by Adele Abbott
What would have happened if I hadn’t stumbled upon her spiking the punch? I might have signed the petition, and that would have made Grandma’s position untenable. How would I have explained why I’d betrayed her in that way?
If I was angry, that was nothing to how Grandma would react when I broke the news to her. I decided it would be best to wait until after the launch of the beauty salon.
***
My phone rang.
“Kathy? Slow down! I can’t make out what you’re saying. What’s wrong?”
“It’s Mikey. He’s disappeared.”
“What do you mean, disappeared?”
“He finished school early today because he had a check-up at the dentist. It wasn’t worth taking him back to school, so I brought him straight home afterwards. He went to play in the garden, but now there’s no sign of him.”
“It’s a large garden. Are you sure he isn’t hiding somewhere?”
“I’ve looked everywhere. There’s no sign of him, Jill. I don’t know what to do. Should I call the police?”
“Not just yet. Where’s Peter?”
“He’s working in West Chipping, but he’s not answering his phone, so I’ve left him a voicemail.”
“Do any of the neighbours have kids? Maybe he’s gone around there to play?”
“They’re all still at school, and besides, Mikey knows he isn’t allowed to leave the garden without asking me first. Can you come over?”
“Sure. I’ll be with you in about twenty minutes. He’ll probably be back by the time I get there.”
But he wasn’t, and when I pulled onto Kathy’s drive, I could see that she was in full-blown panic mode.
“He’s gone, Jill. I’ve looked everywhere. Someone must have taken him. I have to call the police.”
“Hold on a minute. Let me take a look around first.”
She checked her watch. “I have to collect Lizzie from school.”
“Why don’t you go and get her, and if Mikey hasn’t turned up when you get back, then we’ll call the police. Where was he the last time you saw him?”
“Down the bottom end of the garden. He said he wanted to look at the seeds that Pete planted.”
“Where are they exactly?”
“Near the far end, behind the tree on the left side of the garden.”
“How many trees do you have?”
“Three altogether.”
“Cripes. Okay, off you go. And try not to worry.”
It was a stupid thing for me to say. How was she not going to worry? I was panic-stricken, but I couldn’t let Kathy see that. As soon as she’d gone, I hurried down the garden.
And that’s when I saw it.
The stalk of the plant was almost as thick as the tree. This definitely hadn’t been here the last time I’d looked around. How come Kathy hadn’t mentioned it?
Shielding my eyes from the sun, I looked up to try to see how tall the plant was, but I couldn’t see the top of it because it disappeared into the clouds. I was getting all kinds of bad vibes. It couldn’t be, could it? It was just a fairy tale. Wasn’t it?”
I gave Daze a call.
“Jill, are you okay? You sound kind of weird.”
“Listen, Daze, this is going to sound all kinds of crazy, but are you familiar with the story of Jack and the Beanstalk?”
“Of course. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just a story, right? It’s not real.”
“I wish that was true.”
Oh bum!
“What’s happened, Jill?”
I quickly told her about Mikey’s disappearance, and what I’d discovered in the garden.
“This is really bad. You have to act quickly.”
“What’s going on?”
“The giants are real.”
“Giants? As in more than one?”
“Yes, there are lots of them living in the clouds. Most of them are law-abiding and keep themselves to themselves.”
“But—?”
“But a few of them develop a taste for—” She hesitated.
“A taste for what?”
“Human children. Has your brother-in-law done any work on the garden recently?”
“Yes, Peter sowed a load of seeds that he bought from someone at the door. He said they were a bargain.”
“That would have been a Beaner.”
“A what?”
“They’re nymphs who are employed by the rogue giants to distribute the seeds. They work on a commission basis.”
“Commission for what?”
“They’re paid a fee for every child that climbs the beanstalk.”
“I don’t understand why Kathy didn’t see it. It’s huge.”
“It’s only visible to children.”
“How come I can see it, then?”
“That’s because you’re a witch. Adult humans can’t.”
“I’d better get up there and find him.”
“Wait, Jill. Those giants are very cunning and extremely powerful. You should talk to your grandmother first.”
“There isn’t time.”
“You’ll just have to make time because if you go charging up that beanstalk, the giant will squish you. How’s that going to help Mikey?”
“Okay. I’ll magic myself over to see Grandma now. Thanks again.”
“Good luck.”
By the sound of it, I was going to need it.
Chapter 20
I magicked myself to an alleyway close to Ever, and then hurried around to the shop. Julie, the head Everette, was wearing the infamous yellow top paired with blue trousers. It really didn’t work, and I wondered for a minute if she’d got dressed in a hurry, but then I realised that all the Everettes were sporting the exact same ensemble.
“Morning, Jill.” She seemed much brighter than of late.
“Morning. Sorry, I can’t stop. I have to see Grandma urgently.”
“She’s not in a very good mood. She told me off because my fingernails were the wrong colour.”
“Okay, thanks for the warning.”
“Morning, Grandma.”
“Didn’t anyone teach you that you should knock before entering a room? I might have been shaving my legs.”
“In your office?”
“This had better be important. I have lots to do before the launch of the new shop on Friday.”
“It’s a matter of life and death.”
“What about my report on Belinda Cartwheel?”
“That’ll have to wait. Mikey is in grave danger.”
“Who?”
“My young nephew. Kathy’s boy.”
“A human? Why would I care about a human?”
“Because he’s just a small boy and he’s in grave danger.”
“I’m still waiting to hear a reason why I should care about him.”
“Because I know what Belinda Cartwheel is up to, and I won’t tell you unless you help Mikey.”
“That’s blackmail.”
“Yes, it is, so are you going to help or not?”
“It doesn’t look as though I have any choice. What’s wrong with the kid?”
“Kathy’s husband, Peter, bought some seeds at the door.”
“That old con?” She cackled. “There’s one born every minute.”
“Do you know something about this?”
“Let me guess. The Beaners sold your human brother-in-law a bag of cheap seeds. He planted them, and then your cousin, Spikey, climbed the beanstalk that had miraculously appeared in the garden.”
“His name is Mikey and he’s my nephew, but essentially yes, that’s what happened.”
“He’ll be a goner, then.”
“Don’t say that. He’s only just disappeared, and according to Daze, I might still have a chance of saving him.”
“Why are you wasting time talking to me, then?”
“Daze said you’d be able to advise me how best to deal with the giant. She said you might have some spell or potion I could use.”
“Why
didn’t you say so before?” Grandma pointed to the metal cupboard at the back of the office. “You’ll find it in there. Look for the jar marked ‘Giant Slayer.”
“Great, thanks.” I hurried over to the cupboard. “I can see a jar of coffee and four jars of Bunions Away, but I can’t see—” I was interrupted by the sound of Grandma cackling.
“You’re so gullible. Did you really believe there is such a thing as Giant Slayer?”
“How can you joke at a time like this?” It took all my willpower not to grab her by the throat and throttle her. “A young boy’s life is at stake.”
“Don’t get your knickers in a twist. It was only a joke.” She pulled open the top drawer of her desk and took out a small paper bag. “Here, use this on the giant.”
“Is it some kind of potion? What does it do?”
“No, it’s sneezing powder.”
“Sneezing powder? Is that the best you can do?”
“You’d better hold onto it. You’ll thank me later.”
“Thanks for nothing.”
I stuffed it into my pocket and was about to magic myself back to Kathy’s house when Grandma said, “Have you got any cash on you?”
“You’re not actually going to charge me for this powder, are you?”
“Of course not. What do you think I am? You’ll need cash to pay the Fly-Me-Ups.”
“The what?”
“They’re little creatures who live on the beanstalks. They’ll get you to the top much quicker.”
“I don’t need any help from Fly-Me—whatever they’re called. I can use magic.”
“Good luck with that.”
“I have to go.”
“What about Belinda Cartwheel? You haven’t told me what you found out.”
“That’ll have to wait. Sorry.”
***
Pay some little creature to get me to the top of the beanstalk? I scoffed at the very idea. Why would I do that when magic would do the job?
Standing at the base of the beanstalk, I tried to magic myself to the top.
Nothing happened.
I tried again. And again. Still nothing happened. What was going on? I could only assume that the spell wouldn’t function because I was trying to get to some indeterminate destination in the sky.
Not to worry. I could use levitation instead. I cast the spell and began to float upwards. This was going to be so easy.
Famous last words.
Everything was going fine until I reached the clouds, but then I lost sight of the beanstalk. I was floating aimlessly, higher and higher. At this rate, I’d be out of the earth’s atmosphere and headed into space. In the end, I had no choice but to reverse the spell, and float back to earth.
There was nothing for it but for me to climb the stupid beanstalk. I’d never been one for climbing trees, even as a kid. It always seemed like a lot of work for no reward. Fortunately, there were plenty of branches sprouting from the stalk, so I was able to move from one to the next without having to over-stretch.
Fifteen minutes later, and I was still only about a hundred feet off the ground. I simply wasn’t cut out for this climbing lark.
“Do you need some help?”
The squeaky little voice made me jump, and I almost lost my grip.
“Who said that?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” The little green creature was the shape of a small football, with stubby little arms and legs. “I’m Freddy.”
“I’m rather busy at the moment, Freddy.”
“You seem to be struggling. I could help you get to the top for a small fee.”
“Are you a Fly-Me-Thingy?”
“A Fly-Me-Up? Yes.”
“You’re rather small. Are you sure you can get me to the top?”
“Of course. It’s what we do.”
“What would it cost?”
“Ten pounds.”
“That’s not too bad, I suppose.”
“Forty pounds altogether.”
“You just said it was ten.”
“That’s right. There’ll be four of us, so four times ten is forty.”
“It’ll take four of you?”
“Of course. You didn’t think I could do it by myself, did you?”
“I—err—no, I suppose not.”
“So, would you like us to take you?”
What choice did I have? At this rate, it would take me all day to get to the top. “Okay.” I fished the cash out of my pocket and counted out forty pounds. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” He put two tiny fingers in his mouth and whistled. “Come on guys! We have a punter.”
Moments later, three identical creatures appeared. Identical that is except for the colour. One of them was blue, another orange and the third one was purple. Two of them took hold of my feet while the other two grabbed my hands.
“You need to let go of the stalk,” Freddy said.
The idea of letting go terrified me. What if these creatures couldn’t support my weight? But what choice did I have?
I closed my eyes, let go of the stalk and hoped for the best.
It was the weirdest sensation to be carried by the creatures who had propeller-shaped tails. My weight clearly wasn’t an issue because less than a minute later, we’d reached the top of the beanstalk.
“Here we are,” Freddy said.
“Don’t let go of me.”
“Why not? We’re here.”
“But there isn’t any ground. It’s just clouds. I’ll fall through them.”
“No you won’t. It’s perfectly safe, trust me.”
The four of them released me and, thankfully, it turned out he was right because I found I was able to walk on the clouds, which was pretty cool.
“Thanks, guys.”
“Our pleasure.” And with that, the four of them disappeared.
Walking on clouds was kind of weird; it felt as though I was treading on sponge. Although I’d reached the top of the beanstalk, I had no idea where to go next. Whichever way I looked, all I could see were clouds and more clouds. What was I supposed to do now? Was Mikey even alive or had he already been eaten by the giant? I was almost on the point of despair when I spotted something poking out of the clouds. As I drew closer, I could see it was a road sign which read: Giant’s Castle – this way.
At long last, it seemed that I might have caught a break.
The giant’s castle was an ugly building with high towers at the four corners. As far as I could tell the only way in was through the huge double wooden doors, which were closed. I tried to magic myself inside, but that spell refused to work, and I didn’t fancy trying levitation again. Not after what had happened before.
I was still trying to figure out what to do when I heard the sound of hooves. Moments later, a horse-drawn cart stopped outside the gates. In it was a large cage full of hens, clucking frantically. The weird hooded figure who’d been driving, climbed down and knocked on the castle doors.
This might be the only opportunity I would have, so I hurried over to the cart, climbed into the back, and squeezed into the space between the cage and the side. Not long after the hooded creature had returned to the cart, the gates creaked open. When it came to a halt again, I slipped off the back and then followed the hooded creature who was carrying the cage.
Once inside the huge hall, I slipped behind one of the stone columns. At the far side of the dimly lit hall, which was devoid of all but the most basic furniture, the giant was seated on a stone throne. It’s certainly true that I haven’t seen many giants in my time, but this guy must have been a contender for the Ugliest Giant Ever award. After the hooded creature had placed the cage of hens on the floor, he bowed, and then backed out of the room.
I’d made it this far, but where was Mikey? Was I too late? Had he already been munched by the monster? If he had, what would I tell Kathy? I couldn’t tell her that her only son had been eaten by a giant. It would be kinder to say I hadn’t been able to find him, but then she’d spend
a lifetime wondering what had happened to him.
And then I heard a sound that made my heart soar.
“Help!” Mikey shouted.
It took a moment for me to work out where the sound had come from, but then I spotted another small cage at the side of the giant’s throne. Mikey was looking through the bars, clearly terrified by his ordeal. Although I was relieved to know he was still alive, it broke my heart to see how traumatised he was.
Somehow, I had to get to the cage and get him out, but how? Even if the ‘invisible’ spell worked, the giant was bound to see Mikey once I’d released him. I needed to create a distraction, and I knew just the thing.
Fortunately, the giant was focussed on the book in his hand, so I was able to creep over to the cage of hens. It was locked, but much to my relief, the ‘power’ spell still seemed to be working, so I forced the door open. Once freed, the hens flew in all directions, clucking loudly. Just as I’d hoped, that was enough to get the giant’s attention. Grumbling to himself, he put down the book, and set about trying to catch them.
Seizing my opportunity, I hurried over to the cage in which Mikey was being held.
“Auntie Jill!” Mikey shouted.
“Shush!”
“I want to go home.”
“It’s okay. I’m going to get you out of here. Stand back from the door.”
Once I’d forced the cage door open, I grabbed his hand and we legged it towards the door. We almost made it too, but when we were just a few feet from freedom, a giant hand scooped us up.
“Hmm.” The giant licked his lips. “Dinner.”
“I don’t want to be eaten!” Mikey screamed.
“It’s okay.” I tried to reassure him.
As the giant brought his hand closer to his mouth, I could see his rotten teeth and yellow tongue. What a horrible way to go.
That’s when I remembered the powder that Grandma had given me. I reached into my pocket, opened the paper bag and blew with all my might.
“Achoo! Achoo!”
The giant was consumed by a fit of sneezing. As he tried to wipe his nose, he released his grip a little.
“Come on, Mikey.” I grabbed his hand, and the two of us jumped onto the giant’s arm and slid to the floor.
Once outside the castle, we ran as fast as our legs would carry us back to the beanstalk.