The Magic Lamp Trilogy Inspired by Kindra King - USA Kindra King inspired me to write the following story when she said that Mouse is always finding things, so just think what would happen if he found a magic lamp. My eyes opened wide, certainly the possibilities were endless if that was to happen. Mouse and a magic lamp! Can you imagine it? The following story developed with that idea in mind. By the way, the incident about the British couple with the metal detector is true - because one of them was me (Wendy) that it happened to! Part One ‘Mouse! Put That Thing Down!’ Whether or not it had been a blessing or a hindrance was hard to say as yet, but certainly buying Mouse a metal detector wasn’t one of Catherine’s choicest ideas in the long run. However, as far as Mouse was concerned, it was the best gift anyone could ever have given him. In fact, better than best. From the moment Catherine had attempted to show him how it worked, and in so few words too, Mouse’s face had been transformed and he had jumped to his feet from where he had been sitting with the delightful shout, ‘Know it! Seen it! Got it!’ Making Catherine and then Vincent laugh out loud. “You spoil that boy,” Vincent had told her, as their hair-brained friend had scampered away just like his namesake clutching his new gift tightly. “He’s worth it,” Catherine told him. “You all are.” She gazed up at the man she loved with adoring eyes, causing Vincent to look away in embarrassment. Catherine detected his discomfort but couldn’t help adding, “and some more than others,” with a mischievous grin. Bringing himself back to the matter at hand with some difficulty and passing her remark off as misheard, Vincent went on softly. “Let’s just hope that he doesn’t dig the whole place up.” Catherine laughed. “At least Father’s bright idea of making him aware of all the pipe systems first was a good one. We don’t want Mouse following pipes for miles on end.” Vincent grinned at the image that thought represented. Mouse, detector in hand, walking along tunnels with the earphones glued to his head, listening as the bleeper sounded and the light flashed, anticipating digging up treasure only to find it was a pipe network that he had discovered, but not before he had dug them all up! “I heard of a couple in the United Kingdom,” Catherine began, “that took a metal detector to a country park, and the bleeper went off indicating something large. They started digging, and digging, and found what appeared to be a large metal box. Convinced they’d struck gold or some sort of treasure-trove, they lightly covered their find, and returned the next day with larger tools. They resumed digging, and suddenly the woman decided that all was not well, and that perhaps they should check the site out before they continued digging up the entire park. So they re-covered the site, and went along to the library. There they discovered that before the park was a park it used to be a scrap yard for old cars, and what they had been convinced was a treasure box, was in fact the roof of an old car!” Vincent burst into laughter, picturing this, then sobered somewhat. “Let’s hope Mouse doesn’t have a similar experience.” Then he linked his arm with Catherine’s and the pair left Mouse’s chamber together, convinced that the boy wasn’t returning. Obviously he might not return for some time. “Should be peaceful around here for a while at least,” Vincent mused, thinking of Mouse’s absence with his new toy. “Quite so, until the floors cave in, of course.” Catherine replied impishly. “Such a pessimist,” Vincent retorted, grinning from ear to ear as they walked arm in arm back towards the main hub. *** *** *** Swirls of dust filled the tunnel as Mouse dug swiftly into the floor, his excitement high as the shovel delved into the ground again and again in quick succession. “Find it, must be here,” Mouse chattered to himself, remembering the time he and Cullen had found the treasure-trove that Vincent and Catherine had eventually left outside the convent, for the discovered treasure had caused a visit by the green-eyed monster with the tunnel dwellers Below. Mouse had always been convinced that they had missed something, and with his love of glittery things, he aimed to find it, whatever it was. He dug avidly for about an hour, conscious of the fact that he mustn’t make too much mess or Father would have his throat, but content nonetheless with the thought that, if he found something remarkable, Father might praise him too. At last, as he broke into the second hour, his work was rewarded. A handle of something protruded out of the ground, and carefully Mouse dug around it, deeper and deeper until he could free whatever it was. Then, there by the light of a torch, Mouse held up his treasure, and wondered what it could be, but even through the dirt that encased it, Mouse could see a chink here and there of gold sparkling through. He was overjoyed! Setting down the metal detector for a moment, Mouse rubbed the dirt off from his find, and exclaimed with delight when, bit by bit, some kind of jug was revealed before his eyes. “This is great!” he murmured to himself. Picturing returning to the main hub and finding Catherine to show her, he exclaimed, “I wish Catherine could see it now.” *** *** *** Vincent looked up from his reading of Jane Eyre, one of Catherine’s most treasured books, and looked down at her. “Catherine, is something wrong?” She had been listening to his reading, happily leaning against him as they had lain together on the love seat, when suddenly she had stilled, her breathing became shallow, and Vincent grew afraid. Probing the Bond, he could tell that she seemed to be waiting for something. Her breath held, and then without a word, she got up from her place and started to walk out of his chamber. “Catherine!” Vincent jumped to his feet, and followed her out. Fear coursed through him; he had seen Catherine behave in such a way once before, but then there had been a reason. “Catherine?” he called to her, but she didn’t seem to hear him, as trance-like she walked purposefully onwards. All he could do was follow with fear shuddering through his entire being. Before they passed Father’s chamber, Vincent called out, “Father, are you in there?” “Yes, Vincent, what’s wrong?” The older man detected Vincent’s anxiety from his tone and arrived at the entrance to his chamber just as Catherine, and then Vincent, were passing by. “Father!” Vincent wanted to halt, but had to keep up with Catherine, whose footstep hadn’t faltered from their course once. “Please come with us. Catherine seems to be in some sort of a trance.” For a moment, a stunned Father just stood and stared after his son, and then he too called after Catherine. “Catherine dear, wait.” There was no response. Nothing to even indicate that Catherine had heard him. Father ran back into his chamber gathered up his medical bag and hurried outside again, just in time to see Vincent’s frame disappearing into the gloom of the tunnel ahead. Hobbling as fast as his hip would allow, Father caught up with them and leaning on Vincent for further support, the two with great trepidation in their hearts followed Catherine, who obviously was going somewhere. *** *** *** Back with his find, Mouse was delighted. He could clearly see the item now, and knew it to be some sort of lamp rather than a jug. In fact, reminiscent of ones he had seen in ‘Once Upon A Time’ books. He was ecstatic. As he lifted it to the light this way and that to make it sparkle, a movement caught his eye, and he snatched the lamp away from the light to the safety of the shadows behind him. Exhaling a breath of relief, Mouse sighed. “Oh Catherine, it’s you. I wished that you would come.” He smiled at her delightfully. Catherine was his best friend, next to Vincent. “Come see what I’ve found, Catherine.” He hastened to show her, bringing the golden lamp from behind him, and holding it out to her. But for a few seconds, Catherine seemed miles away, and that worried Mouse. “Catherine? Are you all right?” He shook her arm. “Catherine?” He sounded afraid. “What? Oh! Er hello, Mouse.” Catherine came back to earth with a jolt looking around her in a daze. “How did I get here?” Mouse seemed not to hear her, but a sound from behind her caught his attention, and swiftly he hid the lamp from view again. “Vincent!” he exclaimed, seeing Catherine whirl around to look behind her. “Father!” His voice plummeted. “You’re here, too?” “What’s going on, Mouse?” Father asked breathlessly. “Nothing.” Mouse mumbled. “Catherine, how are you dear?” Father came to stand beside her. Catherine looked confused. “I don’t know.” She turned to Vincent. “Why are we here?” “Don’t you know?” His concern was evident and Catherine became frightened. “What happened? Vincent, tell me!” Her voice rose. Mouse looked from one to the other in confusion and anxiety. “You just sort of went off in a trance. You came straight here from my chamber. Nothing either I or Father said would stop you.” “That’s ridiculous!” Catherine stared first at Vincent, and then at Father as they both nodded. “But why? How?” “I know neither the answer to either question, my dear.” Father told her with concern written all over his face, “but since you seem yourself again, perhaps you should come back to my chamber and let me examine you. How are you feeling?" “Strange actually, like I have just lost a part of my life.” “Well, in effect you have. What do you remember?” Catherine took only moments to answer. “Sitting with Vincent in his chamber as he read to me.” She would never forget that, it had been too perfect and too infrequent an experience as far as she was concerned. Nothing but nothing would have made her get up and walk away from that. “And you were happy doing that?” Father knew he was asking an outrageous question, but he had to know. “Perfectly happy. Do you think I would want to up and leave such comfort to come here, to this draughty tunnel and…” Catherine looked around her, something jogging her memory. “Mouse called me,” she whispered looking at the boy with disbelief. “Mouse called you!” Father and Vincent exclaimed at once. “I heard you.” Catherine looked accusingly at the boy, who stared at her in amazement. Even he could see the futility of that. “Have you been here all the time, Mouse?” Vincent asked, “or were you near my chamber?” “Here,” Mouse told them timidly while trying to shield the dug up floor from their eyes, afraid that Father might tell him off. But his attempt proved futile when Father asked, “Isn’t this where you and Cullen found the treasure, Mouse?” Father looked around him, recognising the place. Mouse hung his head sheepishly. “Yes.” “Then what are you doing here?” Father looked around the boy; he could clearly see the metal detector, and knew the answer at once. “Arh.” In that one word his tone belied his anger. “Mouse, you know not to unearth anything else. Look what happened the last time!” “Know it,” Mouse murmured, making Catherine feel sorry for him. She jumped to his defence. “You can’t really blame Mouse, Father; finding treasure is what detecting is all about. Up Above...” she began, but Father cut in. “Up Above, men seek treasure all the time with these things, but down here, we have already found it. Catherine, I was afraid of this, its all very well giving gifts to others, but in this case, my suspicions have been proved true. Mouse just can’t be trusted to use such a tool wisely. You will have to take the detector back from where you got it, Catherine." Mouse snatched up the tool at once, guarding it fiercely, the detector in one hand, the lamp in the other. Father saw the gold glinting in the lamplight. “You’ve found something, haven’t you? Mouse, give it here.” Mouse drew away, holding the lamp behind him, and shook his head. This was his find; he didn’t mind showing it to anyone, but he wasn’t about to give it up. Fortunately, Vincent understood this and used a bit more tact than his parent. “What is it, Mouse?” His tone showed his interest, and Mouse softened. “Can I see it?” Vincent asked, tactfully aware of Father’s escalating temper beside him. Mouse gingerly held it out. “It’s a lamp,” he mumbled. Father drew in a breath as the material of the lamp became apparent. “Mouse, that’s solid gold!” Mouse snatched it back, hiding it behind him again. “Father won’t take it, I promise.” Catherine intervened now, glaring the older man down, and Father nodded. “Yes, I promise, Mouse, just show it to us. Would you…please?” Again, Mouse brought it to the forefront holding it up for all to see. “It’s beautiful, Mouse,” Catherine exclaimed breathlessly. “It is,” Vincent remarked, as the gold glittered despite the fact that it was still very dirty. “And I should think very valuable too,” he added. “Keep it?” Mouse asked, looking defiantly at Father. Father nodded, “I suppose so, but you must promise me, Mouse, not to dig anything else up from here. Do you promise?” Mouse didn’t want to do. What was a metal detector for, if not for finding treasure? “Mouse?” Father asked impatiently, adding, “you know the trouble such things cause.” Mouse nodded, unwilling to reply. Father should have stopped while he was ahead, but he went in for the kill. “And Catherine, I don’t suppose you will get your money back fully on the detector, but no doubt they will give you most of it. It’s hardly been used after all.” Mouse sucked in a breath. “Want to keep it!” He exclaimed, holding onto the detector for dear life as Father reached for the instrument. “Now, Mouse, you promised.” “Did not!” “Mouse, let it go.” “Catherine gave it to me!” Mouse exclaimed, as if that was the answer to everything. Vincent understood that was so. “You’re right, Mouse, and only Catherine can take it back from you.” He looked at her, his eyes appealing to her conscience, but Catherine saw it from Mouse’s point of view. “What harm can he do? He’s promised not to dig up anymore treasure.” Catherine winked at Mouse, so only he could see. Mouse warmed to that wink. Catherine was on his side. Two against two, that was fair in his estimation. But Father had to get up on his high horse; besides, he was cold and wanted to get back to his chamber and examine Catherine. “Now, Mouse!” Father drew himself up to the level that Mouse considered Father’s mighty mode, and Mouse saw red! “Mine!” He bellowed. “Gift from Catherine. Keep it!” “MOUSE!” Father’s voice rose. “Oh, I wish you’d get lost!” Neither Catherine nor Vincent could stop the corner of their mouths from twitching at this. Mouse never said anything like this to Father. NOBODY ever said anything like this to Father! Father’s face reddened with fury, then as suddenly, it relaxed, and Father turned and walked away. The three left behind gave a sigh of relief and watched him go. “You will have to apologise, Mouse.” Vincent told the boy. Mouse nodded, grinning sheepishly. “I know,” he told them, hugging his precious lamp and metal detector to him. “But later.” All three laughed out loud. *** *** *** He should know this place, but nothing seemed familiar. Yet that was ridiculous. Father knew these tunnels like the back of his hand. They had to be familiar. He walked in endless circles, looking for something that he knew, but everything seemed alien to him. Hobbling along, and growing more and more exasperated, Father finally admitted defeat. Somehow, and he hadn’t a clue how, he had become hopelessly, foolishly lost. IN HIS OWN HOME! Distastefully, he reached for a stone and began tapping out an SOS. *** *** *** Depositing Mouse safely back to his chamber without mishap, Vincent guided Catherine back toward the main hub. “I expect Father will be waiting for us,” he told Catherine, as he steered her into his father’s domain, and stopped dead to find it empty. “That’s strange...well, maybe he’s waiting in the hospital chamber.” Taking Catherine’s arm, still uncertain that she wouldn’t wander off again, he led her there, but that too was empty. “Curiouser and curiouser,” Catherine couldn’t help commenting, mimicking Alice in Wonderland. Vincent stared down at her; she really was in a strange mood today. “You know, we never quite established why you left my chamber and went to Mouse, did we?” he asked her, as he steered her now toward the guest chamber, in the slim hope that Father might have gone there. “Mouse called me, I told you,” Catherine replied. It was a perfectly good answer, after all. Vincent shook his head. “No, Catherine. Even if he had, he was too far away for you to hear him. Why, even I didn’t hear him, and I have acute hearing, as you know.” “Silly,” Catherine prodded him in the ribs with one slim finger. “Not out loud. I heard him in my head.” Catherine clapped a hand to her mouth, realising what she had said. “But that doesn’t make sense.” She stared up at Vincent her big grey green eyes a mixture of disbelief and confusion. “No,” Vincent agreed, “it doesn’t make any sense at all, Catherine, and neither does the fact that Father isn’t here either.” They had arrived at the guest chamber and found that empty, too. “Perhaps he’s at your chamber?” Catherine suggested. Vincent nodded. “Perhaps, but why go to mine, when he has to pass his own? He may as well have waited in his own for us, especially as he didn’t know how long we’d be.” “Then maybe he went to use the bathroom, and we missed him,” Catherine offered. “Mmm maybe.” Vincent wasn’t convinced. Something rankled at the back of his mind, but he didn’t like to bring it forward. He didn’t like to think of it at all. *** *** *** Back at Mouse’s chamber, Jamie had turned up. “Hi there, Mouse. I heard you were back. How’d the metal detecting go?” She hurried into his chamber to find him absorbed in his find. “What’s that?” A man of few words, Mouse answered, “Lamp.” “I can see that, Mouse; where’d you find it? It’s unusual, kinda gothic. Say, it sparkles well. Have you been polishing it?” “Yes. It’s gold, see?” Mouse rubbed the lamp to show off its brilliance. “It’s lovely. Can I hold it?” Mouse held it out to her. “Don’t drop it.” He trusted Jamie with his life, but this lamp was special to him. “I won’t.” Jamie took it from Mouse’s hands, delighted by the way the lamp shone, as the candlelight picked up its many facets of brilliance. This way and that she turned it, allowing it to catch the light. “It’s wonderful, Mouse. I wish I had one like it.” She handed it back to him. Mouse continued to study the lamp; he loved it. He had never seen anything sparkle so much. Jamie watched him avidly. “You gonna sit and play with that thing all day?” Mouse didn’t seem to hear her. “Mouse?” “What?” “Do you want to hang out, you know do something, go somewhere?” “No.” Jamie despaired. Since she had recognised the fact that Mouse was handsome in a cute kind of way, she had hoped to get closer to him romantically speaking, but sometimes he seemed just plain childish. “Mouse, sometimes I just wish you’d grow up.” She told him sighing. “And I just wish you’d grow down,” Mouse told her with a wry grin. They glared at one another for a moment, and then Jamie’s expression took on a distant look. Mouse seemed to expect this, but it surprised him nonetheless that it had actually worked. He’d been wondering about that. How had Catherine found him after he’d wished to see her? For a person that often seemed a dimwit, Mouse was remarkably intelligent. And he had an assumption about the lamp. “Want to play hide and seek?” he asked Jamie now, knowing this was a game they had once played many times, but of late Jamie had considered it childish playing it with him. “YES!” Jamie’s shout of delight startled him. Mouse beamed. It was working! *** *** *** Extremely chagrined, Father was rescued. He had no words, nor would he attempt any as a group of tunnel residents escorted him home. And what made it worse was the fact that Mary awaited his arrival, and put a hand to his brow to see if he was unwell. “I’m all right, Mary!” he snapped at her, exceedingly embarrassed. “But Father, you were lost, and you never get lost. At least not there...why you must have walked that route a thousand times.” She looked at him with some concern. “I know. I know. Don’t you think I’m not aware of that?” He snapped again, intensely ruffled. Mary hid a smile behind her hand. “First Catherine and now you.” Vincent’s voice came from the entrance, making Father swing round on the spot and glare at his son. “Well, it’s true, Father. Catherine wandered off in a trance and you seem to have done the same. Father, if I may, would you permit me to offer an explanation, although somewhat unbelievable as it may sound?” Father collapsed into his favoured chair, as Mary poured some tea and handed him a cup. “If you must, Vincent.” Father passed a weary hand over his brow. “Well, the long and the short of it is, Father…” Vincent hesitated, this was going to sound impossible, stupid, and ridiculous. “Yes, yes,” Father spat, “spare us the drama, Vincent.” Vincent grinned. “I do believe Mouse found a magic lamp this morning.” Father, who had at that moment chosen to take a sip of tea, spluttered on the liquid, and had to undergo further embarrassment of Mary banging on his back. He shrugged her off, turning in his seat to glare at her, before staring back at his son. “You are joking?” He finally asked Vincent. Nonplussed, Vincent stared back, and shook his head slowly. As puzzling as it sounded, that was the perfect answer. “You think about it, Father. Mouse said he wished that Catherine could see his find, and she went to him. In fact, she said she heard him call her, inside her head...” he paused, allowing time for that to sink in before continuing, “...and then he told you to get lost... I rest my case.” Father shook his head in denial. “I know, Vincent, but a magic lamp... Why, they only exist in fairy tales.” “With all due respect, Father, so should someone like me. Yet I am larger than life.” “Well, you’ve got a point there, but Vincent, a magic lamp? Why, Mouse could wish for... Oh, my God!” Father leapt to his feet. “Vincent! Do you realise what this could mean?” Up until that point, Vincent hadn’t. He had now! Mouse with a magic lamp. It didn’t bare thinking about! “No, no,” Mary pushed Father back into his chair. “It’s ridiculous, Father, a magic lamp indeed. That’s just a fable, a myth, look at it logically.” “I’m trying to Mary, I’m trying to, but my mind won’t rest on the matter until I have made certain. Vincent, go to Mouse, will you? Just come back and tell me your assumptions were wrong... Please?” Vincent nodded and started to exit when he stopped to ask, “Did you still want to examine Catherine, Father?” “She’s still here?” “Yes, in my chamber.” “Maybe later, Vincent, when you discover anything, if anything is to be discovered. I can’t work against magic, Vincent. If you are right, there is nothing I can do for Catherine; besides the effects seem to wear off after a while, don’t they? At least if you are right, no one has to suffer too long under the wishes’ effects.” “Then I’ll have Catherine accompany me. I’d rather keep my eye on her.” Father nodded. He suspected there was more to it than that but refrained from saying so. *** *** *** When Catherine and Vincent arrived at Mouse’s chamber some half-hour later, Vincent’s suspicions were confirmed, if his domain was anything to go by. Used to the clutter of his living quarters, even Vincent was struck dumb by the sight that met his eyes. Only Catherine’s cry of, “Oh Vincent!” freed his tongue. “MOUSE!” Vincent roared, spinning his hair-brained friend round on the spot as Jamie ran past chasing half a dozen racoons. Catherine burst into laughter. “Where did all these come from?” “Ask a silly question, Catherine,” Vincent chuckled, nodding toward the lamp held fast in Mouse’s hands. “He wished it,” Catherine commented dryly. “Father will have a fit.” “Jamie, slow down.” Vincent grabbed her arm as she sped by a second time, surprised when Jamie replied in a babyish tone, “Let me go, Vinnie.” He hadn’t heard her call him Vinnie in a decade. Catherine burst into laughter. “Seems Jamie has been subjected to wish-victim status too.” “Mmm,” was all Vincent could say. “As much as I am against this, I think Father should come down here.” “You’re sure!” Wide-eyed, Catherine stared up at him. “Vincent, if Father sees this lot it could give him a heart attack.” “That’s probably truer than you think.” A grim voice sounded behind them, and they turned as one to find the person in question standing there. “Father!” They exclaimed, trying to shield his eyes from the view beyond with their bodies. “I just had an idea that if I stayed where I was and something had happened, I was never likely to hear about it. I decided that I should see it for my own eyes. Stand aside please, I’m a big boy now.” Vincent looked at Catherine and back at Father. He shrugged and stepped aside. The view that met Father’s eyes made him instantly wish he hadn’t been so inquisitive. It was absolute bedlam. Gizmos of every description, even though now-finished products for a change, lined the walls in wonderful disarray; mountains of cookies and cakes were piled on every conceivable shelf and table, these being consumed with relish by a dozen or more racoons. Racoons! Father hated the little furry things. One he could just stand, but a dozen? Mouse ran by, darting into the shadows with the lamp firmly held in his hands. “MOUSE! PUT THAT THING DOWN!” Father bellowed, causing Vincent to cover his ears. He had never heard his parent shout so loud, and he’d heard him shout often! Mouse shook his head, grabbed Jamie by the hand and together they tried to side-step the trio in the entranceway to make their escape. A well-aimed walking stick saved the day. Mouse went sprawling, Jamie tripping over him, and Vincent deftly caught the lamp as it spiralled in the air. “Good catch,” Father exclaimed, thinking more of the lamp than the two winded people on the floor, but he helped them to their feet nonetheless. “Next time, do as you are told,” he scolded Mouse, as he brought the boy to his side and went on, “Mouse, what is the meaning of all this?” He now used his stick to convey his meaning, waving it around the mess in Mouse’s chamber, not to mention the livestock. “Wished it, got it,” Mouse told him meekly, shrugging his shoulders and taking the lamp back from Vincent. “Jamie, you seem to be in on this, what have you to say for yourself?” Father turned to the young woman, surprised to hear her giggle childishly. “’Swhat Mouse says,” she grinned sheepishly. Catherine giggled. “I think Jamie is under the influence, Father.” She attempted to lighten the situation, but Father just glared at her. Getting his humour under control, Vincent sobered enough to think logically. “Mouse, give me the lamp back,” he asked the boy in a no-nonsense tone. Mouse obeyed albeit reluctantly. Turning it over in his hands, and feeling very foolish, Vincent said, “I wish that everything should return as it should be.” Nothing happened. “Won’t work,” Jamie giggled. “Tried it. Only Mouse makes it work.” Father’s exasperated cry of ‘Good Lord’ from behind did not help matters. Vincent handed the lamp back to Mouse; “You do it,” he told the boy, “you make everything right again.” Mouse hesitated; even beneath Father’s watchful eye, he really didn’t want to do this. “Mouse,” Father told him sternly, “wish for all the racoons to disappear.” Father held his breath hoping against hope that Mouse would echo those self-same words, he hated ALL racoons. But Mouse showed his aptitude once again, when he re-phrased the request. “I wish for all the racoons except Arthur to disappear.” As usual, it didn’t happen straight away, but one by one the amount of racoons in the room grew less and less, until only one remained that being Mouse’s pet racoon Arthur. “What about gizmos?” Mouse asked, downhearted. “Are they complete now?” Father asked; they looked to be. Maybe they could put some of them to use at long last. “Yes.” “Then they can stay,” Father told the delighted lad, “but as to this...” he indicated the lamp with his stick, “this has to go.” “NO!” Mouse cried, so distressed it sounded as if someone had torn his heart away. Father blinked rapidly, forcing back the tears; he could feel the boy’s pain. “I’m sorry, Mouse. But you know this lamp is like the treasure you found. In the wrong hands, it could become an instrument for evil.” Mouse scowled, determined to hold on to his treasure for dear life. Father went on, determined to succeed. “Mouse, just imagine if Paracelsus were to get hold of this lamp, just imagine what would happen. Why, knowing Paracelsus, he knows that you have it already.” Large eyes looked up from Mouse’s face. This fact had hit home. Such a weapon in their enemy’s hands could prove the end of their world. And that to Mouse wasn’t worth it. He held the lamp out to Father, who sighed with relief. “What will you do with it?” Mouse asked. “I don’t know yet, Mouse. We can’t take it back, or we are just tempting evil. Wherever we put it now, Paracelsus could find it. It has to go somewhere where he could never reach it.” Mouse nodded. He accepted that fact, but it was a bitter pill to swallow. Out of Paracelsus’s reach meant it was out of his too. “I have an idea.” Everyone looked around as Jamie, now back to her former self, spoke up, the effects obviously having worn off. “We could drop it into the abyss.” She looked at Mouse sadly, hoping he wouldn’t think her a traitor. It didn’t work, he did. “That’s an excellent idea!” Father exclaimed, “but I think that Mouse should do it.” Mouse looked up with disbelief. He already felt wounded; did they have to twist the knife too? “I’ll come with you, Mouse,” Jamie ventured. “We’ll all go,” Father told her, “and there’s no time like the present. But first, Mouse, have you undone all your wishes, save for the gizmos?” Mouse nodded, words eluding him. He felt so sad. “Then let’s go to the abyss.” Father told him, feeling somewhat relieved. The sooner they’d get rid of the thing, the better, as far as he was concerned, for he truly was concerned that walls had ears and Paracelsus would be coming forth from wherever he resided, even as they spoke, to take the lamp from them. Even stooping low enough to kill for it if the need be, which was the reason Father would not allow Jamie and Mouse to go to the abyss by themselves. Even so, it was a sullen party that made their way to the abyss, neither finding anything constructive to say. The lamp in the wrong hands could well prove evil, but in the right hands... well each to his own, there were many things each would have liked to wish for. At the edge of the abyss, each person congregated with the other while staring into the swirling mists beneath them as though seeing into the furthest recesses of their own minds. “It is a shame,” Catherine spoke her thoughts out loud. “There’s certainly something I would wish for if I could. Many things, in fact.” Catherine thought about her parents, how wonderful it would be to have them alive again, but knowing that wish to be impractical. If her parents suddenly reappeared, the questions would be unending. But there was one thing that she would wish for above all the rest — that she could understand Vincent better, see things from his point of view and basically to be able to find a chink in his ever-present armour against a future with her. Vincent reflected on his chance so close at hand, yet so far from reach of wishing that he could be the man he had always longed to be. To see the world as did Catherine, to be accepted in its light. And ultimately have a real future with the woman that he loved. Father wished for many things, seldom any of them for himself, yet the top of his list was for the two people either side of him, that Vincent and Catherine would have their happy life together. Jamie just wished that Mouse would notice her as a man would notice a young woman, and that they might fall in love and live happily ever after. Mouse wished for nothing, but as he watched all the faces around him he anticipated that each of them were probably wishing for different things. And right now all he wished for was that the lamp would land somewhere where only he could find it again, and that would give him the chance to make everyone else’s wish come true. “Mouse?” Father gently scolded, watching the boy’s face and knowing the signs. “If you would please, Mouse.” Slowly Mouse held the lamp over the great hole in the ground. The abyss was bottomless; no one knew where it might end. It was unlikely the lamp would ever be seen again. Suddenly a voice rang out. “STOP!” Everyone knew that voice; Mouse trembled - Father had been right. He turned to find Paracelsus at his side intent on snatching the lamp from Mouse’s grasp. With a roar, Vincent leapt at his enemy, wrestling the man away from Mouse, as Mouse realised what he must do. He let the lamp go, watched the swirling vortex gobble it up, but only Jamie heard Mouse utter one last wish, or maybe it was two. “May everyone’s wish come true,” he said as the lamp left his fingers, “and may Paracelsus disappear forever.” As the golden lamp disappeared, so did Paracelsus, and Vincent found himself wrestling with thin air. Everyone stared after the space where they had last seen their enemy, with mouths agape. At last, Father put an arm around Mouse’s shoulders and hugged him tightly. “If I never thank you for anything ever again, Mouse, please know that for this, I thank you greatly, that you wished our greatest enemy and contender for our world out of our midst. May it be that this wish never wears off.” “Won’t,” Mouse told him, still looking despondently into the great vortex before him. “Wished it forever.” Father didn’t ask any more questions, the answer was good enough for him. Forever. No more Paracelsus and his wickedness, forever. “Come everyone, let’s go home.” Father turned Mouse from the abyss, and though he should be proud for what he’d wished, Mouse knew that it might be some time before he could feel happy again. And as they walked back towards the home chambers Mouse found himself wishing fervently with all his heart that his wish to find the lamp again someday would actually come true. To be continued in part two.