, and went on between licks:

‘I put in a little social time with Mrs Walker. I must say I like her taste in hearth rugs – very cosy. I collected some more talk about the Alley Cats. Heartrending, it is, the damage they are doing. Even the Humans are noticing. The tabby next door has got a torn ear and the grey at the tobacconist’s has been taken to the Vet. Now, if you and John can get about a bit on your own, Broom and I can go with you, and then we really shall begin to get somewhere.’

Rosemary swallowed her annoyance at his patronizing tone.

‘I suppose it is hateful for you, Carbonel. I mean, being “minion of the twiggy broom”, and me!’

‘Somehow it’s harder to be so near my liberty than it was when I was with HER, and there seemed no hope of release. It might be much worse, I keep telling myself. You are kind, and really quite intelligent for a human, and you stroke very well indeed.’ He was purring now, deep, slow, regular purrs. ‘So you must not mind if I’m a bit sharp now and then.’

In answer, Rosemary lifted him bodily into her lap. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, and he settled into the hollow of her nightdress like water into a bowl. His yellow eyes were the merest slits of gold. For a while she sat in the dusk listening to the diminishing purr, then she said softly:

‘Dear Carbonel! We will get you free as soon as ever we can.’

There was no reply. The purr had faded into silence. Carbonel was asleep.