The children looked at each other in horror, then flashed their torches to where Dan had been. There, where he had been standing they saw an opening in the floor - a stone slab had moved away! ‘Dan, are you all right?’ it was the tearful voice of his sister. ‘Yes, I’m fine, but I can’t see much as my torch broke when I slid down’. ‘You didn’t fall?’ asked a surprised Harry. ‘No’ Dan shouted back, ‘there’s a slide thing, it’s great fun, hurry up and come down, and don’t forget your torches!’. In a flash, Harry lowered himself over and slid down to join Dan. ‘Come on girls, it’s O.K.’ Harry shouted up. The girls looked at each other and grimaced. ‘Do you want to go down?’ Charlotte asked. Rachel thought for a moment, then said ‘If we don’t go then we could miss finding the treasure’. ‘Right’ agreed Charlotte ‘I’ll shut my eyes and just go!’ ‘Are you two ever coming down?’ Dan was getting annoyed. ‘It’s just a slide!’ ‘I’m coming’ called Charlotte and lowered herself down. Whoosh!!! she landed at the bottom and laughed. ‘It WAS fun’ she agreed, and then Charlotte whooshed down. Three torches began to scan the room and then Charlotte squealed - ‘LOOK!’ ‘Charlotte! Don’t start again. There are no mice here’ Harry was exasperated. ‘No, it’s not the mice - LOOK’ and she pointed to where a very large white cat stood. It had pink ears and an enormous bushy tail. ‘Is it a cat, or a fox?’ asked Charlotte as she looked at his tail. ‘A fox, a fox?’ an extremely annoyed cat glared at them. ‘I’m a cat, a very intelligent cat!’ ‘It speaks’ said an amazed Dan. ‘Of course I do. All cats speak! It’s you humans who don’t bother to listen who are the problem, you are too interested in yourselves!’ and he stalked out of the room, his tail held high. He went down a passage then paused ‘Well, are you coming or not?’ he asked. ‘I was sent to meet you after all’. ‘Sent to meet us?’ Harry looked at the others’ puzzled faces then they all said at once ‘Yes, we’re coming’ and hurried down the passage after him. They turned a corner, then another and another, up a few steps, along another passage in which were many doors. The children wondered what lay behind them. They would have loved to pause and explore but the cat kept turning round to make sure they were keeping up with him, and no-one kept Mr. Cat waiting! As they climbed up yet more steps. ‘Wherever are we going?’ Charlotte whispered. ‘There’s a door just ahead’ Harry pointed out, and it was to this door the cat led them. He opened the door and pointed to a wardrobe ‘You will find everything you need in there’ he said. The children stood, completely puzzled, what WAS happening? Just then an owl flew in ‘Are they ready yet?’ he asked the cat. ‘No! Look at them, they are just standing there’ and he shook his head in amazement at the foolishness of humans. ‘Aren’t you going to get dressed?’ the owl asked them. ‘You were looking for treasure weren’t you? Well that’s where you are going - to see the best Treasure of all’. Treasure! the very mention of the word stirred them into action. Going to the wardrobe door they opened it and looked at the clothes. ‘Oh, they’re lovely’ Charlotte’s eyes were as big as saucers as she looked at the brightly coloured clothes. Blue and green, yellow and red, all the colours of the rainbow sparkled and shone with their golden embroidery. Better by far than any they had found in the chest in the turret room. The girls couldn’t wait to try them all on. ‘Look at this dress’ it was Charlotte who was holding up a beautiful red dress almost covered in embroidery. It was magnificent! ‘Yes, yes’ almost growled the cat ‘But when are you going to put them on? How long are you going to keep the eagles waiting?’ ‘Eagles?’ they repeated. ‘See what I mean?’ the cat asked the owl. The owl, sensing the cat’s annoyance, hastily explained. ‘The eagles will take you to the Treasure, but you can’t go until you are dressed, so please hurry’. ‘A talking cat, a talking owl, whatever are we going to meet next?’ asked Charlotte as she made her choice. The boys grabbed the nearest clothes from the hanger and put them on, they were eager to be off. ‘Mine smells of perfume’ observed Charlotte. ‘So does mine’ said Rachel who had chosen a blue dress with lace at the hem. She twirled around. ‘It’s wonderful isn’t it?’ ‘Never mind what they smell like, or look like let’s get on with it’ said Dan. ‘I want to see the Treasure!’ The cat actually smiled. ‘This Treasure will change your life’ he told Dan. The owl nodded solemnly ‘You will never be the same again’ he said. ‘That’s exactly what I’m looking forward to’ Dan was almost hopping with excitement. ‘All the things I’ll buy, the holidays I’ll have and then the fastest car I can find when I’m old enough to drive! Oh, yes, you wont know me, that’s for sure!’ ‘Very true’ agreed the owl. ‘And as for your Millennium Project’ the cat turned to Harry and Charlotte. ‘You wont need to worry about that any more, not once you’ve been where the eagles are taking you’. Charlotte and Harry looked at each other, but before they could say anything the door opened and in walked a large dog. Charlotte, who loved dogs, ran over to him to stroke him ‘Oh, you are lovely’ she said. ‘Thank-you’ he replied, ‘I like you too, in fact I like most children’ and he wagged his tail. ‘Maybe when you come back we could play a game?’ he asked hopefully, his eyes bright and shining. ‘That would be lovely’ said Rachel who had joined them. The dog went to each of the children in turn and was patted and hugged. Dogs were a great favourite with them all. The cat, however, was getting restless ‘Have you come with a message?’ he asked the dog, ’Or are you just being inquisitive as usual?’ The dog laughed. ‘I almost forgot’ he said. ‘The message is “The eagles are ready, when are the children coming?” There! I’ve delivered it’ and he was so pleased with himself that he stood on his hind legs, put his paws high in the air and walked to the door. ‘Are you coming?’ he asked, a huge smile on his face. The children laughed and clapped as they began to follow him. ‘Show-off’ muttered the cat as he closed the door.
Elizabeth Aynsley 1995 ©