Saturday 11 December 2010

The Oggin Saga Trilogy: Part Three
A Prologue:
Life in The Village, or what passes for life, went on throughout Newness Season and into Warm Season. The rise in temperatures brought more work for Oggin the Ogg, indeed, so much so, that he and Bob Weaver decided to work together on a more or less permanent basis. By using Bob’s cart they could go further afield and now cleared middens in That Village and in The Other Village as well. The spoil and compost they produced was initially brought back and piled up in Bob’s garden and the Weaver boys would make sure it was always covered and kept dry. Some they would bag up and sell to gardeners for vegetable patches and flower beds but most of it went to The Wolf Woman, for her small holding business on the outskirts of the village. The youngest twins, Bob and Bob, although only thirteen years old, were entrusted with this task and became firm friends with The Wolf Woman and her She Wolf, which they re-named “Fluffy”. The Wolf Woman seemed quite smitten by the twins and being from The Fens herself, she enjoyed the chance to speak in that strange accent again. All this work meant Oggin had more coin coming in and Kajoa was not slow in helping him dispose of it, not of course that he would mention it. However, a “Knick-Knack extension” was on his mind as he knew it would be needed soon.
H’rsh the Boog was still living with Tookie and had tried to set up a Herb Garden in Tookie’s back yard but strange, unexplained “accidents” kept happening to it and in the end she gave it up as a bad job. Gossip held that the coin H’rsh received for her old cottage was running out and there was much speculation as to how the two women would support themselves in future.
Nitaa the Cutter acquired a young apprentice called Taly, apparently she was from Westex and around ten years old and was very gifted with animals. She had been seen playing with various woodland creatures and when out of the cottage was followed by a small flock of twittering birds and a fawn. Nitaa herself was gaining a growing reputation as a hairdresser and despite her outwardly harsh attitude was slowly becoming an accepted member of village life.
Annie, The Bonnet Biddy, had taken a back room in the village shop and restarted her business with a new line of what she called “Flossinators” which were selling well in the area. Although some wags reckoned she could have chosen a better name for them since you had to stand at least six feet away when she mentioned the bloody things out loud.
The never changing life of The Mammie didn’t change. As ever, new children came and went, older ones were replaced by younger ones in a cycle of repeated caring, cuddling and cosseting. It was noted however that Ted the Postman tended to have a lot of “messages” to deliver to her cottage and some would come quite late in the evening.
On a sad note, The Wolf Woman’s former “friend”, Janice the Farmer, had been found dead at her farm cottage. As she had no living family, tradition dictated that the four oldest members of The Village were given the job of searching her dwelling for any signs of foul play. As expected, none was found, it seems she died in her sleep but however they did find a “Testament” which named Nina the Wolf Woman as her heir. The four agreed that this was a “genuine statement of testament” and as no one came forward to claim any unpaid debts, the title to the farm would be offered to The Wolf Woman, to do with as she deemed fit. In the village, this news was greeted with a lot of rumour and supposition. Most of the villagers knew of the previous ‘relationship’ between the two women and moreover, of the way it had ended, so most were surprised to hear of this Testament and its contents. In any event, this would make Nina one of the wealthiest unattached women in the district, in terms of land owned.......

Thursday 9 December 2010

So there's Part Two of the Trilogy....Part Three will be along sooooooooon.
The Second Saga: Part Sixteen
Oggin the Ogg and Bob Weaver followed the shapely rear of Nitta the Cutter through her back door and into the cottage. Oggin had been into this cottage only once before, when H’rsh the Boog lived there and remembered it as a ramshackle, run down sort of place but this was no longer the case, not at all. The first thing to strike Oggin was the smell, a deep, almost dark smell, very sweet but not sickly, with a hint of herb-like undertones, refreshing and yet very intoxicating at the same time. The rear door had a tiny vestibule that led into the kitchen. The kitchen was a bright oasis of light, white walls, white floors and white surfaces. It was very intense and seemed to be lit from everywhere at once but in fact all the light came from a translucent white ceiling, the windows had been coloured with some sort of deep blue tint, on the glass.
All the internal doors were gold painted and heavily embossed with strange artworks. The walls of the hallway were covered in purple velvet and Oggin glanced up at the ceiling which at first seemed black but was in fact very dark blue and pin pricks of light shone out like stars in the night sky. The floor was black and white, in chequer board tiles. Nitaa reached a door, pushed it open and beckoned the dumb struck pair into the room beyond.
“Come in’ter me w’ed w’oom....an’ meet me guests....”
The “w’ed w’oom” turned out to be the ‘red room’ but Oggin thought ‘womb’ would have done just as well, it was decorated in dark reds and clarets throughout, even the large and well stuffed leather sofa was dark red. The only exception was a huge peacock backed, cane chair in one corner, in it sat a small, blond haired young woman, whom Oggin didn’t recognise. One end of the sofa was occupied by a middle aged looking woman in a tweed suit, who nodded to Oggin as he entered. Once Bob was in the room, Nitaa closed the door behind them and took a seat at the other end of the sofa, Oggin quickly realised that he and Bob were obviously meant to stand. Oggin’s eyes flicked around the room, the lamps were dim and the red shades didn’t help but he could make out the same strange renderings on the walls that he had seen on the doors. The almost tangible silence was abruptly broken by a girlish giggle and Oggin’s blood turned to ice water, it had come from the youngster in the cane chair, it was The Hasslesnag!
The tweedy woman smiled sweetly, leaned forward and spoke.
”Welcome Oggin of the Ogg....and Bob Weaver of the Fens....These are my friends....Nitaa you know of course....and this young lady is Cara....”
It took a couple of seconds for Oggin to regain the power of speech as his brain raced to catch up with his ears. This neat, tidy, almost prim woman in her two piece tweed suit and white blouse was, The Stone Woman.
“Er...um....Hello Gladys....you look...er....well....different...”
The young woman giggled again and Oggin turned his head to face her.
“And so do you.....um....Cara....” he said trying to keep a tremor out of his voice. And indeed she did, a simple flowered sun dress and her blonde locks in a simple but elegant style too, were it not for the impish smile and twinkling eyes, he would not have recognised her at all. Gladys interrupted his thoughts.
“Now...Oggin and Bob...I know that you both have a great many questions and I....we...will try to answer some of them for you...I realise that keeping the secret of the trench has been hard on you both but you must understand...both of you...that it was necessary to prevent a calamity beyond your understanding....”
Calamity Gladys?....What could be so calamitous about a book of recipes written by H’rsh the Boog....why was it so important that Nitaa needed to try and bury it under a few bushels of dirt and stones...”
“...an’ cat poop an’all...” interjected Bob.
“...yes...and cat poop too....Why were the scribbles of an innocent, short sighted, hairy little Boog so important that two honest men and a daft donkey were sworn to secrecy...on pain of dire retribution...at least....can you help us to understand that....”
“Oggin...this whole thing was an accident...nothing more...well a chain of accidents really...but none of this was meant to happen....it just...well...did...”
“To be honest Gladys...that doesn’t help...” 
“Well then....I’d better explain.....As I’m sure you know, there are three types of human kind...The Fairy Folk...The Mortals....and Half-Way Folk...like Nitaa and myself....Cara is one of the Fairy Folk...she assists me in my work....Well, Cara and I engineered the dismissal of Greedle the Bronze in the belief that her loss would be the district’s gain...and indeed so it was...but...what we didn’t know however, was that one silly little Boog would stumble...quite by chance...across some very dangerous herbal recipes and might try and use them...or even worse...lose them...”
“And then....?” enquired Oggin
“And then events spiralled out of our control...First H’rsh moves out of her cottage and shacks up with that busty tart Tookie and her old cottage becomes even more derelict.....if that were possible....and then...at the same time our dear friend Nitaa is driven from her home in Eastex by some narrow minded bigots who insisted she was a follower of the Old Wicca customs.....which she wasn’t I might add....”
“So you move Nitaa the Cutter up here from Eastex...all well and good...but it still doesn’t explain that book...in a tin...in a midden...and a smug Donkey...”
“Well Oggin....despite a search of this cottage...while it was being renovated there was still no sign of H’rsh’s book of recipes...so we assumed she had taken it with her when she moved out...Once Nitaa was in this place, Cara and I convinced the Boogs to pay a visit here for a day of hair therapy and Cara and I searched Tookie’s home for the book....”
“I see...You and Cara, shall we say...remove the book and bring it here....but where do we figure in this little plot of yours....?”
“The midden you and Bob were contracted to provide was just a piece of good luck really....it gave us the perfect place to dispose of that retched book for good....or so we thought...Bob junior told Cara how the job was going but we mistakenly thought you were going to be backfilling...when in fact...you had more to dig...”
“’as thaa dinkey bin taalkin’ out’a turn...?” asked Bob
“No Bob...” replied Cara “he and I have the odd natter during the night...I just misunderstood what he said...I don’t speak Donkey very well....”
“So why is he so damn smug then...?” demanded Oggin
“’cos it was ‘im wot told us not’a burn that bleedin’ book...” replied Nitaa
“Yes Oggin...we have young Bob junior to thank for that excellent and timely advice...Apparently...if we had burnt the book the dangerous recipes would have survived as Elfin Smoke and could be captured by anyone with the right equipment and knowledge....He told us it had to be buried inside a metal box and left to rot in the soil, till the writing is absorbed into the earth...”
“Okay Gladys....that just about explains it all...but it still leaves one small problem...Kajoa...she still thinks I’m hiding something from her...which of course I am....and to be honest I’m really not good at keeping things from her...she sees straight through me...”
“Don’t worry about that Oggin...” replied Cara, “...I have made her ‘forgive and forget’ with a little spell I cast...She won’t be giving you a hard time over that anymore...”
Bob, who for the most part had stayed silent and listened carefully suddenly craned his head and started looking through the window at something outside.
“Wos a’matter wiv dem stooped young’ens...they’m be actin’ daft’er than normal loike....”
“Ah....yes...sorry about that Bob...” replied The Stone Woman “We put them both in a short time loop...they keep repeating the same actions and speech over and over....when you go back outside they’ll think just a minute or two has passed...we thought it best you wouldn’t have to account for too much time spent in here...”
“Hmm...I do wonder waat they be talkin’ about fer all this toime...”
“Prolly be me bleedin’ brassiere size...like dey always do...mucky little buggers....” replied Nitaa in a scornful tone.
“Yes...well...be that as it may Gladys...I think all that is left now is the payment due...for the midden...”
“Indeed it is Oggin...Bob...I trust the secret of the midden’s contents will remain so....here is your payment with our gratitude and our thanks...”
She handed Oggin a large leather bag which he hefted in his hand, testing its weight. He nodded to The Stone Woman and then to Nitaa and turned and winked at Cara The Hasslesnag and she giggled her girlish giggle in reply.
Nitaa the Cutter escorted the two men back through the hall and kitchen and out into the garden. Oggin turned briefly and spoke.
“It’s been almost nice doing business with you...Please contact me if you need anything else....”
With a final nod he and Bob went out to the path and saw the two Bobs sort of freeze and then start talking again, just as The Stone Woman said they would. Bob junior got to his feet and flashed one of his brown smiles at Oggin who smiled back, shaking his head slowly.
So, that was the end of the job, the little band of workers set off back toward The Village and home. The boys shared the job of pushing the ball-barrow and trying to lead a smug donkey. Back at Bob’s house the two men divided the coin as per their agreement over a tankard of ale. Neither were sorry to see the job finished but both admitted to enjoying the time they spent together. Oggin parted company from Bob with a firm shake of hands and slowly made his way home. He cleaned and put away his tools, stowed the ball-barrow and went into the kitchen, Kajoa was busy as usual at the stove and the smell of her Squirrel stew and dumplings filled the kitchen.
“Is that you Oggin ya Bampot ye...?”
“It is my fragrant flower...”
“Weil gan an’ wash your’sell ya dirty beastie ye....supper’s almost done...”
As Oggin went to change and wash he thought of the Hasslesnag’s words and whispered to himself....”Forget...well maybe....but Forgive....somehow I doubt it....”

THE END
The Second Saga: Part Fifteen
The Fairies must have been watching over Oggin as he slept, for in the morning his day bag was on the table and his breakfast too. Kajoa must have mellowed a little after he went to bed, either that or she was trying to poison him. For the second day in a row the Torchman was late, so Oggin stuffed three sausages in his shirt pocket and ate an oat cake as he transferred his tea to his “Sukamug”. This was another of his ‘inventions’, it was a mug with a tight fitting lid and a small spout. You had to suck the liquid through the spout but it was almost spill proof, even when walking. He was quite pleased with it and even managed to sell five to the shopkeeper in The Other Village. Oggin’s own example had a little woolly jacket that Kajoa had knitted for it, it kept the tea hot for longer, or so Oggin claimed anyway.
Despite the sun the morning had a chill to it and as Oggin passed the Green he noticed that Evan Evans was not there with his flock. Instead, several Crows and a few Sea Pigeons were scouting the longer grass for a meal and seemed totally oblivious to Oggin’s passing. The rest of the Village was quiet, even Ted was not standing at his post yet and Oggin was enjoying the feeling of the clean, fresh Newness Season air. Then a soft giggle reached his ears and the enjoyment evaporated like morning mist on a warm day, The Hasslesnag had announced her presents. Oggin stopped and very slowly turned to face the direction of that hated sound, The Hasslesnag was indeed there. The red and green striped suit and the little red hat seemed brighter than normal and oddly, her blond hair looked a shade or two lighter as well. She stood about ten feet from Oggin, legs crossed and one toe on the ground, she cupped one elbow and held a slender hand to her mouth but Oggin could clearly see the Impish smile and the twinkling eyes, suddenly she spoke in a clear childlike voice.
“If you keep our Secret,
I shall taunt you much less than before.
If you keep our Secret,
I shall never ever taunt you no more.
But if you go and Blabber it,
If you tell a mortal soul,
I shall drop you in the Deepest Shit,
And land you in a Hole.”
Oggin simply remained rooted to the spot, frozen.
“Remember what we have told you Oggin of the Ogg....We shall be watching you and listening to your every word....”
As the creature spoke the last words, she just slowly faded away from the feet up, till nothing was left but that Impish smile and then that too disappeared with a light ‘pop’ and she was gone.
Oggin just stood stock still for a minute, The Hasslesnag’s words still ringing in his ears and a sense of foreboding clouding his thoughts. Fairies and magical folk in general played a part in everyday life in The Land of Ogg, not a great part but it never paid to dismiss them, especially if they appeared and spoke to you. Imps and Pixies were known to cause trouble and were fond of playing tricks on mortals, however the Gnomes and Elves, The Old Woodland Folk as they were known, tended to keep to themselves and were generally seen as a force for good. The Stone Woman seemed to act as a “go between”, she was a mortal but had some of “The Powers” at her disposal, Oggin was never sure if she was a force for good or otherwise. With a shake of his head, he walked on toward Bob Weaver’s cottage, he was a pragmatist at heart and accepted what fate brought his way and tried to make the best of any situation but he was having trouble this time.
He got to Bob’s place to find the boys and Bob waiting outside the gate and was puzzled to see Bob junior waiting as well.
“Mornin’ Oggin...I ‘ope you don’ mind but I’s bringin’ the dinky cos ‘e were gettin’ bum’shis wen ‘e thought we’en were leavin’ ‘e a’hind loike”
“Not at all...young Bob junior is welcome to come for the walk if he wants to...”
At the mention of his name Bob junior pricked up his ears, looked at Oggin and gave him a huge brown toothed smile and snorted a greeting.
With the two boys supposedly leading the Donkey they set off, Oggin let the lads take the lead but observed that Bob junior seemed to be doing the leading and so he hung back, to talk to Bob in confidence. He told him about The Hasslesnag’s warning and they both agreed it would be best not to ignore it, Bob had had dealings with the fairy folk before and seemed, if anything, even more worried than Oggin. It seemed to Oggin that only by asking The Stone Woman some very direct questions and hoping for very straight answers would they discover the real truth, Bob agreed but added that even if they did find out what was behind all this nonsense it wouldn’t help them much. Oggin had to fall in with that view but said he would just feel better if he knew what was really going on.
As they reached Nitaa’s cottage the boys tied Bob Junior to a tree and the donkey just lay down and smiled at Oggin again. Oggin hated to admit it but the donkey was beginning to alarm him a bit, there was nothing he could put his finger on, it just seemed a bit too “knowing” for comfort. Oggin lead the way to the back garden and regained a little of his confidence when he found everything as they had left it. Yet again, the young Weaver boys proved their worth as they set about clearing the tools and began filling the ball-barrow with small stones. Bob senior got straight into the trench and was waiting to start with the spreading, Oggin took advantage of the opportunity and went to the back door and knocked. After a short pause, the door opened to reveal Nitta in another cat suit, this time in bright blue. Her hair was dyed to match, except for the white streak and it struck Oggin that she looked like a busty lightning bolt.
“’ello Oggin ya ole bugger....wot can I do for ya...?”
“Good morning Nitta...I thought I’d let you know we’ll be finished today...are all your ‘girls’ safe indoors...?”
“Yeah...all safe’n sand....Lis’en....I got visit’ers...so you jus’ gimme a knock wen ya dun...al’wite....”
“Will do...will do.....I’ll speak to you later then....”
She closed the door without reply and Oggin fancied he’d just been dismissed from her presents like a young farm boy. He returned to the trench to find Bob had spread the barrow load and the lads were busy filling a second load, Bob glanced up and spoke softly.
“’er’s lookin’ a bitty over dressed fer this toieme a day ain’t ‘er....?”
“Did you see the hair...?”
“Are....looked roite daft ta moi way a thinkin’....still....‘er coin’s as good as anyone’s I s’pose...”
“That’s true......I think one more load after this should be enough...what do you recon...?”
“Let’s see wen they is in an’ flat loike....”
As it turned out it took a load and a half to bring the trench up to the correct level and both men stood back and declared themselves satisfied. The four of them then brought the cover across and laid it over the trench with the slide just short of the cage, Oggin told the boys to carefully spread out the remaining spoil and stones on the bare patches and rake it smooth, then tread it down. He watched as bob cut the slide hole in the cage wall and then between them they slid the cover into place, it was a perfect fit. Oggin then got on his knees and worked his way around the edge of the lid, using garden pebbles to hide the joint, meanwhile Bob attended to the ‘flap’ of wire from the cage that would prevent feline escapes. The two boys finished at the same time as Oggin and they all three worked at getting the patches of earth covered with pebbles, to match the rest of the garden. By this time, Bob had finished working and joined them as they completed the last few feet. Both Oggin and Bob stood off to one side and looked over their work, the job was neat and tidy. The lid, with its’ oiled finish and simple construction looked very good and complemented the pebbled garden really well. The boys had collected all the tools into the ball-barrow and Oggin sent them out to the path to wait with Bob Junior while he and their father dealt with Nitta the Cutter.
Once the lads had disappeared, the two men approached the back door and with some apprehension, Oggin knocked. Nitaa opened it almost immediately and stood smiling at them, her gold eyes flashing in the sunlight.
“You boys don’t ‘ang abaght do ya.....I bett’r ‘ave a look...ain’t I....”
She set off up the garden and Oggin followed, trying not to stare at her bottom as it rocked to and fro. She looked at the slide joint with the cage and nodded approvingly and bent over to inspect the hinges on the midden cover. Oggin felt she spent just a little too long in this position but it didn’t stop him from still enjoying the view. She stood up slowly and turned to flash Oggin another of her smiles.
“Yous ‘ave dunn a first claas job..you ‘ave...it awl looks rewee good ‘a dat...don’ it....Cum in‘e ‘ouse the pair off ya....’ere’s som’body ‘oo wans ta meet ya.....both...”
She walked back to the cottage and Oggin shot a worried glance at Bob who just raised his eyebrows and followed on. The pit of Oggin’s stomach lurched and he was suddenly aware of just how a fly must feel, when caught in a spider’s web.
The Second Saga: Part Fourteen
The party slowly made its way back toward The Village and Oggin was pleased that Bob kept his curiosity in check throughout the journey. When they reached Bob’s gate, he sent the boys in with Bob junior and instructed them to unhitch the cart and get some food for the donkey. He then leaned back on the gate and spoke.
“Well then Oggin....wa’s the story wiv dat tin then....?”
“As you know, the cottage you live in used to belong to Greedle the Bronze...she had to leave in a hurry and I don’t think she’ll be back. She used to sell ‘stuff’ to some shady types and got locals to grow the plants for her....and one of them was H’rsh the Boog. Now as far as I can tell poor old H’rsh had no idea what she was growing till some rough types showed up to collect it.....you with me so far...?”
“Aye....I know’d about the Bronze wummin....”
“Well....H’rsh was well known in these parts for messing about with herbs....she tried to use them to colour hair...in fact she tried them out on herself....used to get in a right state too.....anyway, she moved out of her cottage and sold it on......To Nitaa the Cutter...who also dabbles with herbs and is a hair cutter as well...!”
“An’ you recons there’s a connection loike....”
“I’m sure of it Bob....that tin had H’rsh’s recipe book in it and only one person would profit from its disappearance....Nitaa the Cutter....in fact she coloured H’rsh’s hair yesterday....Oh...and that tin....it was a cat food tin...imported too I should think....”
“’ow you know that....”
“That writing on the lid...I’ve been thinking about it....the letters were spaced wrong...like some were missing...I think it said La Cuisine de Chatte.....and the picture....it was a ginger cat...not a monkey....”
“An’ oos gotta load’er cats....” said Bob, with a knowing look.
“...and who’s just moved here from Eastex...right next to the Small Water...”
“Tha’s all well an’ good Oggin....but you’da gotta wonder why loike....wass all the hidy stuff about....?”
“I don’t know...” said Oggin, “...and I don’t think we’ll find out any time soon either Bob....Still...time’s getting on....I’ll see you in the morning and we’ll go and get the job finished and hopefully get some coin too.....you Stay Well Bob Weaver....”
“An’ you an’ all Oggin...you stay well an’ all.....”
The two men parted company with a wave and Oggin made for home. There was much to think about and Oggin tried hard not to think about it. His personal philosophy of “Live and let live” was having a hard time dealing with the events of the day and he knew that Kajoa would quickly sense that all was not well, so decided to put all thoughts of Nitaa, the tin and The Stone Woman out of his mind.
Of course, this plan didn’t work and the more he tried to behave normally the more it showed and the more suspicious Kajoa got. In the end the atmosphere got quite frosty and Oggin went to bed early, simply to escape.
Oggin laid in bed, in the dark, thinking. He knew that Kajoa was unhappy because she realised that he was keeping something from her but he also knew that telling her would be like standing on the green and shouting it out loud!
In the end he decided to sleep on it and hope Kajoa calmed down a little.
The Second Saga: Part Thirteen
The caravan of workers continued slowly on its way toward Nitaa the Cutters cottage, Oggin was sure that Bob Junior was looking ‘smug’ but tried not to think about it, he found the thought of a ‘smug’ Donkey too much to handle. The teenagers followed along behind, still throwing fir cones at each other and the occasional “Ouch” followed by a raucous laugh, betrayed a hit. For the most part Bob Weaver was quiet and Oggin guessed he was trying to make sense of The Stone Woman’s visit, something Oggin had given up trying to do years before.
They arrived outside Nitaa’s gate and there was a brief discussion on the best way to get the midden cover into the back garden and in the end it was decided that it would be best to carry it through on its side, with the slide at the top. As Oggin helped to remove the ropes holding it on the cart, he got his first close look at Bob’s handiwork. He was extremely impressed, there wasn’t a single iron nail or screw used in the whole thing, every joint was fitted to perfection and hardened ‘dowel pins’ used to fasten the entire piece together. The lid was separated from the slide section and three wooden hinges allowed the cover to be lifted up with the slide still in place. All the wood had been sanded smooth and not a rough patch could be seen, even on the underside and then for good measure Bob had applied a light coat of oil to the complete construction, to keep it in good order in all weathers. Despite the weight of the cover, the four of them managed to manhandle it through the gate and into the back garden, where it was placed to one side till needed.
Without being asked, the two boys began clearing the Oggbarrow and tools away from the trench while Oggin and Bob inspected the fence line next to it. Both agreed that a simple hole in the fence, to accommodate the slide would be the easiest option and it should be possible to keep it ‘cat proof’ as well. Now Oggin turned his attention to the bottom of the midden trench. The signs that somebody had recently buried something were only too obvious and as the two men exchanged knowing glances, Oggin wondered what on earth made the ‘clandestine digger’ think this piss poor effort would fool anyone. He told the boys to sit on the pile of stones and grabbing a small spade jumped into the hole. As Bob crouched beside the trench, Oggin set about carefully removing the freshly dug soil and within a minute his spade made contact with a solid object. Placing the spade to one side he cleared the loose soil away by hand and found himself looking at the top of a round tin, he gently eased it out and saw it was about ten inches in diameter and some six inches deep. On the lid Oggin could just make out some printing;
La     sin   De    hat
And under that what appeared to be a picture of a fat ginger rabbit but most of the paint had been rubbed off and rust had taken its place, Oggin looked up at Bob.
“Do you think we should risk opening it Bob.....?”
Bob rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner before replying with a shrug.
“Better’n spend’n the rest off tiime wonder’n wa’ss in ‘un I sess....”
With great care and not a little trepidation, Oggin slowly removed the lid and looked inside. It was a black leather bound book and Oggin showed it to Bob before lifting back the cover to reveal and hand written title page;
The use of Herbs
In the
Colouring of
Hair
By
H’rsh O’Kilarchie
In a flash of inspiration the truth became clear to him, Oggin now knew not only who had hidden the book but also why.
“Wh’a is’sit then Oggin....?” asked Bob
“For the time being my friend, I will say nothing but when we have some privacy I’ll explain it all to you...”
“Fair’nough Oggin....you’da know best.....”
“We’ll just re-bury the tin as we go Bob....you okay with that....?”
“Tha’s fine be I.....le’ss get on with un...afore yon wummin shows er’self....”
“Agreed then...” said Oggin and then raised his voice, “You two boys...you can ‘shift and sieve’ and make a start on sorting the bigger stones out of the pile as well. When the trench is deep enough, the big’un’s go in the bottom and the little’un’s on the top.....Now, one of you two pass me a pick and shovel and let’s get on....”
Once the two boys were not watching, Oggin used the spade to cut a hole in the side of the trench and put the tin in it, out of sight. The work progressed very quickly, Oggin would loosen the soil and break it up and then he and Bob would change places and Bob would throw the spoil up and into the barrow. The two lads worked well, sifting the soil and grading the stones that came out.
The sun had climbed high in the sky when Oggin called a halt for a bit of a break and some food. It struck him as odd the Nitaa the Cutter hadn’t put in an appearance but he could guess why and he didn’t need the distraction anyway. They had done about another hours work when Oggin declared the trench deep enough and told the boys to load the barrow with the bigger stones, while they were distracted, he re-buried the tin in one corner and made sure a really big stone went on top of it. The large drainage stones in the base of the trench had to be placed by hand, one after another, although this was time consuming it was Oggin’s experience that this was the only way to get a good drainage over time. Once he was happy with the bedding layer, the boys started adding the smaller stones on top and Bob and Oggin tamped them down. With a six inch layer of stones in place, Oggin once again called a halt and told them that was enough for today. As before, the two younger Bobs set about clearing away the tools without being told.
“Bob...do you think it’s worth trying the cover for size before we go...?”
“Tha’s up to ee.....but I recons it’d not be much ‘elp till we’da ‘ave an’ ‘ole fer the slide...mind....”
“That’s true Bob.....and to be honest I’ve had enough for one day....we’ll let the drain stones bed in overnight and come back tomorrow to finish off....do you want to join us again...?”
“If’n I can be a use to ee.....I’da loike ter see un finished mind...”
“That’s agreed then...many hands make light work....let’s pack up an’ piss off....!”
The four picked up their grub bags and set off to the front gate, Oggin bringing up the rear. He’d just reached the gate when he heard a voice from behind him.
“Oi....Oggin you finished alweddy...?”
“Oh....hi Nitaa....no not quite...we’ll be back in the morning to finish the soak away and seal it all up...do you think you could keep your ‘girls’ indoors till we’ve done...we’ll be cutting a hole in their run...for the poop slide....”
“Tha’s not a problem....jus le’me know when ya finish....know wot I mean...?”
“I will don’t worry.....stay well...”
“Yeah riiite....An’ you....stay well...an’ that...”
Oggin Turned to go out of the gate and found himself facing the two Bobs staring at Nitaa’s front door, mouths open, eyes glazed and a look of total stupefaction on their faces. Oggin clicked his fingers in front of their faces and both jumped back, looked very shamefaced and went to the back of the cart, nudging each other.
Oggin moved up beside Bob junior, who was still looking smug and said.
“Come on Bob...let’s all go home....”
Bob looked across at Oggin and smiled broadly, shook his head and clicked his tongue and Bob junior set off at a slow, end of day walk.
The Second Saga: Part Twelve
Mournedee arrived with a bang at Oggin’s cottage and much earlier than he would have liked but arrive it did. The Torchman’s knock was in fact actually a little late, as dawn had already broken but Oggin didn’t mind as he and Kajoa had prepared all his needs for the day the night before. He was up and dressed and in the kitchen in a couple of minutes and a quick drink of tea and an oat cake saw him on his way to Bob Weaver’s place with a spring in his step. As he crossed the green, Evan Evans was just driving his sheep to their first feed of Newness Season on the common ground. Oggin waved a greeting and Evan held up his crook by way of reply and as Oggin turned back he saw a sight to freeze the blood, The Bonnet Biddy, in full cry and on some sort of mission. In fact she was almost running and that is not something anyone should see this early in the day, just the same, Oggin couldn’t resist.
“Hey there Annie....where are you off to this early in the day....?”
“Oh....ish zat you “Mish’ter Oggin’sh....?”
Keeping a respectable and more importantly dry distance, he replied.
“Yes Annie....it’s me Oggin....I’m off to work.....what’s your hurry....?”
Oh Mish’ter Oggin’sh.....Good Mornin’sh to you’sh....I got’sh a mess’shge to she Tookie and H’rshshsh the Boog’sh....they’sh is’ss wantin’ hat’sh in a hurry’sh.....sh’ow I i’sh hurryin’ a bit’sh.....”
“Well, well...” replied Oggin with a perfectly straight ‘poker’ face “I wonder why on Ogg they would need hats in such a hurry...?”
“Wells...I really don’t’sh know’sh.....buts I thought’sh I’d better hurrys a bit’sh....”
“Well I shan’t keep you Annie....you stay well....”
“And’s you’sh Mish’ter Oggin’sh....you’sh sh’tay wells too....”
Oggin watched as The Bonnet Biddy scampered away toward Tookie the Boog’s cottage, of course, he knew full well why the two Boog’s wanted “hats in a hurry” but doubted that Tookie was ready to answer her door at this hour and he also doubted very much that Annie was prepared for the sight that was about to greet her!
When Oggin reached Bob’s place he could see the two older boys stood waiting, behind the gate and as he approached they stood back and swung it open. Inside he could see the donkey had been hitched up to a small two wheel cart and the midden cover was lashed to it. The first thing to strike Oggin was that the two boys seemed a little ‘over-dressed’ for a working day and their hair, up to now an unruly mop, was all slicked down and shiny. Bob himself stood beside the donkey and he had a mocking smile on his face as he nodded toward the lads.
“Good Mornin’ to ‘e Oggin....”
“And good Morning to you Bob....and you boys too....I see we are all ready to go...”
“We is that...Young Bob juniou’er ‘ere ain’t bin out fer a week or more....I recon ‘ees almost a’cited...bless ‘un....”
“Come on then...sooner start...sooner finish...” said Oggin.
“You’um two boies can shut the gate and walk behin’ the cart...I don’ won yous gettin’ there afore uzz....else tha’ wumon‘ll be ‘aving ye fer ‘er breakfas’....more an’ loike....”
Bob made a clicking sound and the donkey slowly moved forward, Oggin fell in beside Bob and the two men started through the gate together.
“Tell me Bob...why’s the donkey called Bob junior....?”
“Cos oor ald Dickey, wus call’d Bob, ‘ee up an’ dy’de...this’un iz ‘es son loike...so I calls’un jun’iur....”
“Oh....right...I understand...” said Oggin but he didn’t really.
The two men and the apparently happy Donkey plodded on together in the morning sunshine, the two boys kept up the rear, chatting quietly. As the cart was quite wide, Oggin took them on a slightly more circuitous route, staying on the main paths and tracks. They had reached about half way when there came that familiar ‘Pop’ and cloud of smoke that heralds the arrival of The Stone Woman. The Donkey stopped, pricked up its ears and just stared with hairy curiosity, Bob also stood stock still, although he looked a little apprehensive, the two boys tried to look blasé, in that annoying way all teenagers do.
“Greetings to Thee...Oggin of the Ogg....and to Thee...Bob Weaver of the Fens....and to you “Bob Junior”....O Good and Faithful servant of man....”
At this, Oggin looked bored, Bob relaxed just a little and Bob junior spread his ears in greeting. Oggin could swear he saw the donkey smile too.
“And Good Morrow to you Gladys....to what do we owe the delight of your regal presents....” replied Oggin, starting to get in the mood.
“Take not the piss...Oggin of the Ogg...lest I smote thee with me wand....I have come to give you and your friends a dire warning....”
It struck Oggin that all of The Stone Woman’s warnings were always...’dire’.
“But....before I divulge to you this information most precious....remember ye this...’Never put all your Ducks in one trouser leg’.....Now....listen carefully....A secret lies within the midden you are digging....a secret most evil....most malevolent...in fact....not very nice at all....”
“And what is it....this secret....?” asked Oggin
“If I told you.....it wouldn’t be a secret....would it....!”
“And if you don’t tell us....all this has been a waste of time...” retorted Oggin.
“Ah....yes....right....fair point, O Wise and Watchful Oggin....fair point.....”
“An’ well made an’all...” chipped in Bob.
“Indeed Bob Weaver.....well...somebody...I’m not saying who mind...but somebody has buried something in the midden...she...I mean they...thought you had finished...and she...sorry...I mean They....thought you’d be backfilling it today...”
“So the secret would remain.....well...secret...and under ten bushels of stones...” replied Oggin
“An’a a foo bushels of cat shite an’all...” added Bob, helpfully.
“Yes....stones and.....er...as you say...but my point is it should not be removed...it must remain buried....for all time...”
“Now that Gladys is going to be a bit of a problem... you see the midden is too shallow and needs to be at least two feet deeper....or it won’t work...”
“I’m sorry Oggin of the Ogg.....I have neither knowledge of the vagaries of middens...nor how they function...but I implore you to take care....if you must dig deeper...well you must....but the “Item” must be reburied it must...”
“So it shall be Gladys....so it shall be.....just a little less secret...”
By this time, Oggin, Bob and The Stone Woman were almost huddled together, next to Bob junior’s head and the two lads had got bored, wondered off and started throwing fir cones at each other and weren’t listening, Gladys leaned closer.
“Then it must remain between the four us....and never be spoken of again....ever....”
“Four of us....?” said Oggin
“Why yes....Oggin of the Ogg...Bob junior has heard all that has transpired this day...”
At this, the Donkey twitched his ears and nodded his head, before turning slightly to look at Oggin.
“R-i-g-h-t.....” said Oggin, not believing it himself.
“In that case....Oggin of the Ogg and the Two Bob’s of the Fens...I leave it in your hands...and hooves...to see that this dire secret remains so.....but...remember you this...’Many a Muckle....makes Mud Pie’ ....”
And with another puff of smoke, she was gone. The two men and the faithful beast stood in silence for a moment, before Bob spoke.
“Izz ‘er all’ays loike thaa’....?”
“I’m afraid so Bob.....I’m afraid so....Shall we go...?”
Bob clicked his tongue and the party moved on....
The Second Saga: Part Eleven
And so it was, not half a mug of tea had gone before the “brek oot the whisky” call was heard. Not the Carrot Whiskey, the special ‘Corn Whisky’, the reserve stock, the “good stuff”. Oggin brought in glasses for the pair and was instantly sent back for larger ones, while the inspection of Knick Knacks was quite forgotten, in favour of the new subject of Nitaa the Cutter. It became abundantly clear that the two women didn’t like the newcomer a lot, this despite the fact they didn’t really know her or anything about her but they didn’t let that stand in the way of a good ‘character assassination’. Oggin noticed that drink had a strange effect on Kajoa, in the early stages she became oddly belligerent and he went from “hen” to “numpty”. For the Mammie it was worse, he graduated from “tumshie” to “ya Bassa ye” in a very short while indeed but Oggin figured she had a head start in that department. Of course he also knew that Kajoa’s mood would swing the other way after a while and he hoped the Mammie had gone home by then. As the hour grew late, the Mammie decided she should go home, “tae see af’er th’ weans an’ tha”, although Oggin doubted she was capable of seeing after anything. At Kajoa’s urging he ‘volunteered’ to walk the Mammie to her gate, so she would be safe. He pondered that it was more likely he was protecting the rest of The Village from her, none the less, he took her home as ordered.
He returned home to find Kajoa sitting on the edge of the bath, in a state of undress save for a very broad smile and the crockity pot on the dressing chair beside her.
“See yon pot Oggin....tha’s gimme a few i’dees...so it has....”
And indeed it did dear reader, indeed it did...but let us not dwell on such things.
For Oggin the Ogg, Stoppdee started a good deal later than was normal, in fact it was almost mid-day when he woke. Feeling somewhat more relaxed than usual, he stayed in bed for ten minutes, enjoying the warmth and the smell of cooking seeping in from the kitchen where a humming Kajoa was preparing a Latearly Breaklunch, traditionally the first meal of The Ogglanders Stoppdee. The humming however, was for a different reason entirely. Oggin lay in his bed, hands behind his head, thinking of all the things he wasn’t going to do today, when this quiet reverie was shattered by a loud knock on the front door. This was followed by about the most amazing thing Oggin had ever heard.
“You stay in bed ma hen...ah’ll git thaat....”
Oggin froze, this couldn’t be good, Kajoa never left the kitchen while cooking a meal. Even when the range caught alight once she stayed put, beating out the flames with a frying pan in one hand and still mashing spuds with the other. Oggin had heard that some ‘Jovan Perceivers’ had been in The Other Village and feared bloodshed if they had disturbed Kajoa to “Spread the Good Whispers of Jovan” when she was cooking. He was almost relived to hear the lilting voice of Tookie the Boog, well, almost. The relief evaporated slightly when he heard H’rsh the Boog’s voice as well and then the sound of all three heading for the sitting room. Kajoa’s head popped round the bedroom door.
“You’d best git up rinoo hen.....Breaklunch is ah’but ready...” then her voice dropped to a whisper, “..ain you gotta see the he’air on yon Boog’s....”
She coughed a stifled laugh and went back to the kitchen and Oggin got up, splashed his face, smoothed his beard and put on his dark blue, one piece, Stoppdee lazing-suit. He tip-toed across to the sitting room and peeked through the door crack, clapped his hand to his mouth and almost choking, fled to the kitchen. Tookie and H’rsh the Boog’s were indeed sitting on the sofa but a change had befallen them, obviously from a very great height. Tookie was dressed in an almost modest bright red lazing-suit, it had large holes strategically cut in it so it showed almost as much as it covered but it was the hair, it was also bright red, even her eyebrows. H’rsh had forsworn her normal modest brown or black garb, she was dressed in a very bright green two piece trouser suit and her hair, once a bird’s nest of riotous colour was now iron straight and all Moss green.
Oggin reached the kitchen to find Kajoa bent double, red in the face and holding her breath in an effort not to laugh out loud. At his approach she vaguely pointed at the door and managed to splutter.
“Whit.....whit tha.....feck....”  before almost falling to her knees.
“I think the two Boog’s have been to see Nitaa the Cutter...for hair and fashion tips....bless ‘em.....I surly hope they didn’t part with coin.....”
“Yon Cutt’a must’e paid them’s.....” choked Kajoa, still fighting for breath.
While Kajoa tried to find some sort of composure, Oggin poured out two cups of tea and took them through to Tookie and H’rsh in the sitting room. The two were still smiling like dressmakers dummies and Oggin placed the tea in their hands, while trying not to look them in the eye, not an easy task.
“Er...Kajoa’s just finishing breaklunch....she’ll be here in a minute ....or so....”
“Oh der’s no hurry Oggin....no hurry a’tall....” replied Tookie.
“Ah no.....jus you tell’er ta take her time....an’all....” chipped in H’rsh.
Oggin gritted his teeth and looked them in the eyes to smile and then went back to the kitchen. It suddenly struck him that the two women seemed a little too relaxed, a little too laid back. When he reached Kajoa she was sitting at the table mopping her eyes and trying hard to breathe normally.
“Those two are high as kites....I don’t know what Nitaa the Cutter has given them....but they are so laid back they’re on their arses....”
“Naw way....ye’are kiddin’ me onn.....”
“No really....I mean it...they’re sitting there like a couple of semi dead fish....eyes glazed....silly smiles....and clearly very relaxed....”
“This I gotta see fur ma’sell.....yur food is here.....ah’m gwan’a see this byraway...”
Grabbing a mug of tea, she scuttled off to the sitting room and soon Oggin could make out the sound of conversation. Half of it was an animated Kajoa talking ten to the dozen and the other part came from the terminally relaxed Boog’s. Oggin toyed with idea of listening at the door but decided he wouldn’t be able to understand most of it, so he stayed put and finished his breaklunch, in peace.
After about half an hour, he heard the front door open and shut and Kajoa came back to the kitchen table.
“See yon pair a numptys...they’s reet oot ay’it so they’are....Yon Tookie hoad yin a’her diddies hing’in oot ah hole in her claes...tha clatty bint....and H’rsh...ya keen she swatch’t mouldy so she did...ah hope theys git back hame afore they come roond....”
“True my love....true....but I’d like to be a fly on the wall....when they do....”
Both laughed and then Kajoa recovered her food from the pantry and Oggin announced his intention to have a long soak in the bath and rose to go. He stopped at the door, turned, winked at Kajoa and spoke.
“Would you like me to..er....leave the water in....doll...?”