Chapter 58 - The one left behind

            “We’re getting closer!” said Bethany, and she started to skip along the cobblestone road.

            Narteb jogged to keep up with her.

            “It’s so cool,” said Bethany, as she led them down this street and that, “I’ve been to Hello Jello so many times, I can get there in my sleep!”

            She stopped for a moment and said, “Hmm, this shop here has changed.  But I think we turn here.”  And she continued skipping down a side street.   “I can’t wait until you meet Lyris!  I love her!”

            “Who is Lyris?” said Narteb.           

            “She’s a waitress at Hello Jello,” said Bethany, “She’s really into ancient civilisations, ruins, that type of thing.  If you need…. what was it you needed an expert in again?”

            Narteb looked at her blankly.

            “Ancient Hyborea,” cried out Skaife from behind.

            “Yes,” said Bethany, “I think she can help you.”

            They rounded one more corner and entered an alleyway.  There was a big, inviting looking shop at the end.

            “And here we are!” said Bethany, “Hello Jello, home of my favourite jelly in the world...”  Her voice trailed off.

            The entrance to the shop had a ‘closed’ sign on it.  Next to the door, was a boy keeping himself amused by bouncing a ball on the wall.  As Narteb and friends approached,  the boy turned to them.

            “Shop’s closed today, sorry,” he said, “Everyone had gone to see Lyris off.”

            “See Lyris off?” said Bethany.

            “She quit today,” said the boy.

            “No!” said Bethany, “She can’t!”

            Bethany and the boy looked at each other and frowned.

“I’ve actually brought my friends here to introduce them to Lyris,” said Bethany.

            “You’d better hurry then,” said the boy, “They’re saying farewell to her outside the East Gate.” Then he added, “Near the copse.”

            “The what?” said Bethany.

            “Exactly!” said the boy, “That’s what I said to the Boss.  It means small group of trees.  I said to him why not just say small group of trees, but he said saying copse is faster.  And I said not if nobody knows what a copse is.”

            “I know what a copse is,” said Skaife.

            Everyone looked at her.

            The boy continued, “Well you better hurry and get to that copse.”

            “Thanks!” said Bethany, “Let’s go gang!”

            She turned and ran off, and the others followed.

The boy watched them leave, and was about to go back to bouncing his ball, when he remembered something he had been meaning to say.

            “Guys!” he called out, “Do you know why they left me here?”

            But it was too late.  Bethany and her friends had vanished around the corner.

            The boy sighed.

            “It’s because I’m a waiter.”