Midwood magic

The Gypsies

Damian woke up with a start. Something was rattling inside his pocket. Then he remembered that it must be the box Lady Rachel had given him. He looked around. It was daylight. The clock struck ten. He got off the sofa and ran to his room. Damian took out the box and looked inside it. Inside it was a piece of paper. He took it out and read it.

It said to read the words written in elvish after placing the box on the floor in the middle of the room. Damian followed the instructions, and to his surprise, just as he finished speaking the words, the box swelled and swelled and grew big. Damian stared. Then he looked inside the box, and there was another note inside it.

Damian reached for it and took it out because now the box was large enough even to contain him. It said that he should get into the box and shut the lid. Damian did as he was instructed. It was dark inside, and he felt like he was spinning. Then suddenly, there was light, and he saw Lady Rachel's face staring at him. "Come out, Damian," she said, lending him a hand.

He got out and found himself in a room he had not seen before. It had a massive four-poster bed with violet and gold coverings. The room had a tall mirror, strange glass instruments on the table that shone and glimmered in the sunlight that was streaming in through the windows.

"I'm sorry that I had to summon you in the way I did, Damian, it was the fastest and the safest way that I could think. I hope you will forgive me for any inconvenience in summoning you like this. But I want you to come with me to go and meet someone you know. What your stepfather has stolen isn't merely a historical artifact, in the hands of someone evil and has magic in their blood, it could be a potentially dangerous weapon. That is why we have to find who out who and where your stepfather is. I think there is more to him than we know."

"Do you mean he is up to something evil, something that even you can't stop?" said Damian, feeling as if he had stepped into a cold puddle barefoot.

"Yes. I fear it is so. But we must know what he intends to do with the Diamond he stole. Like I said in the wrong hands, it could be a deadly weapon and a serious threat."

"How can we find out?" asked Damian, unable to think of anyone or any place connected with his stepfather.

"We can start with that book you found."

"I have it with me," said Damian fishing it out of his pocket and handing it to Lady Rachel. She took it in her hand and looked at it closely.

She closed her eyes with the book held in her hand and opened it after a moment. This book has been among the gypsies before it came to your house.

"How can you say for sure?" blurted out Damian stupefied.

"It's simple when you know how to," said Lady Rachel, handing the book back to Damian.

"Did this belong to you?" asked Damian, turning the page to where the name of Rachel written.

"Yes. It used to belong to me," said Lady Rachel, smiling at Damian. "But I never expected to see it again. It's a copy of the original, which I have with me to this day."

"So, when are we going to meet with the gypsies?" Damian asked, remembering the gypsy lady he had met. "Will they tell us what we need to know?"

"Hopefully, they will. At least I hope so. I've allowed them to use my garden as a camping place. They used it and left it as cleanly as it had been before."

"I'd like to see them. Where are the gypsies camping now?" asked Damian looking at Lady Rachel.

"I think we can find them. But we'd better not frighten the gypsies by suddenly appearing out of nowhere. They are very superstitious folk. I've got two horses ready for us. I hope by now you are quite used to traveling in ways you haven't traveled before?"