I sit facing the paper and the pen lies on the table.
I sit facing the computer and the keyboard lies untouched.
I face the window and watch with no thought, no idea.
A creative block.
A plan to write a story, an idea to write a poem.
Just ideas without substance
Notes without meaning.
The creative block.
By H.P. in an apology.
“Where’s Edward?” asked Mab.
“He said he was popping out to get some milk – and that was over two hours ago”
“You know Edward” replied HP “He does get sidetracked when other things come into his head… wait, that’s the door”
The lock turned slowly, and then the door started to open slowly at first before crashing wide open and Edward collapsed into the hallway
“EDWARD!!!” they all cried and rushed to him.
Edward lay there, bruised and scuffed. He looked about the faces that were now peering at him, concerned.
“Edward… what happened to you?” asked Mab.
Edward turned and looked straight towards Granger. “I… I have a message for you. The Book Club want you to return something that is overdue. “
Blurb laughed out loud. “Granger – a book club? Really, you do surprise me. And hanging onto one as well – what was it a colouring boooo….” Blurb’s voice trailed off as Granger went more pale than usual and slumped against the hall wall.
“They found me. They said they would… and.. and they found me.” Granger turned slowly to look steadily and carefully at his friends “I am so sorry. I thought that being in the uK, far from America I would be safe. But obviously we are too obvious on the internet… and now they have found me. Edward, did they say any more? Did they tell you anything else?”
Mab looked at Granger, then back to the fallen Edward.
“Look Granger, we can ask questions later. We can all ask questions later – I think that we all need our questions answered. But first we need to patch up our friend here. Come on, let’s get him somewhere more comfortable.”
Collectively they lifted Edward up and carried him through to the bedroom, where he was laid on the bed. Andy went off to the kitchen and made Tea for everyone. After some plasters were applied, and Edward had drifted off to an uncomfortable sleep, the rest of the group headed downstairs.
“So,” said Mab “I think you need to explain.”
Granger stood up. “Yes, my friends, I need to explain. Back in the 1930′s as well as gin-running the bookmakers were also very underground. Myself and my colleagues would act as messengers for the bookies carrying the secret information about the rigged events – whilst much was made up abou the horse racing they all had to tell the same story or there would be a drive by. It was hard work – everyone wanted to get the information as simply as soon as that information was known there would be a run on bets and much money could be made.
“When the wars came, all that worked died down and the group – we called ourselves The Book Club on account of our connection to the Bookmakers – disbanded. Mind you, we had become quite a major force to be reckoned with – even the gangsters would not mention us for fear that we would cause damage to them and their families. The Book Club was not a cosy, happy group.
“So all was quiet for many, many years. But as you know we live for many, many years also and once the corporate wars started up again in the 1980′s we were back as if we’d never left – only this time we were Corporate Pirates, looting information about sales and passing it to Rivals.”
“How?” asked a curious Blurb “By the 80′s communications were much quicker and – without being rude – you’re not exactly IT-literate”.
“We would hide in the piles of plush toys. When a child would come to pick us up, we would do something that would either distract them, or direct them to another soft toy. In that way we could work in peace.
“But I started to get cold feet. I’d been doing this for years, and so I approached another group who managed to get me away from the Book Club – and when I managed to get Frog to pick me I thought my troubles were over. But obviously” and he looked upstairs “I was wrong”.
They all sat in silence, wondering what would happen next. Granger stood up and left the room.
———
Granger knocked on Edward’s door. Edward opened a lazy eye.
“How you doing then?” Granger asked.
“Well, I’ve had better shopping trips” smiled Edward. “You know the strange thing was the way in which they approached me. I’ve been thinking about it a little. They didn’t ask if I knew you… they asked if I’d heard from Tough Ted. When I replied that I hadn’t, they smiled – and then started on me. The comment to you was almost a throw away statement. Why would they do that?” Edward coughed – and winced. “They also gave me a phone number – and told me that I needed to pass it to you without the others knowing. Here it is. Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll rest again.”
With that Edward turned slowly, visibly tensing as he did so. Granger could see that Edward was putting on a brave face for the beating he had just taken – but knew that he had to make that call. Without hesitation, Granger picked up the phone by Edwards bed and pressed the numbers.
A quiet voice spoke at the other end. Granger said, “Stitches to join… fabric to seal… 3 Bear oaths. Thank you.” And then he hung up.
HP stood in the doorway. “What was all that about?”
Granger turned “You heard all that?”
“mm-hmm.”
“Then you know all you need to. Actually, you don’t know all you need to. When Edward’s better I will have a job that you and Edward will be perfect for… oh, don’t worry I’m not sending you into doing my job – but I am going to need your help.”
Andy was sat in the centre of the circle of the Order members.
“So tell us about the box” asked Granger…..
Andy walked into a collectable shop. He was always interested in the amount of brick-a-brack and stuff that these places had, all sort of old and sort of looking like they should be expensive, and typically were, but somehow not looking like they should be called antiques. In particular though, his eye was drawn to a burr walnut box – about the size that would hold a set of playing cards. Each of the corners had a small brass edging and there was a line of brass running round where the lid would hinge close. The burr of the walnut was beautifully intricate – and it almost looked like something Andy recognised – a face! but the wood felt so warm to the touch and so tactile, that he just had to ask about the box.
The shopkeeper looked at him. “That’ll be £30 please” he replied – then added “of course, do you really want to buy that one? There’s a nicer one just over there.” He pointed to a similar sized box, which looked neat enough, but somehow this box looked warmer, more inviting, more – well, just better somehow. So Andy politely refused and the shopkeeper took his money.
Andy sat at home, with the new box sat on the coffee table. The hinge lid was open, and Andy was about to put his playing cards into it when he noticed… the cards wouldn’t fit in! But when he lifted them out, it was apparent that the hole was big enough – but as he moved the cards towards the box the hole seemed to close up – not a lot and not really visible – but close up it did and the cards wouldn’t fit! Andy was frustrated, but thought of other things that he could store in the box – that were much smaller – and so stopped worrying.
That night, Andy sat with the side light on as he read his book. The light flickered, then went out. The book landed on the floor.
The next morning HP rang Andy’s house. No reply. He banged on the door – nothing. He tapped at the window. Nothing. All the curtains were drawn at the front, and everything looked in place. HP walked round to the back of the house – and looked through the window (Andy never bothered closing the curtains at the back of the house). On the coffee table HP saw a burr walnut box, with a set of playing cards next to it and on the floor lay a paperback book – that looked like it had been dropped. Other than that – nothing. Except… the burr on the box looked like Andy – his face squashed against the box…
Two days later and they broke into the house having not heard from Andy at all. Everything was as it always was, but with no note or message. HP saw the box on the table, and said to the order “That box creeps me out. I know where Andy got it from – and that it didn’t fit the cards he had bought it for. I’ll take it back for him”
HP walked into the shop and up to the shopkeeper. “My friend bought this box from you for £30. We’ve not heard anything from him in over a week – I know that he was going to bring this back as it didn’t fit the playing cards he wanted to store in them; I’d thought I’d do him a favour”
The Shopkeeper retrieved £30 from the till and handed it to HP. As he did so, he said “My colleague, the one that used to run this shop with me, bought that box at an auction for £40. He was told that it was the box that a succesful poker player had kept his cards in. At his final game, he was accused of cheating – so put the box up for the bet to show faith. The cards were then laid out – he laid out his cards, three aces and two kings - and his competitor laid out the same cards – card for card, suit for suit. The competitor then loudly proclaimed how he had been cheated – but the poker player knew it wasn’t him, but his competitor that had cheated. The poker player also realised that because he had been so very successful that everyone thought he had been cheating all along so it was something that he was never going to win. So he issued a curse on the box that it would never hold cards in again and that anyone who did so would disappear and never play cards again.”
“My colleague took the box home – and being similar to your friend – also saw that it would be great to store cards in. I’ve never seen my friend again – he disappeared that night. But you know the really strange part? I’m sure that in the burr of the walnut I saw his face, pressed against wood” the storekeeper picked up the box and examined it. “But it’s not there now – I must have imagined it. Silly, huh?”
“Yes” said HP, “Silly, huh…”
Mab and 
HP
“Oh crikey, not again!” exclaimed Granger “we might as well throw the book out of the window!”
But this time of course, Granger was much less forceful. This time of course, he would have his own Travelling Companion and would not seen to share.
“Do you mind particularly?” I asked – keen to use EA myself.
“No, I think if EA and HP are happy to be our companions, then I don’t see a problem. I suspect that they may travel more than we do given their general size. But hey, we can focus on order duties then.”
“But - I like travelling and getting out! I don’t want to give it to them”
“Don’t worry” Smiled Granger “I think Frog will take us all – but possibly not actually ALL of us, he may choose depending on what he’s doing.”
Granger turned to leave.
“But of course, HP and EA will still need to produce their story”
And then he walked out of the door.
“So, ” I said to EA and HP “it would seem that you guys have some work to do. Any problems?”
“Nope” they chorused – happy that they would now be part of the famous order (news of the group was starting to circulate far and wide).
“But” asked HP “What about Mab?”
“Ah yes” I said “Mab. Mab already has provided us with sufficient information to enable his full membership to the Order and I will publish these shortly. I hope that we can learn from Mab’s knowledge – it may even help me to enjoy the weather that ‘HE’ keeps subjecting me to!”
