Search for the Sunlight
Chapter 8

By the dim light of a fading castor oil lamp the team worked long into the night.

It was their intention to plot a route that would lead them east from the forest, to the Gouldong Mountains, but, with limited knowledge of both ordinance survey and basic map reading skills, all they seemed able to do was argue with one another.

Harry insisted that the path which would lead them to the mountains lay in one direction, while Herbert opted for another. Basil simply didn’t know, but he pointed out that if the hand of fate had truly chosen them to replace the missing sunlight, then surely that same hand would guide them in the right direction. “Let’s just go!” he said in the end.

Fed up with bickering and arguing, the brothers agreed and returned home briefly to pack a few essentials for the journey ahead.

High on the list of things to take was the brewing equipment. In addition to the kettle and the portable twig burner, they would need a plentiful supply of tea. In spite of the current famine, Harry knew exactly where to look.

During the years of plenty, he and his brother had taken time to stash small packets of the celebrated leaf in various secret locations throughout their home. ‘Just in case of a rainy day,’ they had told one another at the time. Well, what incredible foresight, for that rainy day had arrived and, as good fortune would have it, there turned out to be more quality tea than either could have imagined. It was everywhere! Under floorboards, inside cupboards and drawers, Herbert even found some tucked into an old pair of walking boots in the shoe cupboard. Between them, they gathered up enough of the celebrated leaf to keep an army of Treewoods on the road for months. Eventually, with packing complete, they bid the damp furniture and the Afghan rug, a sad farewell and closed the front door gently behind them.