The night had been very interesting for Peggy Powler on many levels, but the sight of a metallic-clad person creeping quietly
around the forest below her could be the best applicant for the most gripping of events. The little Witch and the boy had walked
for hours and twice they'd stopped to catch their breath and refuel via a sandwich and a drink from Peggy's magical satchel.
Jasper Forster had eaten his fare with gusto and looked puzzled at the bag on his companion's shoulder, it always looked empty
and yet here he was, picnicking in the wee-small hours in a forest with a strange woman hunting a metal monster. Now as dawn
offered the slightest of hints that it might appear, the enigmatic female in the grubby poncho and himself were sitting high up in
an ash tree hiding from their quarry sneaking about below them. The former of the roosting couple watching its every move with
great interest, the latter shaking with fear and wanting to go home.
Jasper believed his secret seat across from Sarah Goodwin's window ledge would be a better place right now and suddenly felt
a pang of guilt for thinking of it. No, he wanted to be back in his bed and comforted that his father and mother were asleep in
the next room. A plan he hoped to fulfil when the daylight finally arrived. For now, the quivering ten-year-old would focus on
not dashing his brains out on the leafy ground where the metal man scurried in his pursuit of its latest prey.
The thin ribbon of grey smoke leaking from its head left a slight scent and glancing up onto a higher branch where young Jasper
Forster sat shaking in fear, Peggy concluded that what the boy believed was steam, was actually marsh gas. Due to the poor light
the little Witch couldn't distinguish the colour of the figure currently hiding behind an elm tree. It didn't shine like the polished
metal of a serving dish or held a lustre to catch the eye for decoration purposes.
Peggy guessed that the footprints it left were the same as the ones found in the clearing. Whatever it was had a smooth domed
head that seemed to hold a flickering dull-green light somewhere behind the slits one might suggest were eyes. There was no
mouth or any other features to indicate a human presence and the metal man's behaviour hinted that nobody was inside the
metallic shell. Now -she thought as the figure darted behind a large bush of blackberries, if this wasn't a man in armour, what
else could be driving the awkward-roving device?
Placing a finger to her lips at the frightened boy, Peggy carefully plucked a seashell from under her poncho and mouthed a spell
towards the metal man skulking behind the prickly shrub. Leaning forward to discover if the bewitchment had worked, she settled
the carapace near her ear and smiled at the sound of the faint voice.
The sneaking creature couldn't completely stifle its clanking and the hiss Peggy heard was the occasional discharge from the
ashen-hued helmet, but what caused its lofty prey to grin under her big hat was the angry chatter from within the metal hood.
"They here somewhere... here in ferns..." the Lubber Fiend spat from within the bucket-head "...Jip-Jip knows, somewhere"
the angry Goblin softly ranted to itself and absently scraped its vehicle against the thorns of the bramble bush. Just for the
record, both Peggy and Jasper both winced at the sound of scratched metal.
.................................................................
Boy-Boy Munce murmured something as Oliver Horton's hand shook him awake, but went quiet when he saw the inventor
of his iron captor gesturing him to do so. "The metal man's gone outside and I think he's hunting someone..." he whispered.
"...I'm going to try and grab some more food".
Luckily the cage that housed the trio was near a window and the gypsy-lad had produced a silver whisky-flask from his pocket
after his incarceration that Oliver had used to acquire water from a rain-barrel behind his home. The groceries were in a sack
dropped when the metal man had gone crazy. The meagre provisions were from Ravenstang and almost a week old, they were
scattered across the floor when Oliver had returned to find the mechanical devil burbling and writhing near the door.
Oliver had built the automaton to help people. Using steam for power and copper plates for its outer-coating, he'd always felt
confident that a simple source to fuel his invention would aid even the most poorest to benefit from his gadget. The skin of the
metal man would never rust and Oliver believed the innards of his steam-powered appliance could lead off into directions never
thought of before.
Ploughing would become easier and heavy-lifting of haybales would no longer be a worry, all ran on burning wood and hot water.
But now as Oliver lay on the wooden floor and tugged at the Hessian bag, he accepted that all these hopes had evaporated when
his invention had become demented.
Gideon Tundy looked at Horton trying to pull the sack closer and then went back to watching the window for any movement to see
when the iron monster was coming back. Crossing himself, the scared farmer's son hoped whoever was out there had escaped and
was now running to get his Pa.
.................................................................
The morning chorus came and the sound of singing birds added to the comedy of the frantic racing around of the metal man.
The Last Witch of Underhill had acquired the type of creature she was dealing with and regardless of its outer-shell, the Hob that
had taken up residence in clanking figure below her needed to be expelled. Jip-Jip was a Lubber, a type of Goblin that thirsted for
power over its hated foe, humans.
Traditionally, Lubbers tormented households and Peggy was willing to wager, this one had found the strange metal carriage in
Horton's home and that hinted at two things. One, the abode was close by and two, the Goblin's need to control those who it
deemed its enemy, were probably imprisoned in there. Stifling a yawn, the little sorceress peered up at the boy on the branch
above her and attempted tp read his thoughts. He shouldn't be part of this and it had been wrong to bring Jasper along in her
quest, maybe if Jip-Jip grows tired of his search, she could whip-up a spell and send the kid home none-the-wiser of the night's
weird experience.
"When are we going to stop the metal man?" Jasper whispered and blinked his tiredness away. Peggy smiled, patted his bark
scuffed knee and admired the boy's bravery, "...Reet now me-lad, reet now" she growled and began to carefully climb down
from her perch.
around the forest below her could be the best applicant for the most gripping of events. The little Witch and the boy had walked
for hours and twice they'd stopped to catch their breath and refuel via a sandwich and a drink from Peggy's magical satchel.
Jasper Forster had eaten his fare with gusto and looked puzzled at the bag on his companion's shoulder, it always looked empty
and yet here he was, picnicking in the wee-small hours in a forest with a strange woman hunting a metal monster. Now as dawn
offered the slightest of hints that it might appear, the enigmatic female in the grubby poncho and himself were sitting high up in
an ash tree hiding from their quarry sneaking about below them. The former of the roosting couple watching its every move with
great interest, the latter shaking with fear and wanting to go home.
Jasper believed his secret seat across from Sarah Goodwin's window ledge would be a better place right now and suddenly felt
a pang of guilt for thinking of it. No, he wanted to be back in his bed and comforted that his father and mother were asleep in
the next room. A plan he hoped to fulfil when the daylight finally arrived. For now, the quivering ten-year-old would focus on
not dashing his brains out on the leafy ground where the metal man scurried in his pursuit of its latest prey.
The thin ribbon of grey smoke leaking from its head left a slight scent and glancing up onto a higher branch where young Jasper
Forster sat shaking in fear, Peggy concluded that what the boy believed was steam, was actually marsh gas. Due to the poor light
the little Witch couldn't distinguish the colour of the figure currently hiding behind an elm tree. It didn't shine like the polished
metal of a serving dish or held a lustre to catch the eye for decoration purposes.
Peggy guessed that the footprints it left were the same as the ones found in the clearing. Whatever it was had a smooth domed
head that seemed to hold a flickering dull-green light somewhere behind the slits one might suggest were eyes. There was no
mouth or any other features to indicate a human presence and the metal man's behaviour hinted that nobody was inside the
metallic shell. Now -she thought as the figure darted behind a large bush of blackberries, if this wasn't a man in armour, what
else could be driving the awkward-roving device?
Placing a finger to her lips at the frightened boy, Peggy carefully plucked a seashell from under her poncho and mouthed a spell
towards the metal man skulking behind the prickly shrub. Leaning forward to discover if the bewitchment had worked, she settled
the carapace near her ear and smiled at the sound of the faint voice.
The sneaking creature couldn't completely stifle its clanking and the hiss Peggy heard was the occasional discharge from the
ashen-hued helmet, but what caused its lofty prey to grin under her big hat was the angry chatter from within the metal hood.
"They here somewhere... here in ferns..." the Lubber Fiend spat from within the bucket-head "...Jip-Jip knows, somewhere"
the angry Goblin softly ranted to itself and absently scraped its vehicle against the thorns of the bramble bush. Just for the
record, both Peggy and Jasper both winced at the sound of scratched metal.
.................................................................
Boy-Boy Munce murmured something as Oliver Horton's hand shook him awake, but went quiet when he saw the inventor
of his iron captor gesturing him to do so. "The metal man's gone outside and I think he's hunting someone..." he whispered.
"...I'm going to try and grab some more food".
Luckily the cage that housed the trio was near a window and the gypsy-lad had produced a silver whisky-flask from his pocket
after his incarceration that Oliver had used to acquire water from a rain-barrel behind his home. The groceries were in a sack
dropped when the metal man had gone crazy. The meagre provisions were from Ravenstang and almost a week old, they were
scattered across the floor when Oliver had returned to find the mechanical devil burbling and writhing near the door.
Oliver had built the automaton to help people. Using steam for power and copper plates for its outer-coating, he'd always felt
confident that a simple source to fuel his invention would aid even the most poorest to benefit from his gadget. The skin of the
metal man would never rust and Oliver believed the innards of his steam-powered appliance could lead off into directions never
thought of before.
Ploughing would become easier and heavy-lifting of haybales would no longer be a worry, all ran on burning wood and hot water.
But now as Oliver lay on the wooden floor and tugged at the Hessian bag, he accepted that all these hopes had evaporated when
his invention had become demented.
Gideon Tundy looked at Horton trying to pull the sack closer and then went back to watching the window for any movement to see
when the iron monster was coming back. Crossing himself, the scared farmer's son hoped whoever was out there had escaped and
was now running to get his Pa.
.................................................................
The morning chorus came and the sound of singing birds added to the comedy of the frantic racing around of the metal man.
The Last Witch of Underhill had acquired the type of creature she was dealing with and regardless of its outer-shell, the Hob that
had taken up residence in clanking figure below her needed to be expelled. Jip-Jip was a Lubber, a type of Goblin that thirsted for
power over its hated foe, humans.
Traditionally, Lubbers tormented households and Peggy was willing to wager, this one had found the strange metal carriage in
Horton's home and that hinted at two things. One, the abode was close by and two, the Goblin's need to control those who it
deemed its enemy, were probably imprisoned in there. Stifling a yawn, the little sorceress peered up at the boy on the branch
above her and attempted tp read his thoughts. He shouldn't be part of this and it had been wrong to bring Jasper along in her
quest, maybe if Jip-Jip grows tired of his search, she could whip-up a spell and send the kid home none-the-wiser of the night's
weird experience.
"When are we going to stop the metal man?" Jasper whispered and blinked his tiredness away. Peggy smiled, patted his bark
scuffed knee and admired the boy's bravery, "...Reet now me-lad, reet now" she growled and began to carefully climb down
from her perch.
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe.