Chase Me Faster
Catherine Gale and John Steed and Emma Peel
THE AVENGERS
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by Caroline Miniscule
Chapter Three: Warlock - Page 1 The woman who called herself Caroline Miniscule stood in the middle of Catherine Gale's living room, waiting for her hostess to return with the promised platter of bread-and-cucumber sandwiches and tea. Although it was the living room, with such accoutrements as a wide screen television, DVD and VHS player, CD player and even a record player, the walls were lined with shelving which were packed with books, interspersed with various figurines, masks, and other memorabilia. While she waited, Caroline looked through the books. She was vaguely surprised to see the vast range of languages represented. She saw titles in German, French, Spanish and even Russian. There were also some titles in a language she didn't recognize...Swahili, perhaps? On the coffee table, next to a couple of aged looking scrapbooks, was a box of cassettes entitled Fluent Arabic In A Fortnight. Caroline pursed her lips. Learning Arabic..at her age? What was the point? She turned away and began meandering down the shelves of books, paying closer attention. She saw books on aviation in French, Rocketry in German, history of the Aztec civilization in Spanish, and goodness-knew-what written in Russian. She stopped at a section on magic and the Occult, written in English, and her lip curled. The Occult, what a pack of nonsense. Her eye was caught by one title, Witchcraft In The 1960s. The author was Dr. Catherine Gale. ''Here we are.'' Caroline turned and saw Cathy in the room, bearing a tray filled with tea things. ''Let me help you,'' Caroline said, hurrying forward. ''Thank you,'' said Cathy Gale, graciously relinquishing the tray. ''I thought we'd go outside and enjoy the sunshine.'' Caroline followed her hostess through a sliding glass door that led onto a large deck, shaped like the prow of a ship. It looked out over a vast expanse of rolling greenery. Far in the distance were figures clad in white, the shouting and snick of bat on ball indicated they were playing cricket. The two women busied themselves with sugar and milk, then sat back with their teacups. Catherine Gale nibbled on a sandwich. ''Your home has a lovely setting,'' Caroline said. ''Thank you. I quite like it.'' ''Did you design this deck yourself? It has a very nautical flavor.'' Cathy smiled. ''Designed and built. With the help of a couple of friends, of course.'' ''You have such a wide variety of interests. I was browsing through your books just now...'' ''I'm like Rikki Tiki Tavi, always curious. One of the benefits of a long life is that you get to satisfy all your curiosities. Or perhaps it is the effort to satisfying one's curiosities that keeps one young.'' 'Or perhaps you do it through witchcraft,'' Caroline said jokingly. ''I noticed your book.'' She had also noticed Cathy, when the latter had opened the door for her, and had been shocked by her youthfulness. Cathy Gale was tall, five foot six or seven, Caroline judged, with silvered hair cut short, alert eyes, a full figure that seemed not to have sagged at all, and she had moved with grace and precision. Cathy nodded. ''I've written quite a few books, actually. I won't say that witchcraft has helped me in any way.'' She smiled. ''I'm certainly not a witch. However, it is the power of belief that makes all things possible. I believe in keeping young, and I take all steps necessary. Proper diet, exercise. That sort of thing.'' ''Well, you look, er, very nice,'' Caroline said. ''But I must admit that I'm surprised you're interested in witchcraft. I thought all that had died out long ago.'' Cathy smiled again. ''You're quite wrong. The technological world will never replace the world of superstition and belief. Just as there are no atheists in foxholes, there are witches in Eastwick.'' ''But..witchcraft...today? In London?'' ''Certainly. England, France, the United States. Especially the United States. As a matter of fact, there's a popular teen girls magazine published over there that features a monthly column on witchcraft. Nothing of any great use, of course. Nothing on how to get an A in mathematics or how to swim better, for example. It's all about how to make a boy fall in love with you, that sort of thing.'' Caroline shook her head. ''Frightening,'' she murmured. ''In a sense it is. Witchcraft can be very powerful - because belief is very powerful. And yet it is frittered away on the silliest and most ineffectual things. Whereas real witchcraft...real witchcraft can kill. As a matter of fact, that's how I first met John Steed.'' ''Oh, yes?'' Cathy took a sip of her tea, then her eyes took on a far-away look as she thought back on those events from over forty years ago. |
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