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The Tale Of The Summoning Die
Ratings:
120 pages1 hour
Summary
When Michael Ellsdon's cat suffers from a mystery illness he searches for a cure. He learns of the summoning dice and how men are transformed into crows. He is drawn into an alternate world inhabited by dwarfs, elves and a deceased check out girl who answers a job advert to becomes the golden faerie. Michael undertakes a mission to save his cat that risks his freedom - and his sanity.
Publisher: Graheme WilsonReleased: Aug 4, 2016ISBN: 1370741669Format: book
Book Preview
The Tale Of The Summoning Die - Graheme Wilson
Me
CHAPTER 1
What ails Michael's cat
What does it need?
The vet is not the answer
Says the man in tweed
- The Book Of Dice -
Michael Ellsdon turned off the TV late one Friday night and climbed the stairs. He was sat up in bed reading a book when he heard a cat cry out. He shuddered it was a cry of pain. He put his book down and listened. He heard the cat flap close followed by steps up the stairs. This was unusual. Vicky the cat would normally make for her basket. Michael slipped on his dressing gown and went to see her. Vicky was huddled in a corner of the landing with her fur raised and her ears back, it was clear that she had been frightened. There wasn't much that could scare his brave cat so Michael checked her for injuries. She seemed to be OK. He gave her some rescue remedy and stayed with her until she calmed down. Michael went back to bed.
On the Saturday morning Vicky was so poorly Michael decided to take her to the vet, he placed the docile animal into its carrying basket. While waiting at the bus stop an old man stopped.
'May I ask, where are you taking this cat?'
'To the vet' said Michael.
'That would be a waste of your time and money, this cat's only hope is Mrs Luxy, if you can find her in time. I would take her myself but I am on an important errand. Get the bus to Belvington and ask at the village shop.'
There was something about this man, a self belief, some authority that Michael trusted.
In the small corner shop at Belvington there was a portly man serving a short old woman. Michael waited until the old lady had pulled her wobbly wheeled shopping bag and an elderly dog over the threshold and down the two steps.
The man nodded curtly towards Michael.
'And what will you be wanting young man?'
'I would like a bottle of water and a bag of fruit pastels please'
The man produced the goods from the shelves behind him.
'Anything else?'
'Yes, there is, could you give me directions to Mrs Luxy's house please'
Michael paid for the water and sweets and watched as the man's face crumpled into a frown, as if he had been set a complicated maths puzzle. Michael looked up towards the higher shelves where a spider was weaving a web over packets of Yorkshire tea.
'How do you know about her?'
Michael told him about the man he had met at the bus stop.
'This man, what did he look like?'
'Tall, very thin, dressed in brown, the brown of autumn. He wore brown cord trousers, a tweed jacket with a matching waistcoat and a cravat with squirrels on it. his face was lined, like the veins on an Autumn leaf'.
The man pointed to the basket at his customers feet.
'That cat, is it sick?'
'It is although I don't know what is wrong with her, I was going to take her to the vet until I was told to find Mrs Luxy.'
'If anybody will know she will. Listen then, and I will give you directions for the first part of your journey.'
Outside Michael lifted the basket to have a look at Vicky. Her eyes were half open and she stared out of the cage as though she had been woken up too soon.
'It is going to be all right Vicky, hang on.'
Michael walked down the lane past a 14th century church on the left and an empty field on the right. He arrived at a farmhouse and walked up the path made from flat grass edged stones. He knocked the door and waited, listening for any sound inside. There was none.
'Can I help you sir, if its fine produce you want you have come to the right place.'
Michael jumped and twisted around. A stout woman, was sucking on a cigarette like a vacuum cleaner on full power. She wiped her muddy hands on her apron and picked some potatoes from her basket.
'These are ideal for baking...'
'Maybe later, you see my cat is ill and I want to find Mrs Luxy.'
The woman bent down to look at Vicky and Michael lifted the basket to meet her halfway.
'How did you find out about her?'
Michael told her of his meeting with the old man at the bus stop and gave his description.
'You will need an umbrella. The woman went round the back of her house and returned with a black and white check umbrella which she thrust into his hand. Leave it in the porch on your way back.'
'Are you sure I need this? The forecast said it would be sunny today.'
'Believe me young man, if you make it to where you want to go it will be raining.'
'How far is it then?'
'Listen carefully to my directions. You keep going until you come to the crossroads, turn left, go up the hill and walk between the twin rainbows, not either side, right down the middle, understand?'
Michael nodded. He offered her the bag of pastels and she took two, one red and one yellow.
'You will find two farm hands sitting on the fence. If there is no one else there you must ask them for directions, but be careful, they like to play tricks on strangers.'
Michael, followed the directions wondering where he was going to find one rainbow, never mind two on this warm summers day. He reached the top of the hill and he saw them, two deep rich rainbows, as though they had been drawn with wax crayons in a children's colouring book. He walked between them and found two men sitting on a gate in front of him.
He spoke to the one on his left; this man was dressed in red.
'Excuse me do you know the way to Mrs Luxy's?'
'Who might that be?' said the man in yellow.
'He was asking me', said the man in red.
'Perhaps I should ask you both', said Michael.
'It is only polite to wait for an answer once you have asked a question', said the man in yellow.
Michael waited.
'Except that it was me he was talking to', said the man in red.
'How can you be so sure? I am the one who knows the answer to his question', said the man in yellow.
'You do?' said Michael.
'You see', said the man in red, pointing at Michael triumphantly, no patience.
The men laughed holding their belly’s and slapping each others backs so hard they both had trouble staying on the fence.
'Why are you carrying an umbrella?', said the man in red.
'To keep dry', said Michael.
The man in yellow held out his hand, looked up, and turned to his friend, 'But it isn't raining, what fool would take an umbrella on a …....'?
'...sunny day', interrupted the man in red, 'its foolish, that is what it is.'
'leave it with us, it will be one less thing to carry, a cat is weight enough', said the man in yellow.
Michael was about to snap at these two jokers when he heard a gentle calming voice behind him.
'Good day sir, would you like a drink of fresh milk?'
Michael turned around as a pretty milkmaid set two buckets down at his feet.
'Don't drink, that is Donna, she's a witch, come to put a spell on you', the men on the fence shouted together. They look frightened but as Michael
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