Order Only
I’ve taken my journal up to the lea of the old gatehouse. There’s a warm stone here near the sundial where I can sit and stretch out my legs and write. I’ve got a long view northwest over Peel Bay toward the Stack and Cain’s Strand. There’re shrill voices drifting up from the Green, along with the baaing of goats, and the clatter of the cistern pump. Above everything is the susurration of the sea, the ceaseless lullaby that’s always there in the background here at Moddey Dhoo.
[Actually, I have to confess: I’m also hiding from the kiddies for the moment. The little nippers can sure be exhausting.]
The Players got here Sunday night, causing all the usual excitement. We checked in with Mundungus before arriving, and we had the flotsam and jetsam we’ve been stuffing in our collection packs for the past six months for the Sanctuary. The older kids all know that ‘the Players are here’ means ‘Christmas has come early,’ whatever time of the year it is. Emmeline spent the winter whittling knitting needles, and she brought those. Cauldron tripods and burners for Stephen, and rakes and spades for the greenhouses. Victor gladly pounced on the flour, sugar and oil we pulled out of our packs and promised the kids pancakes for breakfast this week, Cue shouts of delirious joy. Laura fair cried when Benjy proudly showed off our surprise for her, fifteen sets of second and third year Charms textbooks, older editions we snabbled from the remainder shelves at Flourish and Blotts. But the biggest hit of all was the prize that Dung managed to find for us, Merlin knows where: a flying carpet. It’s ratty and faded, with a hole in one corner, and it can only get about twelve feet off the ground. But it’s a genuine flying carpet, goes really fast. Arabella’s already had to stash it in one of the out-of-the way storerooms to keep the kids from nicking it for joyrides.
The carpet sparked some talk about something I guess Arabella’s been fretting about all winter, the question of a second secure location if Moddey Dhoo ever has to be evacuated in an emergency. Dorcas has been closeted with Arabella and John the last couple mornings, talking it over with them. I think they’ve come up with a possible site, although I don’t know what it is, not being the Secret Keeper, of course. They’re going to try to find some more carpets in some of the empty houses in Peel and see if Laura or Frank can figure out a way to charm them to fly, too. It’d take loads off everyone’s mind if the Sanctuary could have a flock of carpets to ready zip people out of the way in a hurry, if necessary.
Otherwise, the rest of us Players have spread out in different directions. Benjy’s always got two or three of the older boys hanging on his back. Usually Freddy, Judith’s boy, and sometimes Divyesh and--what’s-his-name, the one who got bit by a werewolf? Oh, yeah--Ian. He was a bit shy at first. Arabella said she'd wondered how well he'd do with strangers, but he's starting to warm up to us all right. Last I saw them all, they were ruthlessly dragging Benjy off to help Danny and the rest milk the goats. Caradoc’s usually got a circle of kids around him, too, fascinated by his juggling tricks. He loves it, the big ham; he’s almost as much a kid-magnet as Frank. And Emmeline’s all about cuddling with the babies in the nursery. One of the girls assigned there this week has been shadowing her--Felicia, her name is. Stays glued so tight to her side you'd think Emmeline used a sticking charm.
Me, I’ve been helping Frank lead Colin and Alec in some easy Defence drills. They’re sure proud to show off what they can do with their new wands! I’ve also been catching up with Frank and taking a look around the place. It’s simply amazing, all the improvements they’ve made in the past year. The greenhouses have been expanded, and Victor’s put in some new cold frames to extend the growing season. (Not everyone’s happy about this, Alice says, since it means more kale and spinach, never very popular.) The tubs in the bathhouse are a downright luxury, although I’ll admit that pumping all that water can be a pain. John hit on a rather brilliant idea about that last night. Benjy was joking it was a shame there wasn’t a better way to harness all the raw kid energy around the place for that chore, and John remembered there’s a muggle gizmo at an old run-down children’s park in Peel. Something called a ‘merry go round’ that children push in a circle so they can ride it. Why not salvage it and install it by the bathhouse, attaching it to a pump that will fill the cisterns? We’re going to see if we can do something about it this week while we’re here. It was a clever idea, and John flushed and seemed pretty pleased when I told him so.
This holiday from the life on the road has been so good for us. I hadn’t quite realised until now how grouchy the Players had all been getting. I think I know why, watching the kids here for the last few days. The children in the camps are so different. They love watching our plays, of course-any youngster would. But they keep their mouths shut for the most part, and their heads and eyes down. It’s clear they’re all exhausted from too much work and too little food, even the younger ones.
But the kids here are entirely different. Curious. Happy. And they’ve got hope for the future. I saw it a little, talking with John last night about how his little brother Alec is starting to open up.
Arabella, Frank and Alice, you’re doing fantastic work here. Important work. I know it seems like all too little at times, but I’m downright inspired, seeing the way the kids look out for each other, care for each other, learn from each other. Hang on to that, when you’re feeling worried and hassled and it all seems too much at times. We’ve seen the alternative, and without the flame you’re keeping alive here, it’s downright black and grim. Trust me on that.
We're going to perform one of our little plays night after next, right before we leave. Everyone's looking forward to that. It's one of our best rehearsed numbers, and we'll throw our hearts into it for sure. Best way we can thank the people here for their fine hospitality.
(Oh, and Alice? We’re really really sorry about the eggs.)
[Actually, I have to confess: I’m also hiding from the kiddies for the moment. The little nippers can sure be exhausting.]
The Players got here Sunday night, causing all the usual excitement. We checked in with Mundungus before arriving, and we had the flotsam and jetsam we’ve been stuffing in our collection packs for the past six months for the Sanctuary. The older kids all know that ‘the Players are here’ means ‘Christmas has come early,’ whatever time of the year it is. Emmeline spent the winter whittling knitting needles, and she brought those. Cauldron tripods and burners for Stephen, and rakes and spades for the greenhouses. Victor gladly pounced on the flour, sugar and oil we pulled out of our packs and promised the kids pancakes for breakfast this week, Cue shouts of delirious joy. Laura fair cried when Benjy proudly showed off our surprise for her, fifteen sets of second and third year Charms textbooks, older editions we snabbled from the remainder shelves at Flourish and Blotts. But the biggest hit of all was the prize that Dung managed to find for us, Merlin knows where: a flying carpet. It’s ratty and faded, with a hole in one corner, and it can only get about twelve feet off the ground. But it’s a genuine flying carpet, goes really fast. Arabella’s already had to stash it in one of the out-of-the way storerooms to keep the kids from nicking it for joyrides.
The carpet sparked some talk about something I guess Arabella’s been fretting about all winter, the question of a second secure location if Moddey Dhoo ever has to be evacuated in an emergency. Dorcas has been closeted with Arabella and John the last couple mornings, talking it over with them. I think they’ve come up with a possible site, although I don’t know what it is, not being the Secret Keeper, of course. They’re going to try to find some more carpets in some of the empty houses in Peel and see if Laura or Frank can figure out a way to charm them to fly, too. It’d take loads off everyone’s mind if the Sanctuary could have a flock of carpets to ready zip people out of the way in a hurry, if necessary.
Otherwise, the rest of us Players have spread out in different directions. Benjy’s always got two or three of the older boys hanging on his back. Usually Freddy, Judith’s boy, and sometimes Divyesh and--what’s-his-name, the one who got bit by a werewolf? Oh, yeah--Ian. He was a bit shy at first. Arabella said she'd wondered how well he'd do with strangers, but he's starting to warm up to us all right. Last I saw them all, they were ruthlessly dragging Benjy off to help Danny and the rest milk the goats. Caradoc’s usually got a circle of kids around him, too, fascinated by his juggling tricks. He loves it, the big ham; he’s almost as much a kid-magnet as Frank. And Emmeline’s all about cuddling with the babies in the nursery. One of the girls assigned there this week has been shadowing her--Felicia, her name is. Stays glued so tight to her side you'd think Emmeline used a sticking charm.
Me, I’ve been helping Frank lead Colin and Alec in some easy Defence drills. They’re sure proud to show off what they can do with their new wands! I’ve also been catching up with Frank and taking a look around the place. It’s simply amazing, all the improvements they’ve made in the past year. The greenhouses have been expanded, and Victor’s put in some new cold frames to extend the growing season. (Not everyone’s happy about this, Alice says, since it means more kale and spinach, never very popular.) The tubs in the bathhouse are a downright luxury, although I’ll admit that pumping all that water can be a pain. John hit on a rather brilliant idea about that last night. Benjy was joking it was a shame there wasn’t a better way to harness all the raw kid energy around the place for that chore, and John remembered there’s a muggle gizmo at an old run-down children’s park in Peel. Something called a ‘merry go round’ that children push in a circle so they can ride it. Why not salvage it and install it by the bathhouse, attaching it to a pump that will fill the cisterns? We’re going to see if we can do something about it this week while we’re here. It was a clever idea, and John flushed and seemed pretty pleased when I told him so.
This holiday from the life on the road has been so good for us. I hadn’t quite realised until now how grouchy the Players had all been getting. I think I know why, watching the kids here for the last few days. The children in the camps are so different. They love watching our plays, of course-any youngster would. But they keep their mouths shut for the most part, and their heads and eyes down. It’s clear they’re all exhausted from too much work and too little food, even the younger ones.
But the kids here are entirely different. Curious. Happy. And they’ve got hope for the future. I saw it a little, talking with John last night about how his little brother Alec is starting to open up.
Arabella, Frank and Alice, you’re doing fantastic work here. Important work. I know it seems like all too little at times, but I’m downright inspired, seeing the way the kids look out for each other, care for each other, learn from each other. Hang on to that, when you’re feeling worried and hassled and it all seems too much at times. We’ve seen the alternative, and without the flame you’re keeping alive here, it’s downright black and grim. Trust me on that.
We're going to perform one of our little plays night after next, right before we leave. Everyone's looking forward to that. It's one of our best rehearsed numbers, and we'll throw our hearts into it for sure. Best way we can thank the people here for their fine hospitality.
(Oh, and Alice? We’re really really sorry about the eggs.)