We Perform the Miracles - Chapter Four (A Little Red Tale)
In which Little Noel and the Lady in Red take a long and rather frightening journey to Somewhere Else, all without moving a bit; and Noel is nearly lost in the tunnel forever.
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. I am in no way affiliated with the Mighty Boosh, Noel Fielding etc, and any resemblance to persons living, dead, or the creation of some other artiste is purely a matter of homage, presented here solely for entertainment purposes.
CHAPTER FOUR
Little Noel held tight to the Lady's hand - she was a little bit scary, but the idea of being lost somewhere he'd never be found was scarier still. He was quite sure she'd only taken a single step forward.. as sure as he was that they'd been standing on a heath, a line of trees just ahead..
But barely had he set his foot down than it all began to change around them. First, of course, it got dark, very dark indeed. Then there were flashes of light: some looked like trams speedng by, some like the flash and fizzle of fireworks on Guy Fawkes day. Some lit up areas to one side or another, like shop windows barely glimpsed as he drowsed in his mother's arms.
None seemed to be a proper shop however; there were places where men with green skin and white hair crowded round singing, others where an enigmatic shopkeeper sat beneath his jewelled turban smoking a hookah. Next door to that, a sheep wearing glasses sat in a rocking chair, knitting a scarf from its own wool while a blind man played the trombone.
Little Noel was entranced by every vignette that passed. He dearly wanted to stop in to a few of these, but while he was standing quite still, they flew by on either side too quickly to count. He thought he could ask the Lady if he might visit some on the way back, but when he looked her way he saw she had become a giant eel! He wanted very much to get away from *that*, but a slippery fin was still wrapped around his hand.
Yet now she wasn't an eel either, or not quite exactly - her long hair had turned to seaweed, her red dress to a silver sort of coat and pink skirt. She was changing just as rapidly as the terrain flowing past him - and still holding tight to his hand.
Things were moving faster and faster. He was in a tunnel now, full of neon and - or was it a club? (yes, he'd been to a few with his mum and dad, when he was smaller). The lights were yellow, pink and green, flashing all around him. The Lady, when he looked, was getting scarier; now her head was a coconut and her hair made of straw and she was making a terrible, awful sound!
But look! Over there! Red and blue stripes, blue hair - it was Crazy Legs, he was sure of it. And he was hopping up and down, while lollies and polo mints danced around him. THAT was why he was here, to rescue his friend! He started to pull away from the enormous squalling thing the Lady had turned into.
When on the other side, just for a moment, he saw a different kind of lady - a deer lady. She was very beautiful, with soft brown eyes and decorations hanging from her antlers. She was also crying, looking at little Noel and shaking her head. Why would she be crying for him? After all, he found his - oh!
"I almost let go her hand!" thought Noel. "She said not to even if I thought I found Crazy Legs (
for surely that was what he was looking for - was he not?
). She knew, and I almost went and lost meself anyway !"
He looked back where he'd seen Crazy Legs dancing. Instead now there was a skeleton, wearing the same striped shirt, bouncing around and leering at him. And the deer lady - he only caught a glimpse, but she gently lifted a dark brown hoof, as if to wave. She didn't seem to be crying now. He even thought he saw a little smile as she turned to one side and disappeared.
Finally, he looked back up at the Lady in Red. She was in red again, too: dress, stockings, flowers in her hair. Her hand was just a hand, not a claw. And for the first time since he'd met her, she was smiling.
"You did well, mon petit garçon," she said, looking straight into his eyes. "You didn't get lost or tempted away. So now, we have arrived - and its time you were presented at court".
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. I am in no way affiliated with the Mighty Boosh, Noel Fielding etc, and any resemblance to persons living, dead, or the creation of some other artiste is purely a matter of homage, presented here solely for entertainment purposes.
CHAPTER FOUR
Little Noel held tight to the Lady's hand - she was a little bit scary, but the idea of being lost somewhere he'd never be found was scarier still. He was quite sure she'd only taken a single step forward.. as sure as he was that they'd been standing on a heath, a line of trees just ahead..
But barely had he set his foot down than it all began to change around them. First, of course, it got dark, very dark indeed. Then there were flashes of light: some looked like trams speedng by, some like the flash and fizzle of fireworks on Guy Fawkes day. Some lit up areas to one side or another, like shop windows barely glimpsed as he drowsed in his mother's arms.
None seemed to be a proper shop however; there were places where men with green skin and white hair crowded round singing, others where an enigmatic shopkeeper sat beneath his jewelled turban smoking a hookah. Next door to that, a sheep wearing glasses sat in a rocking chair, knitting a scarf from its own wool while a blind man played the trombone.
Little Noel was entranced by every vignette that passed. He dearly wanted to stop in to a few of these, but while he was standing quite still, they flew by on either side too quickly to count. He thought he could ask the Lady if he might visit some on the way back, but when he looked her way he saw she had become a giant eel! He wanted very much to get away from *that*, but a slippery fin was still wrapped around his hand.
Yet now she wasn't an eel either, or not quite exactly - her long hair had turned to seaweed, her red dress to a silver sort of coat and pink skirt. She was changing just as rapidly as the terrain flowing past him - and still holding tight to his hand.
Things were moving faster and faster. He was in a tunnel now, full of neon and - or was it a club? (yes, he'd been to a few with his mum and dad, when he was smaller). The lights were yellow, pink and green, flashing all around him. The Lady, when he looked, was getting scarier; now her head was a coconut and her hair made of straw and she was making a terrible, awful sound!
But look! Over there! Red and blue stripes, blue hair - it was Crazy Legs, he was sure of it. And he was hopping up and down, while lollies and polo mints danced around him. THAT was why he was here, to rescue his friend! He started to pull away from the enormous squalling thing the Lady had turned into.
When on the other side, just for a moment, he saw a different kind of lady - a deer lady. She was very beautiful, with soft brown eyes and decorations hanging from her antlers. She was also crying, looking at little Noel and shaking her head. Why would she be crying for him? After all, he found his - oh!
"I almost let go her hand!" thought Noel. "She said not to even if I thought I found Crazy Legs (
for surely that was what he was looking for - was he not?
). She knew, and I almost went and lost meself anyway !"
He looked back where he'd seen Crazy Legs dancing. Instead now there was a skeleton, wearing the same striped shirt, bouncing around and leering at him. And the deer lady - he only caught a glimpse, but she gently lifted a dark brown hoof, as if to wave. She didn't seem to be crying now. He even thought he saw a little smile as she turned to one side and disappeared.
Finally, he looked back up at the Lady in Red. She was in red again, too: dress, stockings, flowers in her hair. Her hand was just a hand, not a claw. And for the first time since he'd met her, she was smiling.
"You did well, mon petit garçon," she said, looking straight into his eyes. "You didn't get lost or tempted away. So now, we have arrived - and its time you were presented at court".