The Old Castle

Lotte bounced out of her room.. She turned round to shut the door and, humming a little tune, turned back and <thump>ed into the chest of a large rabbit!

She took a step back, slightly dazed.

"Careful my dear," Gilchrist said, "You should watch where you're going or you might cause yourself an injury." He was smiling as he said this.

What a smile! Lotte thought to herself. Inside herself her internal auditor started to wag a finger 'now! Don't go all dreamy on us girl!'

Lotte smiled back and her eyes widened. "Oh, Gilchrist!" She simpered. "I'm sorry I wasn't looking."

"That's alright," The buck said, "No harm done," He pulled his cloak open to revel his muscled chest, "See?"

Lotte stared at his muscular torso. "No... Harm.... Done..." She said as her internal auditor started to write on the little internal blackboard. It was some sort of code of conduct for a single working doe.

"Although," Gilchrist said, twinkling his eyes, "I think there may have been some damage and you should investigate more thoroughly, say, at eight tonight?"

Lotte's heart steamrollered over her internal auditor and nudged her brain that, in turn, persuaded her mouth to open. "We should do a complete examination." She whispered as loudly as she could.

"Indeed, my dear. "Gilchrist said as he leant down at her to kiss her forehead. "See you tonight."

He turned and was gone.

Lotte reeled. Another visit from Gilchrist! She remembered the last time he'd visited her at night. She blushed. Her internal auditor stood up and straightened her self ' you should be ashamed of yourself' her wagging finger said. Followed by the worse thing she could think 'what will you say to Cola when she finds out!'

Lotte stopped in her tracks. She'd seen how Cola looked at Gilchrist. Gilchrist wasn't the sort of coney to stop at one doe.

She plodded slowly to work, her internal audit locking horns with her inner demon trying to decide whether to tell Cola what was going on between herself and Gilchrist. "But nothing's really going on" She said to herself as she rounded the last corner before the Head Doe's offices.

Fudge and Matt were already on guard outside the door. So Cola was here already here. Lotte pulled herself together and decided to walk straight through the door and tell Cola that she was 'seeing' Gilchrist.

She reached the door. Matt saluted and Fudge tucked his forelock.

"M'lady's in a funny mood this morning, Ma'am." Fudge said.

"Been here for hours." Matt said. Lotte took him to mean all three of them.

"Thanks." She said to the guardbucks as she opened the door.

She stepped in and opened her mouth to say: "Cola, I'm seeing Gilchrist". However the words didn't come out.

Her mouth closed. Her mouth opened. The place looked like a bomb had hit it - all the drawers and cupboards were opened and their contents were spread all over the floor. In the middle of the floor in a pile of papers sat Cola. She was picking up a piece of paper from one pile, staring at it (both sides) and then throwing it behind her.

Cola realised that someone else was in the room with her and she looked up at Lotte. "I'm glad you're here." So was Lotte. "I couldn't sleep." She said by way of explanation.

"Wha-wha?" Lotte asked.

Cola looked down for a second then pushed herself up. Standing up she brushed herself down and stepped out of the pile of papers (into one of the smaller piles).

She say down in a chair and motioned Lotte to do the same.

Cola scratched her chin, then: "I read some of the Journals last night."

Lotte nodded, "And..."

"In the bit I read, Herbert was given a treasure map by another coney."

"A treasure map?" Lotte exclaimed.

Cola quickly shushed her. "Quiet! If anyone realises what I'm looking for. Well, imagine what would happen if someone else found it first."

Lotte nodded. "How do you know it's here?"

"I don't know." Cola said, "But looking for it is better than waiting to win the lottery."

"I'm told it helps if you buy a ticket." Lotte said. It was Cola's turn to nod.

"It's going to take me most of the day to search through all this. " Cola motioned at the piles of papers. "I'd like you to get Phump to run some errands for me."

---*---

Lotte was telling Phump whom to see, reading from a list that Cola has just made.

"Elders Cadam and Phearson and Albert!" Lotte finished She turned to Cola, who was still engrossed in her piles of paper, "But Al'll need payment for anything he finds?"

Cola shrugged, "But he's more likely to find what we want than anyone else."

"What is it you want again?" Phump asked.

"Anything they have that used to belong to the old Head Buck."

"Anything in particular?" Phump asked, "This is a bit vague?"

Lotte looked at Cola who shook her head.

"No," Lotte said, "Just anything."

---*---

Phump returned to find Cola and Lotte trying to bury themselves in piles of paper, or so it seemed.

He made a report of his successes and dismal failures.

"Albert said he knew a couple of people who owed him and he'd see what he could do for his favourite Head Doe. I couldn't get any answer from Eldar Cadam, but Eldar Phearson said he'd be pleased to meet you any time you cared to visit. Mad Malc sang ''Hotel Conifirnia" at me. I couldn't find Gilchrist. Just about everyone else told me to go away, or words to that effect. I'd be a sore bunny if I tried everything they suggested. Most of them seemed to think that, even if they did have anything, you didn't have the money to pay them!"

Cola sighed.

Lotte sighed.

"Tell you what," Phump said as he made his way carefully across the room, "I'll put the kettle on and you can praise me for my accomplishments when I get back."

He entered the back office as a knock came on the front door.

Matt's head popped round the corner.

"There is a, Gentleman, here to see you."

"Ere!" Came a heavily accented voice from outside, "None of your insults me boy!" Then quieter, "Gentleman indeed!"

"Send Al in," Said Cola getting up.

Albert came in and immediately began to duck and weave. He stood still the same way some footballers make a break for goal. Maybe he though that if he kept moving, no rules or regulations could catch him.

"Albert," Cola said stretching out a hand. "Pleased to see you again."

Albert shook her extended paw so violently Cola's other arm started to shake in sympathetic motion. She pulled her hand back with some difficulty.

"I hear," Albert said bobbing his head, "That you're looking for," He waved his shoulders, "Effects of the Old Head Buck's" his whole body ducked at this point and Cola nearly ducked with him, expecting a low-flying bat to be winging over head at the very least.

"Yes," She replied, "That's right."

"Well," duck, "it jut so happens," weave, "That I am in possession of some," bob, "Of the Head Bucks most prized possessions." Followed by another duck and that special shoulder-shrug.

Cola took a deep satisfied breath.

For some reason, considering that the floor was covered with paper, Cola's desk was clear. Al trotted over to the desk and pulled some things out of his pockets.

He arrayed them on the table.

"First," He said in all seriousness, "The Head Bucks, own, personal, from the youth he hid from us all," He stood away from the desk and unfolded his arm. "Marbles!"

On the desk were five, large, marbles. The real china kind. Glossy and unchipped.

Cola started to laugh.

Al looked crestfallen.

"You don't realise how much trouble I went to getting these." He looked hurt. "I called in three favours and a dare for these."

"These are the Head Bucks marbles?"

"Yup!"

"You can prove it?" Cola didn't know why she asked, they were of no use to her.

"Certainly. Provided that anonymity can be guaranteed to all involved."

Cola gave a little laugh, "That's not necessary." She said trying not to laugh too much, "Have you anything else?"

"Well, yes," He said, "I do." But it's not as impressive as these and is really a bit of a mass-market product without as much Personal History as the marbles." He then spoke very quickly, "Andican't quiteguaranteeit'sauthenticityapartfromthemanwhosoldittomesadiitwastheheadbucksbuti'msurehewouldn'tlietome."

Cola looked him in the eye.

"Honest." He said, smiling so wide he could have swallowed a Cheshire cat.

He picked the marbles up and handed them to Cola. "You take these." He pulled something out of his inside pocket and opened it up and spread it out on the table.

It was a map.

Lotte jumped up and he and Cola pushed around the desk. One each side of Albert.

"Now ladies! I'm a married buck!"

"It's a map of the, well, here!" Lotte exclaimed.

"Like I said, just a mass-market map. There isn't even a 'I Live Here' pencilled on it."

"We'll take.." Cola was just about to say it but decided that it was best that nobunny knew what they were looking for. "Them." She finished.

Lotte raised her eyebrows at Cola, but Al wasn't looking at her.

"Well," He began, "I pulled in a few favours for these items."

"How many favours is a recommendation from the Head Doe worth?" Cola asked, "You could print it on your, 'business cards'"

Al looked thoughtful for a moment. "'By Appointment To..' - I like the sound of that.."

"We don't even need to keep them" Cola said, "We can let you have them back in a few days."

Albert gave a nasty sucking noise, "I'm not in the business of leasing.," he said whilst weaving a little. "I'll have to think."

He thought.

Whilst he thought Phump put his head round the door and shouted out "Who's for tea?"

"Three in here, plus you!" Lotte shouted back.

Cola was concentrating on Al. She was trying to push her thoughts into his mind, 'FREE-FREE-FREE-FREE' She thought.

It nearly worked.

"I tell you what,." Al said diving a little, "I'll rent these to you for ten pence a day for the marbles. Oh and a penny for the map. But I expect full re-imbursement should they be damaged in any way. That includes chipping the marbles." He ended with a hard stare.

Cola put out her hand, "Done."

Al spat on his hand and shook hers. Again, this was so violent a shake that Cola felt her teeth loosen.

She was saved from a death-shake when Phump turned up with the teas.

Cola and Lotte sipped their tea gently. Phump gulped his and Al downed his in one. "Mustn't tarry!" He said with a little bob. "I've got business cards to write!" He gave a forelock tug and Lotte let him out the door.

Once the door was shut Cola put her tea down and started to examine the map.

It was, as Al had so rightly said, a mass-produced map of the area. With no marks on it.

"Doesn't look like a treasure map?" Lotte said, frowning.

"Treasure map!" Phump exclaimed, nearly spitting a mouthful of tea out as he did, "We're looking for a treasure map!"

"Damn." Cola said to herself, glaring at Lotte.

"This can't be the treasure map." Cola said in a sad tone of voice, "There's nothing here other than , well the warren and the river and the woods and the fields."

"There's the em-way." Lotte said pointing to the bottom left hand corner.

Cola shook her head. Suddenly she had an idea and she turned over the top of the map! Maybe it was double-sided. No. the back was just covered with pictures of animals in various poses.

She flopped the map down, then flopped herself down into a chair.

She shook her head then sipped the last of her tea.

"I suppose I should go to see Elder Phearson." She said, putting her cup down. "Let's call it a day." She turned to Phump, "Thanks for your work today. But PLEASE don't tell anyone what we're looking for. It will make it more difficult." Phump nodded. Cola turned to Lotte.

"Shall I come with you to the Elder?" Lotte asked. Suddenly in her head the internal auditor and her inner demon started to wrangle. She remembered what they were wrangling about and suddenly realised that she was having a visitor tonight. He face must have shown something.

"That's not necessary." Cola replied, "I can see you have something to go home for." Are you having that secret Buck again?"

Lotte went red and began to stutter a reply.

"Don't worry," Cola said, laughing, "get off. We'll clear up tomorrow."

Lotte grabbed her things and rushed out of the door to her secret assignation.

"I'll have to find out who that buck is one day," Cola said to herself, "He certainly seems to have captivated her." She hummed a low hum. "I wonder how she will handle pregnancy." Cola gently patted her tummy - suddenly aware of the life growing there.

---*---

"Come in my dear!" Phearson said with a wide and toothless grin. "I apologise for not coming out to see you, but you know how it is with these old bones."

"At least you will see me." Cola said stepping in. "Fudge, you can wait out here." She said to her ever-present guard buck. He nodded and performed his famous forelock tugging.

Phearson motioned her to a chair and sat in one facing her.

"Cadam?" He asked; Cola nodded. "Hum." He hummed, "I haven't heard from Master Cadam for a few days. I assume he's scared of the goings-on in the warren."

Phearson picked up a glass at his side, "Drink?" He asked, Cola shook her head. "Wise choice, my dear." He said sipping his wine. "Bad thing to try to run a warren on a cloudy head."

"Cadam." He began, then sighed. "Cadam is a couple of years older than I. In truth if you are looking for things that used to belong to the Head Buck then he is your better bet." He took a final swig, emptying the glass.

"They knew each other when they were young." He began, "I was not born in these environs. My family travelled here when I was two or so. By that time Herbert had left on his jaunt and that's when I met Cadam.

"I remember when Herbert returned to the warrens however. He seemed to be a very wise buck for his age.

"Cadam re-acquainted himself and the three of us became friends.

"Herbert was never able to talk about his travels to us. It was a private time for him. I remember that he spent a long time writing up his memoirs. It would be interesting to read those.

"This was all before you were born, young lady."

Cola laughed a little, "It seems funny to think of the three of you as peers. He seemed so much younger than you are."

Phearson nodded. "He didn't seem to get older like the rest of us did. Some consequence of his travels, no doubt. Found the fountain of youth, maybe. Didn't do him much good in the end - an elixir of youth seems to be no ward against a rabid gerbil with a grudge."

Cola was quiet; it seemed unfair to speak of David like that. Even if he was rather deranged at the end.

"Well, anyway, you can't spend all your days listening to an old buck waxing lyrical about his youth. Lets see." He bent over the side of his chair and picked something up. "I think this is the sort of thing that you are looking for." He handed Cola an ornately framed picture of a rabbit holding a large red fish. She raised her eyebrows.

"It was given to me by Herbert after we became friends. 'Keep this for a rainy day' he said to me." Phearson clinked around and pulled up a half-empty bottle of wine and filled his glass. "You sure?" He asked Cola again, she shook her head.

She turned the picture over in her hands. This was a very ornate frame, maybe precious. The picture seemed false, somewhat. It was a photograph but seemed some sort of composite. "This looks like a herring..." She said to herself.

"I think it's some sort of a joke." Phearson said. "But I'm not sure on whom."

"I'm sure this will be very useful." Cola said. She didn't sound hopeful.

"Well my dear. I think you should be making a move." Phearson made a great deal out of getting up, huffing and puffing like a steam train. "Beginning to think I'd like a pull at that Elixir of Youth if you find it."

Cola shook her head. "I just want to get the warren running smoothly again." She said standing.

"Well, you'll be the first one to do that." Phearson said showing her to the door.