Saturday 7 March 2009

Extraordinarily Ordinary

A couple of hours later Roland found himself standing outside the unpretentious green door of the neat Georgian townhouse in Islington belonging to Sue Fisher. His long ring on the doorbell brought Sue herself to the door and she greeted Roland with a big hug and a huge smile.

'Well hello, Roland, long time no see. I suppose you are in trouble again, and need my help in digging you out with your skin still intact?'

Roland grinned ruefully.

'I'm not in trouble, Sue, well not yet anyway!'

'Are you sure? I can see trouble hanging over you like a big grey cloud?'

'Well I've come to ask you to see if you can get me some information. Hopefully any answers I get from you will be straightforward and won't lead to any trouble, but I wouldn't lay any money on it!'

'Well come on in then' she chided, tugging gently at his sleeve and leading him through the hall and into a comfortable, if slightly untidy, office area. She showed Roland into a comfortable chair in front of a big pine desk and then went to sit at her own place on the other side.

'Ohhhh' she suddenly shrieked as her bottom made contact with the chair and just as rapidly rose back up into the air. A large black cat suddenly emerged from beneath the chair cushion spitting malevolently, all his claws unsheathed and ready to put into action. Sue swatted at him just above his head, and he leaped off the chair and scooted up the curtains. He jumped from there onto a high shelf, where he settled himself in a defensive posture, glaring at them angrily.

'Geronimo, how many times have I told you not to hide under the cushion on my chair!' spluttered Sue, as she pulled herself together and managed to sit down successfully, patting her hair hair back into place as she did so.

'Sorry about that Roland' she said 'Can I offer you tea or coffee? Is it too early for a drop of something stronger?'

'Well, 11.30 is a bit early for me, but don't let that hold you back!' laughed Roland.

Sitting opposite, Roland looked her up and down and thought to himself that no one looking at Sue Fisher, a very ordinary looking, middle age, middle-class, slightly dumpy woman, would realise that she was the most powerful witch in the country. Apart from an unfortunate resemblance to Harriet Harman, there was nothing at all to mark her out as the truly extraordinary creature that she was.

'Well knowing you I think I will need a whisky and soda sooner rather than later; I suppose you want some of that hot wishy-washy hot liquid that passes for coffee in your world?'.

With that Sue pushed a button under her desk and a few moments later the most beautiful, gorgeous female witch that Roland had ever seen strolled nonchalantly into the office.

No comments:

Post a Comment