ISOF by Pete Townsend Page A

their unknown companion, eager to discover who the stranger could be. Cedric simply relaxed against the bench and smiled.
    â€˜I would like to introduce, Telu,’ said Pinchkin, with a frown creasing her forehead. ‘It is her handiwork which caused such a stir in the great hall.’
    Telu slipped the hood from her cloak from her face to display an abundance of such golden, curly-hair that, even in the dim lighting of the eating house, any flicker of passing light magnified its brilliance. Telu smiled at the group, her delicate features displaying a mischievous glow.
    Pinchkin let out a deep sigh. ‘That escapade of yours in the Great Hall was foolish,’ she said, frowning at Telu. ‘Quite apart from the fact that you shouldn’t be out and about yet, you’ve caused a lot of people to get hurt, not to mention a few Goferats who won’t go for anything again!’
    Ben tried not to laugh at Pinchkin’s words. Telu gave him a warning shake of the head as she leaned forward to speak to the whole group.
    â€˜I’m sorry if my actions caused you any unnecessary concern,’ she said without a hint of regret. ‘It was essential that you left the building unobserved. My little diversion gave the guards something else to occupy their tiny minds rather than look to you for any additions to their bracelets.’ Telu folded her arms and licked the remaining crumbs from her lips. She smiled at Ben causing his cheeks to turn a delicate shade of pink.
    Pinchkin beckoned the group to draw close to her. ‘Before Ben’s face burns brighter than a furnace,’ she said frowning at Telu with mock severity. ‘It is nearly time for us to be on our way. But,’ she added reaching inside her cloak, ‘there is one more thing.’ Fetching out an old leather-bound book, at that looked as if it had seen more days than the sun, Pinchkin placed it on the table, and gently stroked the rough, time-patterned surface of the book. The various marks, scratches and grazes on the leather appeared almost to be intentional, as if someone had crudely etched a series of motifs onto the surface. As each of the group gazed upon the book the surface seemed to make almost imperceptible movements that altered and reformed into increasingly complex pictures.
    Ben rubbed his eyes, not quite believing what he thought he saw. Telu, smiling at Ben’s obvious disbelief, allowed her eyes to follow the graceful undulations that gently rippled the leather surface.
    â€˜That’s absolutely wonderful,’ she said with a brief glance at the others. ‘Just as you begin to appreciate a pattern that’s forming, it slowly dissolves into another image.’ She paused as the latest pattern outlined tiny waves, which gently lapped at the edges of the book. ‘Beautiful,’ murmured Telu, her breath appearing to cause another ripple in the waves.
    â€˜Truly remarkable,’ agreed Noj, his eyes too absorbing the ever-changing patterns on the book. ‘Just for a moment I thought I saw my Grandparent’s garden with the tiny gate leading into the walled garden.’
    â€˜And I saw the cove where I used to play as a child,’ grinned Telu. ‘Where the sun shone all day whilst the waves gently tugged at the sand beneath my feet.’
    Trep quietly clapped his hands together. ‘Well,’ he said, thankful that now nobody could accuse him of imagining things. ‘I’m certain I could see a nimbostratus cloud formation and…’ he glanced up at the vacant expressions around him. ‘Rain cloud,’ he said begrudgingly.
    Pinchkin gave a sad little nod of her head. ‘A portent of things to come,’ she said, to which twitching eyebrows were added to the vacant expressions.
    Mak looked across at Ben. ‘So, what do you see?’ he asked with a slight sneer. Ben gave a little shrug.
    â€˜I was going to say I could see a picture of a little fish