Immediately the Reverend fell silent. Dave grinned from behind the Doctor.
“Post centum quod viginti anos patebo…Proof enough for the moment, 'mate'?” The Doctor's tone was barbed and acidic tone, with an extra bit of venom added to the word 'mate'.
He jerked his head, signalling to Dave that they were leaving. Silhouetted in the doorway, he turned to the vicar and added:
“Just remember: he who pays the piper....”
They both exited, leaving the Reverend alone with his evidently troubled thoughts.
Tobias waited a few seconds and then bolted up the steps, out of the churchyard and back up the road to home and safety. He wasn't sure just what he had witnessed, but he was pretty certain that it wasn't a cosy chat about a forthcoming coffee morning.
***********
While Tobias was eavesdropping and Magpie Jack was flying back to report, Ruby and Pearl were still busy cross-referencing the imagery on the scrap of paper with the information contained in the huge pile of books heaped on the table.
They had been able to confirm Ruby's analysis of the symbolism to a greater degree of accuracy than she herself would have expected.
“It all points to people dealing with Nutters.” Ruby intoned, darkly.
Pearl agreed, adding that the real nutters were those that would get involved with such a sorry collection of ne'er-do-wells in the first place.
Ruby sighed in acknowledgement.
“I fear we may have deception on a grand scale occurring within our own tiny, happy little village, and it is for us to sort it out, root, branch and hemlock!”
Pearl agreed wholeheartedly.
When Magpie Jack arrived back shortly afterwards and made his report, Ruby was confused at first. What would the Reverend Phullaposi want with Dave and the Doctor?
That the Doctor should be so interested in the sign outside the Seven Stars pub, however, rang all of Ruby's alarm bells, and she and Pearl exchanged a knowing and confirmatory glance.
The significance of the symbol of the seven stars was not lost on them. It is a representation of the Saturnine Night, when spirit and soul leave the old body. The locals who frequented the Seven Stars itself, of course, didn't know about the meaning of the sign; all they knew was that the pub sometimes felt as though it was 'haunted'; as though there were other spirits there, aside from those on sale behind the bar. They didn't realise just how right they were. For years, this small local corner tavern had been a spectral hub; a supernatural stopping off and trading point. Spirits would pop in from wherever they were in the ether and trade information on the latest scare techniques, who was presently enjoying the greatest power and influence in the underworld, etcetera; then they would 'spirit off' back into the night. Of course, ninety-nine percent of the locals remained entirely oblivious to such ghostly goings-on, but some of them nevertheless had a 'feeling' that something was a little ‘odd’ or, ‘not quite right’. Ruby and Pearl, being ultra psychically sensitive, could sometimes actually see these ectoplasmic visitations and therefore would not set foot in the place, especially not on Sunday Karaoke Night, when every mournful lost soul seemed keen to communicate to the mortal world that indeed Elvis had not left the building. Ruby couldn't bear it and Pearl would not tolerate it. The number of times they had had to endure a rendition of 'I Will Survive', from a singer that, as was quite evident to anybody with ‘the Sight’, had not in fact survived at all was entirely beyond a joke. In short, the Seven Stars pub was not one of their favoured social spots on their rare nights out. Least of all on a Sunday.
Anyway... right now, Ruby was growing increasingly bemused:
“Mystic emblems delivered by halfwit postmen? Suspect Doctors? Squabbles outside pubs? And late evening meetings in the church cellar with Reverend Phullaposi? An eclectic mix and no mistake! It’s better than Coronation Street! And it's right on our doorstep too!”
Magpie Jack suggested that Tobias had been in a better position to see what was going on, and would no doubt return with more detailed information.
As if on cue, there was a frantic scratching of claws at the caravan door.
“Let him in for Beltane's sake before he claws another hole. We’ve only just had it re-painted!”
Pearl opened the door and Tobias shot in as if there were a thousand banshees after him. Panting for breath, he flopped down near the stove and gasped:
“The Doctor, he's a Nutter…”
“Tell us something we don't know!”Eddy cackled.
“No, no... You don't understand. The Doctor's in league with Alice. He got rid of Nutter's niece's toad, and the Vicar wanted proof, so Doc H shows him a crab, the crab is all shiny and sparkly, so, naturally it scares the Vicar witless. He then demands that the Vic send - or was it post him? - a quad bike, or some virgin noisy patty bows, (whatever they are)... and then the Doc gets all sinister and tells Reverend Phullaposi to learn to play the bagpipes; says he'll pay him to do it and if he doesn't Alice Nutter will be well mad with him, especially if he doesn't play songs she likes... and he has to have this all done pretty soon from what I can make out!”
The room fell silent. Everybody stared hard at Tobias.
Tobias was silent too. He just sat there, blinking in a quietly frightened manner.
The room remained quiet for quite a while, as everybody tried to digest the somewhat garbled information the unfocused feline had provided.
Eddy broke the silence.
“Is it me? Or have I just been witness to the biggest pile of plop since I had the misfortune to catch five minutes of Emmerdale by mistake on the TV a while back? I'm
