Charlie's Dream by Jamie Rowboat Read Free Book Online

under the stewardship of a wise and powerful lord. He built an extraordinary castle on the land I own, which housed the combined libraries of all the major mystics of the time. The manuscripts were hidden in the cobweb of underground rooms that lay beneath the mansion. He cared about his subjects and regarded himself as their servant. He had travelled extensively and sourced many alternative agricultural practices, which he instituted with great success in this county. He defied the feudal system that dominated Europe at the time by giving equal land rights to a whole cross-section of his community. In the end, he paid dearly for his egalitarian practices, which united the other landowners in their hatred of him."
    "So, what happened to him?" asked Marie.
    "Well, they slaughtered his family in front of him, having removed his eyelids to ensure he could see it properly. Then, they roasted him in his own fireplace, before burning the house to the ground."
    "Oh my God, that's hideous," gasped Marie.
    "Well, you asked. They were brutal times, but enough now, I must concentrate this old brain on our needs for the next two days, or I am bound to forget something. I'll tell you more about it this evening if you want. Now, you phone your mum and let her know you're okay and I'll get my head around what we need to take."
    "Okay captain," said Marie with a smile.
    As it turned out, Marie had to leave a message on her mum's mobile and after half an hour of preparation, they had all their gear in the back of Gemma's old Mercedes station-wagon and headed off. They drove for about two hours, before Gemma swung the old car into a tiny laneway that was almost invisible from the main road they were on. The ancient beech trees on either side of the lane spanned it with a ceiling of intertwined arms, which muscled their way towards the sunlight. The road had no name, but about a hundred yards up from the junction they came to a gate, which had the words PRIVATE ROAD written on it. The car came to a stop and Marie quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out to open the gate.
    "Thanks," said Gemma.
    The lane had high sides, with wild thorny hedgerows that obscured the view of the fields beyond them. Under the beech canopy, there were thousands of wildflowers and ferns that swayed in and out of the dappled light that the trees kindly let pass. Tiny birds whisked in front of the car, surprised by its brutal arrival into their quiet world and Gemma only just missed three rabbits who were startled from their chat in the middle of the lane. Marie noticed a gradual change come over Gemma's face as she travelled further. Her eyes changed colour, from blue pools of light to deep green wells that glimmered darkly with a different type of natural wisdom. The transition was subtle in its occurrence, but startling once complete.
    "Don't worry about the change in my eyes," said Gemma, seeing the look on Marie's face. "I'm an elf at heart and whenever I come to this place, where the magic is still strong, it always affects me."
    "It doesn't worry me, it's just the change is so radical, it took me by surprise."
    "We've nearly made it to Spinner's hill. Once we're at the top, we're only a couple of minutes from the house," announced Gemma, choosing not to engage the subject any further.
    "Is that where your land is?" asked Marie.
    "My land started when we came through the gate back there. You see, I'm very old and I've had a long time to accumulate it," answered Gemma, winking.
    "You must own hundreds of acres," continued Marie, in a gentle attempt to learn more.
    "Yes, I do, but it's actually a few thousand, not a few hundred," corrected Gemma quietly. Marie was going to say something, but she thought better of it and Gemma didn't offer anything further on the topic. Before the silence could become uncomfortable, they rounded a sharp corner and a small white cottage stood before them in a clearing that was dominated by an enormous fig tree. The top of its