twenty two

The town was quiet with the relaxation of night. Darkness was a welcome relief from the strain of sunlight, coolness was a chance to huddle, and the fading colours were like memories, indistinct but ideal. George and Roy’s steps were pleasingly heavy after their time in the pub since the beer had gone to their heads, and they ambled with a carefree attitude.

‘Let’s hope your friend is in now. Should we take anything along, if there is a shop nearby?’

‘I don’t think there is, not in a little town like this. I’m sure he’ll have food and drinks for us though.’

They arrived ten minutes later and as they approached they were happy to see that the gate was open and that the windows downstairs were filled with light.

‘Just as I thought, he must have been walking in the countryside. I hope he’s seen my cart around the back, we’ll have dinner ready then.’

And indeed it was so. When the door opened, the pleasing smell of a meat stew greeted them.

‘Roy! I thought it was your cart. Come in. And who are you sir?’

‘George. Pleased to meet you…’

‘My name is Frank. Dinner’s nearly ready. Do you want beer?’

They were soon sat around the big, rustic dining table that sat grandly in the centre of the big kitchen. The place was filled with mess, some for eating, some for science, some by happenstance, and the whole room was hot with steam and the large cooker’s flames. Frank brought a crate of beer bottles onto the table and announced with obvious pride.

‘This is my latest batch. I’ve been experimenting with different ingredients from the local flora and I like this beer very much.’

‘Mm, it’s excellent. Tastes a bit like bananas.’

‘Indeed. Beer’s a wonderful thing. No doubt in some distant time there will be a beer flavoured like everything in the world; fruit, crops, meats, veg, flowers and more.’ Here Frank quickly made a note in a little pad of paper that he drew from his pocket, and then he began to serve up the dinner.

It was good, rich and nourishing, and after the long day that they had all had, it was very welcome.

‘So, Roy, I haven’t seen you since the last time I watched you play. What brings you all the way out here? No emergency I hope?’

‘I hope net either. My friend George here came into possession of something quite interesting the other day. Something that we believe if from across the ocean, brought by a ship called The Forrester.’

Frank raised his eyebrows at the mention of the ship’s name, and finished his dinner with a puzzled look on his face.

‘I have heard rumours myself of this ship. World travels fast in the world of botany. Let’s see what you have.’

Roy went and retrieved the package from the cart outside while George explained a little more. By the time the small box was in Frank’s hands he looked very excited.

‘So the contents I hold here are a specimen from thousands of miles away; a species never before seen in this land. How thrilling.’

He opened the box and stared in with huge, intrigued eyes.