Blethingwood Hall Written and performed by Stephanie Poppins Chapter Fourteen Floating in a circle of light cast by his warm glow,
The Oosome Goose considered the masters as they sat before him.
It was time for the harvest blessing,
But the vacancy at the table of trigons had left a bad omen which permeated the air where the trough-pog should have been.
The whereabouts of Jasper,
They remain unknown,
He began.
It is long in the day,
And he is being alone.
My teacher,
It has come to our attention he is up to his old tricks.
The calm tone of the cockatrice belied the frustration she felt.
Being a proud,
Upright person,
Well regarded for her sense of duty,
Fortenua found Jasper's absence unacceptable.
But she was doing her best to suppress the red sparks dancing in her eyes.
The Oosome Goose listened carefully to the words left unspoken.
There he knew he would find the truth.
He wasn't surprised,
Of course.
Such blatant purloining of the woodland harvest was unacceptable.
But Jasper wasn't a creature it was easy to reprimand.
On the contrary,
Such a brave,
Kind soul was almost impossible to be at odds with.
The sad fact was,
Though,
Jasper's stomach was larger and more powerful than his brain.
Being a master in training,
He should have known better.
So be it.
We is giving thanks and finding our friend,
The Oosome Goose replied.
And we is practicing patience to each and every N.
He looked closely at Fortenua.
She hailed from the land of winter,
And patience was never going to be her strong suit.
We give thanks for the sun,
The source of all energy,
The sharp-toothed bunion began.
We give thanks for the rain that replenishes us,
Added the Delhi Lala.
We give thanks for the corpse that sustains us,
Added Fortenua.
And we give thanks for compassion within,
Finished the Oosome Goose.
Then the masters lifted their clues in the symbol of the new world to seal the words in time.
And as a fine amaranthine mist collected at their feet,
Jeremiah stood.
His long black claws a dramatic contrast to his oak trigon.
His leather armour catching the light.
That feridol population be getting larger.
There's been more fatality in Mother B.
Copsey's past days than in a long while.
The others listened carefully.
The bunion's deep summer twang was as broad as his body and twice as commanding.
Jeremiah was not someone it was easy to ignore.
Now the white rabbit's been hit,
And the threat to the others being imminent.
If we're not careful,
There'll be no woodland harvest,
Let alone the Yuletide feast.
However,
There is some good news.
The recent heavy rainfall's hindering them,
And we're using this to our advantage.
Then he let out a deep hearty chuckle.
And seizing the opportunity for discussion,
The Delilala joined in.
Her two protruding ears lit with an exuberance unsurpassed.
We must use water and light,
Jeremiah,
Water and light I say.
That will protect us.
Being such a small creature from the land of spring,
She spoke very quickly.
Afraid her delicate voice would be overlooked.
The Oosemagoose seemed pleased at this.
But he was distracted by the light nevertheless.
It was now fading,
And Jasper was still in the old world alone.
Without warning,
The central circle he stood upon began to spin.
And as his single red wing unraveled to reveal a brilliant white light,
He rose high up into the air.
Jeremiah was frustrated.
Now they would have to wait until they would call to the table again.
He had something to say,
And he needed to say it.
But my teacher,
The parts,
What about the parts?
And realizing the Bunyip's sense of urgency,
The Oosemagoose pulled the light back into himself and lowered back down onto the table once more.
The whereabouts of the pods is not clear until the day,
He continued.
And it is Adam Darlington who is revealing the way.
Thank you,
Said Jeremiah.
Pleased the wise one had made contact with the old world at last.
Now things would get done.
And the forgotten master,
What about him?
It will not be long till he'll be returning with a ball next,
Will it?
So be it,
Said the Oosemagoose.
We is flying into the eye of the storm to stay alive.
Such is the path for the new world to survive.
But do you think the Darlingtons have what it will take to help us?
Asked Fortenua.
They is having what it takes,
Said the Oosemagoose.
And our pods they will save.
With that,
He disappeared into a world of brilliant light.
The masters would just have to be content with this.
As they entered the old world,
Cops,
The sun sank deep in the sky.
The masters were now very nervous.
Dusk was the time they were supposed to remain in the new world,
Not leave it.
And the fact there was no sound apart from the pox snores did nothing to help matters.
As they approached,
They saw Jasper's two foreshortened front legs twitching with dreams of roasted chestnuts and stewed figs.
He was lying in the deepest blueberry pit,
His rotund belly full of the day's proceeds.
Jasper really was one very fat,
Very lazy fellow.
What's that smell?
Screeched Delilah,
Running diagonally to the cockatrice for cover.
It's blueberry gas,
Fortenua replied.
Only the very best blueberries can produce it.
Ain't there anything left?
He nodded,
Said Jeremiah,
Concerned that his soft,
Shiny nose might shrivel up.
He certainly smells like he wants to be left alone.
Nothing.
Delilah hopped from clove to clove,
Unable to stand still for longer than a couple of seconds.
We knew there wouldn't be,
Snapped Fortenua.
She couldn't understand why it was necessary to even ask such a question.
Jeremiah scanned the cops for warning signs.
If it were possible for one person to eliminate the blueness of the glade,
The pog would be the one to do it,
He said.
Jasper,
Wake up,
Fortenua screeched.
But Jasper's tail lifted with yet another burst of gas before he rolled over onto his side.
Unbelievable,
She screeched.
He's dreaming of truffles again after what he's just done.
It was getting increasingly difficult for Fortenua to hold her temper.
And sensing her unrest,
Jasper awoke,
The fading light catching the whites of his eyes as he looked away in shame.
Home it is calling now,
Calling us,
Said the Usamagoose,
Suddenly arriving.
And moving fast,
Jasper is only just.
At this,
Jasper jumped up,
Tugging at the waist of his dungarees in desperation.
You were given a job to do,
Snapped Fortenua,
And you failed to do it.
What have you got to say for yourself?
The glow in Jasper's belly was fading and his wings now limp in their shame.
He was oblivious as to the full extent of this misdemeanor,
But he knew that waking up in a blueberry pit meant big trouble.
The woodland harvest will not be the same without the blueberries,
Fortenua continued,
And we simply cannot make truffle pie without the truffles.
She looked at the other masters.
Don't be fooled,
He knew what he was doing when he came to the blueberry glade.
But the Usamagoose was not convinced.
The bogatry is the instigator of this resolve.
We is questioning him for this mystery to solve.
Then he hovered above Jasper,
Whose tears were painting shame-coloured stripes across his face.
My teacher,
I'm sorry,
He pleaded,
I barely remember anything.
One minute I was digging near the crystal waters,
And the next I was in the biggest blueberry pit I've ever seen.
Then I woke up here and saw you.
Ridiculous,
Said Fortenua.
Absolute nonsense.
You knew what you were doing.
It's greed,
Plain and simple.
That's what it is.
Enough.
The light from the Usamagoose was now at its brightest.
We is honouring the one true word,
Fortenua,
Above all else.
But,
But,
I is speaking to the dog,
Dear,
And seeing what can be done.
Remember this feeling as you is sitting in the mud.
He looked at Jasper,
And they could all see this was quite possibly the worst thing the pog could hear.
Such guilt would make him suppress any joy he might have felt from feasting for a long time to come.
So all being said and done,
This was a most fitting lesson from the wise one.
Indeed.
