Birgh Manor - Rasmus

Knud made a small fire in the place designated for it, while Susan unpacked the picknick basket and Finnbogi and Rósa  searched through their food crates. Susan realized that it had been a bad iedea to pack the chocolates with the sausages. Now she had sticky, chocolate-covered sausages. Lucklily the paper they had been wrapped in, was grease proof and had kept the chocolate from the cereals.
They ate the sausages anyway, warm, and with the chocolate spread all over, they did actually taste good. And with a cup of Knud's marvelous coffee to chase them down, they all felt satisfied. They packed and redistributed stuff in their backpacks and made their way to Hilde's house. When they came near, they saw Hilde's car still in the driveway and ligth streaming from the windows. Knud rang the doorbell and mirrored Hildes grin of delight when she opened the door.
"Oh, welcome back, Susan and Knud. I'm so happy to see you," she began. Then she noticed Rósa and Finnbogi and added: "Who are those two."
"Hilde, do you really not remember Finnbogi and Rósa?" Susan asked in a mock-scolding tone
Hilde looked at those two, then looked again. "Blast me! It IS you. Welcome to Tromsø! I surmise that Susan and Knud let you in on our secret."
 "Yes, she did!" Rósa said, "and we're so happy to know it. But today we're here for the unearthing of another secret. Can we speak?"
"I'm all alone, if that's what you mean. My husband is off for a fishing trip and all the children and their children are at work or at school. I'm having a day off and was planning to do some cleaning and cooking before picking up the grands this afternoon. But it can wait."
They went into Hilde's kitchen and sat around the table. Hilde brewed a cup of tea and found some left over cookies in a tin,
Finnbogi found the photo from the surveillance camera at the museum: "As we told you, we work at the Museum for Icelandic Witchcraft. Some time ago we had a wand and other magic paraphernalia stolen. And we think that you know the thief. Look at this."
"Yes, as you clearly suspect I know her. This photo depicts my daughter-in-law, Liisa, Rasmus' wife. I feel perfectly flummoxed as to her being a thief."
"Can you tell us a bit about Liisa, her family, and so on?" Susan asked.  "It might give us something to work with."
"Let me see," Hilde said cupping her hands around the mug, and taking small sips of the scalding brew. "Rasmus met her while travelling with his work. They met in May in Paris, It must be 15 years ago soon ... already then I found it corny But they seem to be happy.  She is older than Rasmus, nine years actually, and her mother died while she was still in school. My Rasmus is an IT wizard, really good with those big data sheets and oh so much more. Liisa is a ... well I call her a pusher," Hilde smiled. "She works for a household appliances company, and she travels Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland, showing off the newest mush-haves to shops and retailers there. She is an orphan, or almost so. Her mother died when Liisa was still at school. The name is Finnish, which is strange as her mother was Dutch. At least I think so. She could have been Belgian too. I never heard of a father. Liisa spoke some Danish, as her mother and uncle lived in Denmark when they were young, and they spoke it as a kind of secret language in the family. That uncle is dead as well; he drowned in a working accident." Hilde stopped. "Sorry for rambling, this has as I said left me a bit flummoxed."

Susan shook her head and Knud spoke: "This fits entirely too well," he said. "Torben and his allied, Tristan both died in an accident in  a spa-place in The Netherlands. Tristan, had a sister. The sister, whom we knew as Terese, died in Paris Maj 1993, but she had a daughter born around 1980.  I am convinced that your daughter-in-law is that daughter. I ma further convinced that she knows about her magic, and that 'Teresa' taught her, not good, but vengeance can be a strong motivating factor."
"But why steal." Hilde said. ""I have a hard time imagining Liisa as a simple thief."
"How did you get your wand?" Susan asked, a rhetorical question, as Susan herself had sung her a wand at their last meeting. "Liisa could not very well ask me to sing her a wand - or Rósa here. We took the liberty of warning My and Anna against her. Aamu, the last wandsinger, is still missing. We tracked her to somewhere in Germany, where she married and changed her name. We will find her, no doubt, But it must have been easier for Liisa to steal one of the old wand at the museum."
"Now you're telling me all this, I'm getting suspicious. She was here during the weekend, with Rasmus and Roseanne of Mary, corny names too. She was acting strangely. She told us all she was on a diet, you know one of those potato and kale ones. She did not eat any of my food, but in the night, I saw her stuffing her face with chocolates, and when I emptied the dustbins in the guest room, I found a heart-shaped box. I still have it somewhere."

***

The heart-shaped box bore a gift tag. "For my charming witch".
"That's a surprise," Rósa said,
"Too much so," Finnbogi added, "I know that handwriting. It belongs to Jónas, our boss!"
"What a strange thing to do!" Rósa said. "Where is Liisa now?" she asked Hilde.
"Liisa is at work. She only returned home Friday. She had been to Iceland showing off kitchen machines ..." Her voice trailed off as she realized the implications of what she had just said.
"It was her." Knud said simply.
"I never realized Jonas could be charmed like that. He has a girlfriend, and is normally very stubborn when we have a beer Friday evening. He never even looks at other girls."
"With magic, real magic, almost nothing is impossible." Susan said determined. "We've got to think fast now."
"Jonas is at the museum, Finnbogi said, and he stays put, same as Frey." Finnbogi mused.
"Liisa has had her new wand," Rósa added. "You showed me, Susan."
"And when is she going to use it, and for what?" Knud asked. "Can she teleport, I doubt it, but does she know of the portals?"
"No on both accounts," Susan said. "She did not like flying, and she had this unlucky spell, so we can be fairly certain she would have 'ported or used a portal, if she knew how to."
"What would you do if you were her?" Hilde said.
"Seek revenge!" Susan shot out.
"On whom?"
"Sandra!" Susan said. "Sandra is wasting away from some strange disease. The doctors just hem and haw and shake their heads. And Teresa would have told Liisa about the teachers, about Martine, Gilvi, Thora, Täthi and Taavi,  and also about Kai and Sandra. She can't get back at any of those, but Sandra. Because they are either dead, or living near us. We would feel it, if she magicked Martine."
"Let's get to Denmark, Let's gather Fiona, Martine, Marit, Sandra, Lis, Tage and Heidi."
I think it's time to move, and move quick!"
"Let's split up," Finnbogi said. "It'll be faster that way. I could teleport you to Marit's place ..."
"Oslo" Susan prompted, "there's a portal there"
"Oh yes, that makes it easier. And Rósa and Knud could get the ones living in Denmark still. Then we just need to lure Liisa to the portals room and on to Birch Manor ...
A police car pulled up outside the house, blue flashing lights filling the room.
The doorbell rang, and Hilde got up and answered it.
"Do you know Liisa Haugen?" the officer asked.
"Yes I do, That's my Daughter-in-law."
"We have to ask your help getting to her. She drove past a police cordon near the airport. Instead of stopping, she waved a stick at me, spurted some gibberish, and drove off with a maniacal laughter. Of course I jumped back, so as not to get hit by her car, and when I and my college got to out car and reached the airport proper, she had boarded a plane for Denmark. We could not stop her, as laughing at an officer is not enough to hold back a plane. Do you have any idea of where she's going?"
"Come inside officer," Hilde said. "This needs some explaining, but yes. I know where she's going. Me and my friends were just discussing her strange behaviour."
The officer sat down. Knud poured him a mug of tea, and Susan cut a generous slice of cake.

"Let me explain." Hilde said. "We're all old friends from a 4H school way back. Liisa's mother was a student there too, which we only just realized this past week. We meet now and then to talk and have fun. Our recent craze is Harry Potter and his magic. I'm afraid Liisa has been carried away with it. We have made some wands, and pretend to cast spells, that's probably what she did to you at the cordon."
The police officer looked stern, then smiled. "Yes, waving a wand and spouting a spell at me. That sounds a bit over the edge to me. But why is she going to Denmark?"
"It's a long story, and we're only just begging to understand it. But Ill try to make it as short and coherent as I can," Hilde began. "It all pertains to the 4H school. Liisa's mother died many years ago, and somehow she has got into her head that the teachers at the 4H school, and some of the parents were to blame for this, and for a lot of other misfortune that has hit her during her life. She is out to have her revenge. As most of the teachers have died, and the only one still alive is a cripple from a traffic accident, she has been concentrating her grudge on Kajsa, the mother of three of our fellow students. We do not really know what happened, we were young then and the teachers' troubles did not exits to us, we had our own.  But Liisa is convinced that Kajsa is the cause of almost all her troubles."
"And now she's on her way to Denmark to wave a wand on her as a revenge?" The officer could not hide his incredulity.
"If only." Susan exclaimed. "But no, we think that she's planning on more drastic measures. Kajsa is old, in her late 80es, and her health is not good. I'm afraid what she will do."
"You're Danish!" the officer said, stating the obvious.
"Yes, Susan said "We attended an inter-Nordic 4H school in Denmark. Those two are Icelandic," Susan said with a bow towards Rósa and Finnbogi.
Well, we're going to ask our Danish colleagues intercept her in Copenhagen airports, and please feel free to warn Kajsa about the wand waving maniac. She sounds more crazy than dangerous to me. But still not stopping and then threatening an officer is a crime. I'm off. Thanks for cake and tea and your willing collaboration." He rose, and Hilde let him out.

"That was some fast thinking, Hilde!" Susan said.
"You told the truth in a way he could relate to," Finnbogi chimed in.
"That Harry Potter ruse was excellent. We might use this onwards," Knud said.
Hilde smiled at their appreciation, but continued: "This just underlines the need for haste. I'll call tonight's family gathering off, and then we go to Denmark."
"No, not straight-away," Susan protested. "I want to go to Oslo to get Marit."
"Can you do that alone?" Knud asked. The others looked at her.
"I feel fairly certain, yes. The portal from here goes to Birch Manor, from there Portal to Oslo,  Find Marit and convince her to join us. Have something substantial to eat. 'Port back to Birch Manor with Marit. Can do."
"The rest of the people we need are near Birch Manor." Knud said. "Only not Fiona. She's probably at home or on the harbour in Hundested."
"We could send her a magic letter," Rósa suggested. "Then she could drive to Birch Manor. It would probably still be faster than Liisa. She has to get to Copenhagen, through the customs, rent a car, and find her way to Sandra's house. That is if the Danish officers do not get her."
"Do you think they will?"
"I don't know. But even if they do, Sandra is still looking like a wilted flower, and now that we know what's most probably the cause, there's no reason to wait," Susan added vehemently.
Rósa penned a magic letter and sent it off, using the formula from page 114 in Spells and Cantrippes for Daily Use.

***

Before long Susan stood in rainy Oslo. She took the bus to Jan and Olav's Wine-import and party service. Jan himself was behind the counter. He asked Susan what he could help her with.
"Hello Jan, You might not recognize me at first sight But I'm Susan from Unicorn Farm. I need to abduct Marit for a day or two," she said, smiling trying to lessen the impact of her words.
"Oh, Susan. I'm so happy to see you. I understood from My that you are the reason behind our re-awakening. I'll call Marit at once, she's in the back room counting snakes - Not live ones!" he added hurriedly seeing Susan's face. "Party ones. We had them all rented out over the weekend, and they were returned yesterday --- Sorry; I'm rambling."

He turned around in the narrow space behind the counter, almost bumping his rotund belly against it and opened a door: "Marit, come here, I need your help."
Marit came into the shop, and Susan, who remembered her as a lovely, slim and nimble flyer, had a hard time recognizing her in the motherly woman in front of her. But then Marit smiled, and Susan felt the years slipping off her.
"Hello, Susan!" she said, obviously having no problems recognizing Susan at all. "Welcome to Oslo. How can I help you?"
"I would like you, no I need you to come with me to Denmark. Sandra, Heidi's mom, is ill. And we fear a curse or some such might be involved."
"I'll go pack. I'll be back in a jiffy," Marit said, and with the swiftness that had been so characteristic of her as a child, turned around and ran out the door.
"Do you want a cup of tea while we're waiting," Jan asked, I'd like a chat, and I just made some fairy bread for Monica and Olav's oldest. Her birthday will be in a few days, February 14th, but as that's a Sunday, we have a tiny party after schools out today. Fairy bread is an old family tradition."
Once again Susan was nonplussed, and she must have showed it. "Fairy bread is a children's thing," Jan explained. "white bread, buttered and sprinkled with nonpareils. Nasty, but tasty in small amounts with tea. Come on in."
Susan cam on in, and was seated at a small, laden table in the back room, while Jan prepared tea. "It's strange to see you," he said. "When you think of people you knew, they do not get older in your mind, and when you see them ... Oh, that was not a very gallant way of saying what I meant. But I mean ... "
Susan smiled at him. "I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way," she said, still smiling. "And you and Marit being married, and Monica and Olav being husband and wife and you all having children."
"And even grandchildren, you'll see them later, or maybe not? How long can you stay?"
"I'm sorry to pull away Marit from the celebrations," Susan said. "But if it is as I think, the sooner the better, and we, or at least Marit might even be back before school's out. How many children and grandchildren do you have, and are they magic? My wrote me a letter, but we have been so busy I never got to read it more than cursory."
Jan took a composite photo from the wall and gave it to her: "The central photo is us, taken at our marriage, you sure recognize us there?" Susan nodded energetically, and Jan went on: "Top left our daughter, her husband and their children, twins, one of each. I won't bother with names."
"Nice of you, they are in My's letter, I can study them later. We're planning to revive the school."
"Yes. My said as much. That's a splendid thing to do. I, we, all four of us, have so many happy memories, and a couple of not so happy. Well, erm, the bottom row is our son, his wife. Her parents were refugees from Zambia, and then their four charming staircase children a boy, a girl, a boy and a girl."
"I think most of them have magic, My son's four are still small, it's hard to tell, but they all love playing with Martine's thingies, even if the smaller like to bite on them more than to try and solve them. Actually I always have a few lying around in the shop. I have discovered a few might be-magicians with their help. I keep a list." He ended smiling broadly. "More people for the resurrected Unicorn Farm."
"Birch Manor it is called," Susan said. "Lovely idea, that was smart. This summer, I hope we'll be able to revive the School. But right now my mind is filled up with Sandra. Please ... "
Marit came down the stairs, practically dressed, an old duffel bag in one hand and an umbrella hanging over the other arm. "I'm ready," she said, "Let's get off." She embraced Jan and kissed him soundly.
"You two do take care," Jan said.
"We will!" Susan and Marit promised him, and went into the stormy, but now fortunately dry February morning.

***

Marit and Susan hurried along in silence. Marit paid the bus fare and they got off near the portal. It was in a back corner of a public park, and now, in the inclement weather it was deserted as Susan had hoped. Susan took Marit's hand and pulled her towards the portal: "This one leads to Birch Manor, our home and hopefully coming school for witchcraft."
When she once again was able to speak without shaking, Susan asked how Marit was doing. "I'm OK," Marit answered through clenched teeth. "It gets better with practise," Susan said, mimicking Jon.
Marit laughed and said: "I sure hope so. It is too long since I last did this. At the Unicorn Farm it did get better actually. I went by portal there and home every day, and after the second year I almost did not feel a thing. The dizziness caught me by surprise."
They climbed into Susan's car and she drove them the short distance to Sandra's home, while explaining what was to expect there. "There's going to be quite a lot of people you know gathered here. Susan said. "Sandra of course - you did not know her that well, did you?" Marit shook her head no. "I'm afraid you're in for a shock." Susan continued: "She is bedridden, very weak, almost translucent. We do not know what ails her. The doctors pooh-pooh and mumble something about her being old. Of course she is old, but she's fading. We think it's something magical. Heidi, Lis and Tage will be there of course, and their spouses, they married all three of them, and their children as well, 6 all in all. And Fiona, Knud, Rósa, Finnbogi and Hilde and maybe some of her children and grandchildren."
"That's a lot of people!" Marit said a bit awed. "Have you been meeting this much normally?"  
"No," Susan answered, "At least not that many at one time, but we have been meeting regularly all of us living in Denmark. And we were going to expand - that's why we have been making portals all winter. Oh, and one last thing: Martine will be there as well. Do promise not to stare. She had an accident long ago. She is doing fine without legs, she can still fly a broomstick better than any of us. Well, I suspect you'll be better once you get a bit of practise."
"Do you have broomsticks?" Marit asked pleasantly surprised.
"Oh yes we do. Didn't My tell you?"
"I don't think she did," Marit said shaking her head. "It's still a bit unreal to me, it'll take some getting used to."
"Now, here we are," Susan said, parking the car outside a small, but cosy looking house in the outskirts of a village.
Knud saw them trough the windows in the door and opened before they reached it "Do get inside," he said. "things are getting crowded, and a bit crazy. But we need you, Marit."
Inside Fiona came running: "Marit, come with me, I need a second opinion. Oh hello Susan, I'm so happy you brought Marit here." Fiona walked upstairs, with Marit following her. Marit looked back at Susan and Knud, who both gave her a thumbs up and smiled at her.

"I feel a bit supernumerary," Knud said to Susan. "Actually Let's go find the kitchen. When there's a lot of people, it's never long before someone begins talking about tea."
"Fine with me, I could use some peace and quiet and a mug of tea after all that teleporting." Susan said with a fond smile.
They were not to have any peace and quiet. They found the kitchen and put on the kettle, but then mayhem broke out. Hilde, who had been outside looking for herbs and things in the well stocked garden, came storming into the kitchen. She looked at her cell phone as if it had bitten her: "Rasmus just phoned me. Liisa is at home. He found her in the garden, unconscious. He has called an ambulance. I wonder what happened."
Knud and Susan looked at her in wonder. "But she was on the plane," Susan said. "Going to Copenhagen. She should land, no, have landed ten minutes ago," she said after looking at the clock on the wall.
"She teleported ..." Knud said. "At least I suspect that's what she did. The police stood all ready to search the plane for her when it landed in Copenhagen. And then she escaped. No-one ever told her that you have to practise long and hard to teleport distances like Copenhagen - Tromsø. She'll be out for days! I wonder if she'll be normal again when or if she comes to."
"I think you're right." Hilde said. "I panicked a bit when he rang. I'll call him and ask him to take all her things and come here. He can book a plane now."
"No, it's better if you go and get him - and the rest of your children too." Susan said. "Get everyone to Birch Manor, we have to meet and talk. And ... You would tell him to get on a plane, you never told Rasmus about being a wizard, did you?"
"No, I did not. It seemed the most kind thing not to. He has no magic, as neither Roseanne nor Mary has. But it has been hard. Keeping this a secret from them with all the other grand-kids and children slowly getting better and better at it, learning the ropes. But we agreed it was the best solution. And his wife a witch, you say. I wonder why none of the children show it."
Susan answered: "Yes we tested the children, but not thoroughly so. Finnbogi will help us get a clearer picture once we all meet again. Some come late to magic, some need a little nudging. You never know!" And on a second thought she added: "Are you sure he's not a wizard after all? Did you ever test him any further?"
"No I did not." Hilde said. "I followed the path of least resistance. It was easier not to mess it up any more."
"I think Knud and I have to go with you and get them all here!" Susan said, and I'm going to bring some of Martine's brain teasers to test Rasmus a bit more first thing I meet him again. I'm still not satisfied he's not a wizard. Let's get moving."
Knud went and asked Fiona to borrow her big car. "I's almost as big as yours, Hilde," Susan said in a half serious tone. You might be able to drive it. Our car is the second biggest. we'll have room enough for everyone."
"Couldn't we teleport?" Knud asked. "Or, no, we need our energy for this and our wits about us. Driving is wiser today."
Knud told Rósa and Finnbogi the gist of what had happened. "And you, Finnbogi, we need you to look-see at Rasmus and the girls when they all arrive. Martine's gizmos are good, but you're better."
"Thanks for the confidence," Finnbogi said smiling timidly. "I'm not use to that kind of work, but I'll do my best."

While Knud and Susan organized their transportation, Hilde went outside and 'phoned her children. She told them to get to her house, as it was the closest to the Tromsø portal. She furthermore told them to bring bedding and clothes and to call sick at work and school for a couple of days.
"What about your husband," Knud asked Hilde, when she looked to be done phoning.
"He's out fishing as I told you earlier. It's a tradition, his annual time out," Hilde answered. "He and a couple of friends go to a place without any modern comforts, and this includes phone connexions. He'll be back the day after tomorrow. I'll have to leave him a note. And yes he knows of the witchcraft in the family, he sorely regrets it, but he has not got one drop of magic in him. I or one of you have to go and get him when he calls me."
They parked the two big cars at Birch Manor, Susan fetched a bag full of Martine's special brain teasers. and then they went through the portal together. When their heads had cleared. and Susan thought it was already a bit easier, at least she was the first one to open her eyes, she asked "What now?"
"My car is over there," Hilde moaned. "Just a sec."
A short while later they were on their way, they discussed how to explain the evacuation, and agreed to go with Hilde's plan. "And then I tell Rasmus the truth."
"Hilde," Susan said. "I think the better solution would be if me and Knud talk to Rasmus once we're settled at Birch Manor. He might take the explanation better from relative strangers."
 "I think you're right," Hilde agreed, "but first we eat."
Susan began protesting, but Hilde overrode her: "You look pale, stretched, You'd be no help fainting in the middle of your explanations. I have a humongous stash of Succotash in the fridge for emergencies. It'll heat up in the microwave in a jiffy and with some bread, it's an ample late lunch.

The lunch was a wonderfully normal, chaotic family affair. Knud cast the Mál sameinast spell and everybody ate and generally had fun. Only Rasmus and his two daughters were subdued. Mary and Roseanne kept to themselves and spoke only little.
When everybody had stopped eating, Hilde rose and clapped her hand: "Please listen everybody. Liisa, Rasmus' wife and mother to Mary and Roseanne met with an accident today. Rasmus was working from home, and heard a strange noise, like a thunderclap, from the garden. He saw something out there, and went to look. There he found Liisa. First he thought she was dead, but then he found out she was breathing. Now she's in hospital, and hopefully the doctors can cure her. There's nothing we can do for her now, except for one thing. Take good care of ourselves. And maybe something is out to get us, as it got her. That's why I asked you all to come here now. In a short while we go through a secret passage to a hideout. There we stay for a couple of days and plan what to do."
The children were exited and soon they were all once again piled into Hilde's and Hans' cars. They parked and dragged all their luggage to the shelter. Knud took Paul and Synne, Hans' two oldest in his hands and swore them to silence. Together they went through the portal. Hans and his wife took their youngest and all the luggage and went through, Hilde stood at the portal and whispered a quick warning to them, Nana and his husband each took a child of theirs in each hand, all had stuffed backpacks strapped to their backs. Hilde whispered to them and sent them through and extended her hands towards Roseanne and Mary. "Come on you two. Daddy and Susan guard our backs while we step through the wormhole." And then Susan and Rasmus were left alone in front of the faintly glowing opening. "Come on, Rasmus." Susan said, "Take my hand and let's get to safety."
"But what about Liisa? Should we leave her behind?" "There's nothing we can do here," Susan said. "And much to be done where we're going, Come on." Susan took his hand, and firmly but gently pulled him through the portal.
"Did they get me?" was his first words when he stopped clutching Susan's hands and making strange, strangled noises.  
"No, they did not, and we're safe here. You can open your eyes now."

He looked dizzy, ill at ease and generally maltreated by life; Susan felt sorry for him and squeezed his hand gently. "Relax, it'll all work out in the end," she said to him.
"That's easy for you to say, my wife is in hospital, almost dead, and the girls, they feel marginalised by the others, and they say that Hilde and my brother and sister do not like Liisa. That they are enemies, even," he said, trying hard not to look too sad.
"I know," Susan said. "It is hard. Please do as I say a little while yet."
"I trust you," Rasmus said, looking to the ground. "You have girls of your own, and grand-kids. They are nice to my girls."
"Yes, they are," Susan said. Your two girls are hard not to like, and I'm sure little Susan, my grand-kid, is showing off her newest rabbit to them right now. Come and see."
"Where are we?" Rasmus asked amazed, as he saw Birch Manor and all Susan's and Hilde's grand-kids, and his own two playing in the sunshine in front of the big, sprawling house. "If I did not know better, I'd say we were in Heaven."
"We're not, but this is our haven, our secret place. Here we can be at ease.  I'd like you to trust me a bit further."
Mary and Roseanne waved at their dad. Little Susan was indeed showing off her rabbits, and had many of the smaller ones as a rapt audience.
"She's good at it," Rasmus said. I always liked rabbits.
"Did you ever have any?" Susan asked, pulling Rasmus to a small door leading to a sunroom looking over fields and a small clump of trees.
"Yes, and rats, and snakes and oh lots of animals, but I liked the rabbits best," Rasmus said with a longing smile. "Liisa never found pets a good idea. They were messy, and we lived in the city in the beginning. After we moved to our semi-rural house pets somehow never surfaced again."
"Did you bring all her clothes and so on, as Hilde asked you to?" Susan asked.
"Yes, It's all in this bag, including some strange bric-a-brac, Hilde found in Liisa's bedstand."
"Great. Could I ask you to sit here and solve one of these puzzles," Susan asked, and placed Martine's brainteasers at the table in front of him. "We have a friend who's an expert in stress and such matters, and he says that these are singularly well suited to relieve tensions and stress."
"Oh, well, OK. Let me have a go then. I suppose I need de-stressing," Rasmus almost smiled and reached for a red puzzle. Susan took a green one and sat quietly solving the well worn loops and rings, listening at Rasmus.
He sat quietly murmuring: "Now this is a tough nut ... This ring goes here - and then, no, not like that. There! And then through here ... And a loop, and back ... Yes! I have it!" He looked up at Susan. "Strange, I felt like ..." He stopped and Susan looked interested at him and nodded. "It sounds a bit crazy, but it was kind of telling me how it wanted to be solved. Am I getting mad or something?"
Instead of answering, Susan gave him a pink and orange store-bought one. "Here, try this one." Susan scrambled the green one all the while still listening to Rasmus getting more and more frustrated. In the end he dropped it on the table in disgust: "That one is not good for my ease of mind. It's clearly not made to be solved, not soothing at all."
Nodding and smiling comfortingly, Susan gave him a purple one of Martine's.
After a short while he looked up. "This one's better, but the red one was very nice."
"I have another red one, but it's quite hard," Susan said, trying hard to keep the excitement out of her voice.
"Let me have it," Rasmus said and almost snatched it from Susan's fingers.
He leant back in the chair with a satisfied sound and fingered the toy fondly. The he began solving it. Susan forgot about pretending to solve another green one and just looked fascinated at his hands working. He worked concentrated, in silence, until with a sound, somewhere between pleasure and disappointment he pulled the ring free of the strings and sticks.
"You did it!" Susan said. "I do not know how to continue from here. We owe you an explanation. But I want to show you, not just tell. Stay put and close your eyes. I need some help!"

Susan opened the door and called Hilde, Knud and Finnbogi over. She consulted with them in whispers, and soon the entered the room. Hilde gave Susan her wand, the one Liisa had stolen, and some branches, she had taken from a tree outside the door. Susan extended her hand towards Knud and Finnbogi, and they placed their wands in her hand. Then she added her own to the bundle.
"Rasmus!" she said. "I have invited your Mum, Knud and Finnbogi from Iceland to come and help me. I have a general idea of how to proceed, but I need your collaboration." Knud and Finnbogi sat across the table from Rasmus, leaving the places next to him free. Susan asked Hilde to sit in one of them and stood in the last place herself
"This sounds phony," Rasmus almost laughed. "Like some Freemason ceremony or something."
"Not at all a bad comparison," Susan said. "Keep your eyes closed. Now I give you  two sticks. Tell me all you can about them." She placed a branch from the bushes in his right hand and Hilde's wand in his left.
"Branches," Rasmus said, "but you know that. I can't feel from which tree. Can't I please open my eyes now? I feel strange keeping them closed."
"Susan looked out and saw Ben, Paul, Synne and two of Nanas children on broomsticks outside. "Finnbogi, please close the curtains." Finnbogi did and Knud lit the light in the ceiling. "Now you can open your eyes," Susan said
"Well, this one is an evergreen, probably pine," he said raising his left hand, "and this one is forsythia, I think."
"And the pine one feels ... alive?" He looked at his mother and the at the other three. Susan nodded encouragingly. "It's nice. It reminds me of Mum, sorry Mum, but it does."
"Fine." Finnbogi said, and Susan handed her her own and Finnbogi's wands. "We're not interested in what kinds of wood or shrub," Susan said kindly, "more in the feel of them."
Rasmus sat touching and weighing the wands for a little while. "These feel almost the same as the pine one, alive, friendly, but subtly different."
"And these two?" Susan said, handing Rasmus a branch from another bush and Liisa's stolen wand.
Again Rasmus touched both branches inquiringly, but did not do much with the newly pitched one. "Another one that feels like the forsythia one. I think it's oak. But that was not what you asked The second one ... I do not like it. It feels -- not evil, but deceptive, slithery." He put the wand down and looked at them all: "What are you doing to me?"
"Trying to make the truth more palatable to you," Susan said kindly. "Do you believe in magic?"
"Magic?" Rasmus said astonished. "Do you mean rabbits out of hats, and such," Susan shook her head. "Then I don't know" Rasmus said. "Witches are something that belong to the Middle ages, and yet ..."
"Yes, Rasmus," Susan said, speaking as softly and gently as she could. "Witches and wizards do exist, still today. You are at the Nordic school for witchcraft and wizardry. The branch you said reminded you of your mother, no wonder, it is her wand. Give it back to her."
Without hesitating, almost robot like, Rasmus picked up the wand and gave it to Hilde, who swished it through the air, making kitchen blue sparks fly.
"And the other ones," Susan said. "Which one is mine?"
"This one," he said without hesitating and plucked Susan's wand from the table. She took it and let her green sparks join Hilde's blue ones."
"This one belongs to one of the men," Rasmus said, picking up Finnbogi's wand. He let his hands touch the rest of the branches on the table. "And this one," he said picking Knud's wand, "to the other one."
"Too right, that's my wand," Knud said. He accepted it as Rasmus extended it and let his reddish sparks join the show.
Rasmus gave Finnbogi his wand and soon red sparks joined the other ones.
"Yes I see. Witches and wizards are real. That explains a lot. And I'm one, too," he said in a wondering voice. Then he turned sober and his eyes went to the table.
"Then there's this last wand," he said slowly, once again picking it up. "It feels odd, young and old at once, male ad female. And as I said deceptive, creepy."
"Does it remind you of anyone you know." Susan asked. "You need not say whom, just yes or no."
"Yes it does," he whispered. "and as you probably know, it reminds me of Liisa, my wife." He shut up, and looked up at them with eyes bright from fright and tears.
"Yes," Hilde said. "I found this wand next to where Liisa crashed."
"She stole it from the museum of wizardry and Witchcraft in Iceland - that's where I work," Finnbogi said.
Rasmus began laughing, a laughter, that turned into crying. They let him cry, Susan found a box of Kleenex and and Knud went after tea and cake.
While they ate and drank, Hilde told the story of Unicorn Farm, Torben and Tristan, Teresa and Liisa and Finnbogi supplied the story of the stolen wands and things. "I think we found it all in her bedstand"
"But why? I simply do not understand?" Rasmus said.
"We think the motive is revenge," Hilde said. "Somehow Liisa has gotten into her head that the teachers from Unicorn Farm and some of the parents were to blame for anything bad that has ever happened to her, from her mother's dead onwards."
"But, that's madness!" Rasmus said. I always told her that all you need is love, but she wanted more. She was a very ambitious woman. What will happen to her?"
"The short answer is: We don't know. Nobody has ever teleported that far without hard and extensive training. She might die, she might live and be a vegetable, she might return to normal, we do not know. But she's a cunning witch. If she awakens, we'll have to do something about her."
"And this makes me think," Finnbogi said hurriedly swallowing his cake. "The girls, do you want to check their magic potentials? You are as good as I am, and you are, like me, one of the very few red wizards, able to recognize magic in other people, and the alignment of it for lack of better word. All of us can feel if a thing is magic or not -- that means differentiate a wand from a branch, and a spell from a newspaper clipping --  but only us  red ones can feel good or bad vibes, or tell which wand belongs to whom. And we can make portals."
"Portals?"
"Yes!" Susan said laughing. "The thing we escaped through. It was what almost 'got you'. And it gets us all in the same way. You are in Denmark, now by the way. And you need a wand. I'm a wandsinger, I'll make you one."
"Mahogany?" Rasmus said with a lopsided smile. "I always felt attracted to that tree. And I feel stunned, and up to here with news and knowledge," he said and held his hand to his head level with his eyebrows
"I'll have to visit a nursery or a saw mill then," Susan said" We have no mahogany growing here."
"No," Rasmus said, now laughing in earnest. "It's a tropical species. I have some at home, I intended to learn woodturning and ... but now it could be used for my wand." He smiled warmly.
"Yes. But not today. Tomorrow. I've had enough of portals for one day!" Susan said.

Hilde went to the door and called for Mary and Roseanne. Knud pulled the curtains back, and Rasmus rose, looking at the children and Martine soaring through the air on broomsticks.
 Mary and Roseanne came in.
"Hi dad." It's boring out there. All the others are off to some secret place, and we're left with only the babies and Susan and her rabbits."
"Don't ever let little Susan hear that you find her rabbits boring," Susan said, "I'm afraid she would not take that kindly."
"No she would spank me, she already said so," Mary chimed in.
Mary came over to Rasmus and was lifted to his lap. He placed his hand on her head like he had done with the wands.
"Hey dad, stop tickling me," Mary said squirming.
"Tickling?" Rasmus said.
"Yes ticking, like, inside my head." Mary insisted.
"Finnbogi, come over here, please," Rasmus said.
Finnbogi placed a hand on Mary's head, tousling her hair. "Am I tickling you as well?" he asked, and Mary nodded.
"Rosy, Could you come here? I know you're a big girl, but I want to see if I can tickle you as well."
Roseanne dutifully came over to her father, but it was easy to see that public shows of affection was beneath her.
"You ARE tickling!" she said. "Mary's right. It feels like an itch inside my head."
"OK, you two do you want some cake?" Susan asked, and that was obviously better than dad's affection, because they came running to her.
Meanwhile Rasmus placed his hands on Finnbogi's head: "Do I tickle your brain as well?" Rasmus asked.
"Nope, no tickling. I can feel your hands on the outside of course, and a bit of warmth on the inside. but no tickling."
"Maybe this tickling is a family thing. Mum come over here and have your brains tickled by your prodigal son!" Rasmus called.
But: "Nope, no tickling, same as Finnbogi," Hilde declared.
"You are a good midwife," Rasmus said, surprised. "Babies love you, and want to come to you. That's what I feel when touching you. Finnbogi feels -- well like a brother I never knew. Kind of like a vault of information or an archive with everything in its right place. Man this is tiring," he added. "So much new to learn, so much time lost."
Finnbogi meanwhile had been touching and tickling Mary and Roseanne's brains a bit more. "Strange," he said. "There's something in there. It feels like magic to me, but it's like tied into a knot or locked away."

***

Early dinner was enjoyed by everyone and Hilde praised the kitchen facilities at Birch Manor.

Next morning Hilde and Rasmus took off for Oslo, with the dual purpose of getting the mahogany for Rasmus' wand and getting news on Liisa's condition.
Marit and Fiona looked drawn and tired after testing and reading about diseases, magical and not until late in the night.
"Your library is well- stocked, as the conditions are, but there's so much missing. So many books and things I only half remember from The Farm or from Taavi's tuitions," Marit said with a sigh.
Rósa too was perusing the books. "I still think there's something we have forgotten," she said. "I'll stay here and look through the books and maybe sort them a bit."
"You're welcome," Susan said. "Sorting of the library is one of those things that keep getting postponed by more urgent matters."
Fiona  added: "Sandra's disease sure is not natural. With her permission I looked at all the test results from her medicinal web-pages. There's nothing there. She's as healthy as a horse. But here she is, wasting away, bedridden, weaker by the day. It must be some curse."
"Have you had Finnbogi look at her?" Susan asked. "I do not know much of curses, but shouldn't they leave some trace or markings on the cursed person?"
"I don't know, bugger it," Fiona said with a despondent shrug of her shoulders, "but it sure cannot do any harm."
"Let's wait for Rasmus to get back and have his wand sung," Finnbogi said, and with a shy smile he added: "If you ask me afterwards, or tell him, I never said this. But he is far superior to me - even now, untrained."

The morning was not idle, much painting, sanding, hammering, hanging and sewing was to be done before Birch Manor would be the school they dreamed of and all set to work with good spirits. Martine came over and gave informal lessons in broomstick handling to all who were not needed and she gave the smallest children rides in front of her, squeals of delight were heard from the meadow every now and then. Little Susan and the older children fed the rabbits and the other animals, and helped make the old garage buildings into a stable and planned a paddock for horses and magical creatures.

Susan was hanging curtains in the dining hall, all the time listening for Hilde's car in the driveway.
As soon as she heard it, she left the curtains to their fate and went out to greet Hilde and Rasmus, returning from Oslo. Rasmus looked a bit green, but Hilde smiled reassuringly at Susan. "It's just the portals getting to him, he'll get used to it. I already did better today."
Soon Hilde, Rasmus, Finnbogi, and Knud were seated in the big kitchen with mugs of steaming coffee or tea, Knud's efficient antidote to all evils. Rasmus handed Susan a parcel, containing a large piece of mahogany and asked if that would work for a wand. "Only way to find out is to try, Susan said. But first, please, did you get some news about Liisa?"
"The doctors said she was in a semi-stable condition, whatever that means. They also told that her brainwaves were altered. They did not know either what could have caused it or how to cure it. She's unresponsive to any external stimuli, and the only idea they had, was to keep her alive with intravenous nutrition and so on, and hope for time to heal her," Rasmus explained in a toneless voice. "After all you said and I've been thinking, I  don't know if I hope for her to wake up or not. She seems to have done something to the girls, stolen their magic or ..."

Finnbogi rose and went over and placed his big hand on Rasmus' shoulder: "We need you here. We need you to heal Sandra, and your girls, or not to heal, but to help me find the reason they're ill!" He turned his head towards Susan: "Susan get started singing that wand! I'm impatient."

Susan took Rasmus' parcel and unwrapped it. She looked forlornly at the big slab of wood inside It was beautiful, soft and with a nice grain, but it did not inspire her at all. Disappointedly she said: "Dear Rasmus, I'm afraid this won't do. I can see you making bowls and things from it, but as for making a wand, it's as inspiring as a kitchen cabinet door. I think wand woods have to be alive." She thought back to Unicorn Farm and to all the wands she had made so far. "Rasmus," she said, "grab that slab of wood and let's find Rósa, I need to talk to her as well, she might know something I don't. And I need you nearby when making a wand for you."
He grabbed the wood and followed Susan into the library where they found Rósa surrounded by books in smaller or bigger stacks.
"You'll have to come and copy some of the books form the museum," she said after half a glance at Susan. "Some of this is in a sorry state, I have more than enough work for my two weeks' holiday preserving and sorting this mess. Where have these books been stored?"
"At the bottom of an old well!" Susan said looking like an excuse for herself. "But right now I need your help as a wandsinger."
Rósa looked up and noticed Rasmus standing a little behind Susan with the slab of mahogany.
Rósa ran over and looked at it. "No, won't do. old cabinet doors can't be made into wands."
Susan and Rasmus started laughing.
"Oh, please let me in on the joke. Life has not been too funny lately." Rósa said impatiently.
Susan stopped laughing: "No, life is not funny right now, but I said almost the same upon seeing Rasmus' precious mahogany. Kitchen cabinet wood indeed!" And she burst into laughter again.
Rósa smiled broadly and added: "Wands have to be sung from live wood, now get out of here, find a nice tree somewhere near for Rasmus' wand and leave me to nurse these poor books back to health again."
"Can we leave the kitchen cabinet door here," Rasmus asked, still a bit short of breath from laughing.
"Yes, I won't touch it," Rósa promised.

Susan and Rasmus went out into the garden.
"OK," Susan said, "Apart from tropical cabinet doors, which kind of trees do you feel attracted to?"
"I don't know," Rasmus said. "I have always been interested in trees purely for their crafting properties."
"Then I suggest you walk the gardens, and look and touch all the different trees you see - and we have many. When you find one, you like, call me. I'll be in the dining hall hanging curtains," Susan said with a small sigh.


***

Susan did not have to hang all the curtains alone, Hans and Nana, Hilde's two oldest children and their spouses, Randi and Claus were there trying to find out what to do, Soon Susan's only job was to boss around four eager helpers from her vantage point at the middle table. They were almost done when Rasmus came to the door. Nana gently teased him: "Oh my tiny brother, coming of age-time has caught up with you as well?" This was doubly funny as Nana was almost a handspan shorter than Rasmus, and Hans was even taller.
"Yes, my dear sister," Rasmus answered in kind, "I an about to enter the realms denied me by you two scoundrels."
"What did you find, Rasmus?" Susan asked. leaving the room and the four helpers to hang the last curtains without her eager eyes resting on them.
"That's the wonder of it," Rasmus answered. "It's a tree I never thought I would have a reason to love. Cherries, I'm allergic to the fruits,  and even though the wood is very beautiful when used for wood turning, I have yet to make a bowl that's not cracked or in some way crooked from that wood."
"You'll have to talk to Frank later. He's the son of Sarah, one of the old apprentices, and he's a wizard with a lathe as well as a real one. But later. Now is the time and place to give you a wand!"
Susan bade Rasmus place his hands on the tree, and placed her own hand on it as well. She could feel the tree, eager, humming, like a well tuned harp. She did not sing for very long before she felt the small loss of power, that meant a wand had been made.
"Catch it!"  she said to Rasmus, still almost singing, and he did. "Now swish the wand through the air like this." Susan showed him the simple move, that made sparks fly. He swished the wand, nothing happened. He tried a couple of times more, but still nothing. Susan put her fingers over his on the wand to check on the placement of his fingers, and could feel the pent up energy in them."
"Relax," Susan said. "Think of how nice it would to become a wizard. Nana won't be able to tease you any more. And praise the Lord you are not swinging that kitchen cabinet door of a wand you tried to make me sing for you!" Rasmus laughed and swished the wand. Bright red and golden sparks flew from the wand and ended up in Susan's hair and down her dress. Hurriedly she pointed her wand at herself: "Slökkvið!" she exclaimed, and the sparks died without hurting her. "Fine, job, Rasmus. Now it's back to school for you. You are going to study Icelandic, wand movements, history of magic, transformation, cryptozoology and all that together with my grandkids and your own children."
"My children," Rasmus said. "They are witches both of them, aren't they?"  
"You felt their magic, and so did Finnbogi. I'm sure it will awaken, or we'll find out how to awaken it. Study they will."

Over lunch in the dining hall, now with curtains, Marit spoke to Rasmus and Finnbogi about Sandra.  "We need your help. To sum it up: Medically spoken, there's plain nothing wrong with her. She's old, but she should be up and running. I saw her medical pages on the web. All her vitals are as good as can be expected from an elderly lady. Yet she's fading day by day, getting more and more translucent. Finnbogi and Rasmus, you come with me, and look at her, we need to find out if it's a curse, a poison or whatever."
"Do you need me or anybody else to come with you?" Susan asked.
"No Marit said, and Fiona just shook her head." Before we know what needs to be done, or can be done, we will try to tax Sandra's strength as little as possible. We're giving her some strengthening potions and spoonful upon spoonful of Hilde's old fashioned bone broth. We're keeping her alive, but not much more. She's in no pain, only tired and weak."
"Thanks for being honest," Susan said. "I would like you, Fiona, to call your husband and ask him to come down, preferably bringing as many of your magical kids and grandkids as possible. It's winter holidays, and I think we should maybe begin formal education in Birch Manor a bit early."
"Nice thought," Knud said. "but are we ready for it?"
"No," Rósa said. "The books are in a terrible condition."
"Yes," Hilde said. "It's time to give most of the grandkids their wands, and teach them - and our children as well the basics of Icelandic and spellcasting. This will be fine with no books."
Finnbogi said: "I agree with Susan and Hilde. We actually have already begun with gathering and Mál sameinast every morning. I should be the one casting it by the way," he said, a bit too selfconsciously, and Rósa snickered.
"Well," Hilde said, "he is the oldest."
"No he's not!" Knud said. "I am!"
"Yes, that's right, Knud, you are re older," Rósa said. "It can't be by much, but you are older. And when we find Helge, he'll be the oldest."
"Helge might be," Finnbogi said, "but Susan said that I was the oldest."
"I was wrong, obviously," Susan said. "I thought you were almost as old as Sif and Elvin."
"No, they were both older than me, quite a bit actually," Finnbogi said in a sad voice. "They were always allowed to do all the fun things."
"When is your birthday, Finnbogi?" Hilde asked.
"January 31st,"  he said. "but yes, now I remember, Knud. You and David. You were just in front of me at the Easter fires, born on the same day, you two were. But which day."
"January 29th," Knud said, "so two days only. Helge was born in September, I think, the year before us."
Finnbogi bowed to Knud.
"Well then it's decided," Knud said. "School at Birch Manor begins today with the singing of wands and the attribution of colours."

Marit and Fiona left with Finnbogi and Rasmus
Rósa said: "Well and good. I'll help with the attribution of colours, but I won't teach any before all the books are sorted and in usable condition once again."
"I think that's fair," Susan said, "and furthermore, we have many blue ones here. You, me, Knud and Hilde. Bringing order to the chaos of books is actually a worthy job. Finnbogi can help you in his spare time, I suppose you learnt a lot about conservation in the museum."
"We did," Rósa said, "but I specialized in books and Finnbogi in textiles and wood, he can help, but so can anyone with a steady hand when I need it."
"Great," Knud said. "We have only him as a representative of the red ones until we find Aamu, and if we are anything near a normal sample, only few are red wizards anyway."

"We're talking," Susan said. "Let's plan instead. How do we find out which colour to attribute to the apprentices? Golly I do not feel ready to become a teacher. I keep on looking for Martine, Thora or some of the old ones to tell me what to do. But Rósa, I need you for wandsinging, I can't handle it alone."
"What about My?" Rosa asked, "was she not supposed to come and help?"
"Yes, but the time we gave her was later she can't come yet," Susan said, "and Sandra is ill or cursed or whatever. Heidi and the twins are too preoccupied to do any teaching just now. I pull back my suggestion of a formal opening, I think we should just begin teaching the kids - all of them, ours and their children alike - some basic magic, some Icelandic, and some proper care of magical creatures. We might only have some disappearing dormice to begin with, but that's a fine start."
"You forget broomriding," Martine said. "Just because you're one of the worst riders ever it does not mean your children and all the others should not be taught."
"Oh," Susan said shamefacedly. "I forgot. You can teach them all you like. But we also need My for the quickening of broomsticks. Or  ... maybe we could persuade Monica to come down, And Jan and Olav would be welcome as well. They could use some practise too, I suppose."


***

In the afternoon, Rasmus and Finnbogi were about to leave with Marit and Fiona to see Sandra at her house. On their way out to the car, Fiona stopped at the table where Susan and Knud sat talking to Martine, Rósa and Hilde.
"This is a bother travelling to and fro all the time. Could we bring Sandra and the whole caboodle here?" Fiona asked.
"I don't see why not," Knud answered, and Susan nodded slowly, thinking: "She could have the room over the old stables, where the principal had her office when this was a home for special needs people, It's out of the way, facing the road, where almost nobody comes. If Heidi, Tage and Lis have no objections, and it's medically advisable, it would indeed make life a bit easier for us all."
They left in Fiona's big car as it was big enough to have a person lying down inside it.

Hilde looked at the others and asked: "What do we do with Mary and Roseanne? Should they join in the teaching or not. and what will we tell them?"
"Well," Knud said. "Rasmus left with Fiona and Marit without doing or saying anything."
"We spoke about it yesterday, no this morning," Susan said. "He would like the girls to be taught with the others, and I agreed. It is not a question of if they realize what we - and they - are but when. And I'd like  them to be told, not find it out."
"I'll tell them," Hilde said. "But I'd like one other to come along, I think Susan would be the obvious choice, as you gave their father his wand."
All agreed on the suggestion and Hilde and Susan rose and went to the stable, where all the children were gathered, admiring yet another batch of new bunnies.
"Susan, if they keep reproducing this rapidly, we'll be drowning in rabbits very soon. Can you either sort them in male and females, or would you like me to tell them not to have bunnies any more?"
Little Susan answered: "I'll keep them in separate cages from now. Granny. I am going to have some help build them, but will do."
"Fine," Susan said. "I'll keep you to your word."
Hilde saw her two youngest grandchildren and called them to her: "Mary and Roseanne, please come here. I need to talk to you!"
"We did not do anything," Mary protested, "and if you talk to us, the others will run off again, and leave us alone with the babies."
"No, they won't," Hilde said. "Today we have planned a surprise for everybody at Birch Manor."
Susan clapped her hands, and slowly the 20 other pair of eyes sought her out. "Today we have a surprise planned for all the children at Birch Manor. And by 'children' I mean all children. My children, Hilde's children and their children, all the way from Nina, my oldest daughter, down to Heidi's youngest grandson, who is only a few weeks old. Now you all go and wash faces, hands and feet, change any dirty shirts, blouses, pants ...you get the drift and make your parents do the same. We all meet in the dining hall in 20 minutes from .. NOW!" Susan said looking at her old fashioned watch.
"You two stay here," Hilde said, as Roseanne and Mary were on their way off too. "Your father is not here, and as I said, I want a word with you."
"We did not do anything wrong!" Roseanne repeated.
"No you did not. I know," Hilde said. "But I want to talk to you. Sit down!"
Roseanne and Mary realised that they had better do as they were told and sat down on the bench next to Hilde. Susan sat at the other end of the bench.
"Do you have any idea what the other children are doing in their secret place?" Hilde asked. "And it's OK to say if you do. We know what they're doing, so you're not telling on them," she added.
"No," Roseanne said. "I do not know. I tried spying on them, but they seem to have disappeared."
"They have fun," Mary said. I can hear them laughing, but I can't find them. I always think I'll see them just around the corner, or in the next room, but they are not there."
"I'll tell you a secret," Hilde said. "We are wizards, all of us here, and you too."
"Like real wizards?" Roseanne asked. "I thought it was only something in the movies and books. Can you do magic?"
For an answer Susan drew her wand: "What is this?"
"A stick," Roseanne said.
"A wand, stupid," Mary said, pushing her older sister. "She just told us she's a witch. Ammirite?"
"Yes, you're right, Mary," Susan said laughing. She swished her wand through the air and the bale of hay next to the bench shimmered, moved, shifted and turned into a deer.
Then Hilde drew her wand. She also swished it, murmuring a few words in Icelandic and slowly soared up to the low roof, surrounded by blue sparks that danced and sparkled around her.
"Can I learn to do that?" Mary asked in wonder.
"Yes you can, but it is not all fun. Some of it is hard work. When first I tried it took me three days to learn how to make a pincushion into a hedgehog," Susan said, smiling at the memories. "And I nearly killed us remembering the wrong word for 'swallow' in Icelandic. That's the language of magic for us, and Finnbogi and Rósa have agreed to teach us. You'll have to learn a lot."
"And we have a small problem with you two," Hilde added. "You tell me you can hear the other, but not see them. Your father made your brains tickle yesterday, and I can't feel your magic at all. Something happened to it. Someone put your magic to sleep. We are all going to help you make it wake up."
"Mum did it!" Mary said. "It was that strange medicine she made us drink when we had that bad cold."
"Yes," Roseanne said slowly. "It tasted bad. It made me more sick. I still feel sick when thinking of it."
"Can you describe that medicine?" Hilde asked.
"It was pinkish," Mary said. "It tasted yucky."
"Yes pink," Roseanne agreed. "And yucky. Like Brussels sprouts and beer and, oh just yuck!"
"Bitter?" Susan said.
"Yes bitter's the word."
"If I did not know better, I would say it was some kind of Mondrian," Susan said.
"Yes, but it can't be!" Hilde said. "Gilvi got that bestiary. You told me, and I trust him to have placed it somewhere out of reach if he did not actually destroy it. We'll have to ask Martine if Thora ever told her anything."
Susan sprang from her seat and facepalmed: "I am a total idiot. There is another copy of Griffon's Bestiary. Ella's grandmother borrowed the book to copy it. I forgot! You take Mary and Roseanne to the meeting. I'm off!"
"Remember to bring something to eat," You're going through a lot of portals, I suppose."
"I will. And please tell Rasmus, Finnbogi, Fiona and Marit about our suspicion when they return."
Susan hurriedly found Knud and told him when she had just realized. "I'm off to Schiltach to speak to Ella. Now."
Knud just hugged Susan and held her close. "Take care, Sweetheart. I can't bear the thought of something happening to you," he whispered.
"Nothing will, I promise," Susan assured him and walked off towards the portals.