Colin and the Magic Bookmark by Merv Lambert Page B

embarrassed as the others, sat nursing a glass of beer, but he did not dare to intervene. His wife waved her large glass of gin and tonic around, unaware that she was splashing everyone with her drink. Josh, Steve, Anna and Emily seemed hypnotised by her retelling of all the episodes of The Love Birds that she had watched.
    â€œAnd I loved that one where Abel got his foot stuck in a tub of custard and he tripped over the cat and fell on the sofa and the cat ate it I mean the custard not the sofa. And so I said to my husband…” No one ever found out what she intended to say, because she changed it to a shriek of terror. “Ya-eeeeeee!” She had just seen the three apparitions that had just come into the lounge-bar, still atmospherically lit by candles. She was staring at the gleaming white pointed fangs of the three demonic creatures that were Colin, Sammy and Mr. Jellysox. She heard them say something. It sounded like, “Urgle scrurgle!” Wide-eyed she clutched her glass, but her other hand pointed trembling at Sammy. “I once had a dog just like that. It’s come to haunt me!” she moaned. She turned and scrambled towards the exit. Unfortunately the Countess was just coming in. They both screamed, Mrs. Biggle because of the sudden appearance of a terrifying face in front of her own and the Countess because she thought she was being attacked by a hideous monster. Sammy yapped happily and the false vampire teeth fell out of his mouth. Everyone else, including the Luvvy Duvvy Wuvvies and Mr. Biggle were falling about in their chairs, laughing helplessly. Then Mr. Biggle guiltily set off in search of his wife to reassure her and perhaps sober her up.
    Steve strode forward, smiling, and shook hands with Mr. Jellysox and Colin. Then he crouched down to make a fuss of Sammy. “Thank you, guys,” he said.
    â€œYes, thank you,” echoed Anna, Emily and Josh.
    â€œYou rescued us from that dreadful woman,” continued Steve. “Come and have a drink with us.”
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    And so it was that Mr. Jellysox and Colin made friends with the Luvvy Duvvy Wuvvies. Colin found that they were nothing like the awful characters they played on T.V. Mr. Jellysox took some more photos and the actors promised to sign them all for him.
    Soon they were joined by the Count, the Countess and Fungus.
    The Count explained. “I am not really the owner of the castle. My wife and I and Fungus are actors just like the Luvvy Duvvy Wuvvies here. Our very pale faces are due to make-up.”
    â€œBut most of me is real!” laughed Fungus. “I’m actually very ordinary. My real name is John.”
    For a long time they talked and talked. Sammy was a focus of attention, as everyone made a great fuss of him and he was everyone’s friend. The bookmark glowed warmly in Colin’s pocket. It was unsurprisingly quite late, when they all returned to their rooms.
    â€œGoodnight, Colin,” said Mr. Jellysox, who had never had so much fun before.
    â€œGoodnight, Mr. Jellysox.”
    â€œOh, you can call me Jeremy or rather I’m going to change that to Jez.”
    â€œO.K., Jez. See you in the morning.”
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    The next morning though Mr. Jellysox was puzzled. In fact he was very puzzled.
    Work had just started in the library, when he said,”Colin, you know I’ve got a holiday booked at that new hotel?”
    Colin replied cautiously, thinking that it would perhaps be unwise to call his boss Jeremy or even Jez, “Yes, you told me last week.”
    â€œBut I seem to have got some very strange photos taken there. You and Sammy are in some of them and so are some people I have never met. The lounge is very unusual, definitely the one at the hotel. It’s all very odd.”
    He handed the photos to Colin, who looked at them and smiled.
    â€œYes, it could be the hotel. That looks a bit like me with Sammy, and I think these other people are the Luvvy Duvvy Wuvvies.