The Penultimate Solution Chapter 4
'Revenge for past injustices'
The market place was very busy. It was held each Saturday morning just outside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The air was heavy with the smell of exotic spices fresh produce and the not so fragrant smell of animals such as pigs and chickens who were awaiting their fate at the butcher's shop next to the market.
A plump elderly woman in ragged clothes walked down the centre of the market, she paused at a fruit stall and picked up a couple of apples, the stall owner took a coin from her. She put the fruit in the basket that hung from her arm and carried on walking down the street. She looked as if she was in her mid sixties and she had short grey hair and a beaky nose. Her name was Celestyn.
After a few more visits to different stalls, Celestyn was ready to return to her lodgings a few miles down the road when she was violently knocked to the ground from behind. She lay face down in the dust gasping as another woman was lying on top of her and having an argument with a man. The man made a grab for the other woman and she stood up and hit the man full in the face with her fist and he went down like a ton of bricks. The crowd that had gathered around the fighters cheered!
Celestyn managed to get herself up into a sitting position and turned around to see who had landed on her and the fighting woman offered her hand to help her up. Now Celestyn liked people who stood up for themselves and it was refreshing to see this young lady being able to fight off a bully of a man. She took the offered hand willingly.
Now that she was upright she was able to have a good look at the mystery woman, she was quite tall, almost six foot in height wore a black dress, red boots and she had beautiful red auburn hair that cascaded down her back.
The older woman could not tear her eyes away from this younger woman. She felt like she had known her for years as she seemed strangely familiar.
"Do I know you?" asked Celestyn "I don't think so, " replied the stranger. "I must have seen you around the market then," Celestyn muttered to herself. "Are you sure that you're OK, you look a bit shaken up and I'm sorry but your groceries have all landed in the dirt, I can pay for any damage. " replied the kind auburn haired stranger.
"There's no need, I'll just clean them up, none of them are damaged, but I think I'm in need of something strong to settle my nerves. You gave me quite a shock back there," replied Celestyn putting on her 'poor old lady' act as she was intrigued with this woman and wanted to know more about her. "Yes, I think I'll need a drink as well, lets go to that Tavern in the next street, I hear they have good wine." replied the younger woman with a smile that seemed familiar and together they gathered up the fallen groceries and walked to the Tavern.
'Back at the Smurf Village'
"Sassette, don't be so upset, you can't blame them for wanting to celebrate?" shouted Nat through the locked bedroom door. "Leave me alone! I just think you are all horrible!" shouted Sassette on the other side of the door and gave it a good kick as well for emphasis.
"Do as she says and leave her alone. She's had a rough time and is feeling very confused about her feelings at this time. She needs time to be on her own and think," replied Papa Smurf who had come up behind Nat and placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder. "Why does she have any feelings for that dead evil wizard anyway? I mean it was only a spell that made her and we 'the Smurflings' are her real family, I just don't understand why she even 'loved' him?"
"There, there little Smurfling love can make you do strange things and who is to say who is deserving of anyone's love? Some make good choices and others bad but the need to love and be loved is strong in all of us, even Humans." replied the elderly Smurf.
Nat took one last look at the bedroom door and went out of the mushroom house with Papa to join the others at the party to celebrate the defeat of Gargamel. Homnibus had already left to return to his home as he wanted to check up on Azrael. That poor cat would need someone to look after it now and Homnibus hoped that the evil wizards feline would accept him as his new master. He also did not want to attend the party as it would be disrespectful to Gargamel's mother and he still had some feelings for her.
He was wondering how to tell her the awful news about her son's death once she returned from her trip abroad. She had never said where she was going but lately she had been talking about finding out about her adopted family so she might not have gone too far from the 'Pays Maudit'.
The party was in full swing, Baker Smurf had made a giant cake to celebrate their victory over the 'evil one' and Painter Smurf was working on a giant canvas of the battle with the monster but he had used his artistic license to represent the monster as Gargamel himself. Papa Smurf looked at his fellow Smurfs and although he did not like them revelling in the death of another he felt that they needed to let their anger and stress out as Gargamel had been a thorn in their side for a long time.
The Smurfberry wine flowed freely that night and everysmurf had a tale to tell about their battles with the evil wizard and one by one they realised that without Gargamel to fight their lives might be a little easier from now on.
But who needs excitement?
Back at the Tavern in Paris
Gargamel's mother Celestyn and the mysterious lady are sitting outside a Tavern with a glass of wine each. The stranger is the first to speak "Well, what brings you to Paris if you don't mind me asking?" Celestyn looked around and moved closer to the other woman and motioned her to listen carefully.
"I'll be putting you across my knee in a minute my lad, I know who you are. How did you think you could fool me your own mother?" she whispered in a gravely voice. The auburn haired woman recoiled as if she had been hit in the face and she started to bluster "What, what do you mean?" and she put a hand to her chest as if she had been affronted. "Drop the disguise Gargamel, I know it's you, show yourself this instant!" growled his mother and she glared at him under hooded eyes.
Although it was a busy street, no-one noticed that two women were sitting at the table one minute and the next it was a man and a woman. Gargamel had taken out his wand and with a flick of his wrist his disguise had melted away. The thick auburn red hair had been replaced by a balding head with messy black lanky hair hanging around the ears and the back of his head, the black dress was replaced by a worn and patched cassock and the red leather boots were replaced with red leggings and simple ankle boots. "I've never been able to fool you have I mother?" said Gargamel with a sigh. Celestyn stood up and gave Gargamel a clip around the ear "Ouch! What was that for?" squealed the wizard. "That, Gargamel is for spying on me. Why are you here in Paris? You knew that I was here on personal business. It has nothing to do with you. Why don't you just go back home and annoy the Smurfs instead?" she practically spat this out at him. "I can't go home, well not yet," replied Gargamel, he continued "I've got some important news that could help us finally defeat the person that has given our family so much grief over the years, I know that's why you came to Paris isn't it? To dig up some dirt on him?"
Celestyn sat back down and continued to stare at her son. He could drive her to distraction most of the time but he seemed so sincere, she had to listen to what he had to say. "Well spit it out boy! What do you have?" she replied.
"Shush, not here. Is there somewhere more private where we can speak?" whispered the evil wizard suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable out in the street. His mother got up and said " Come lets go back to my lodgings we'll be able to talk further," and she started to walk with Gargamel at her side. Paris was a big city and in all honesty she had been feeling a little lonely and homesick. Having her son with her made her feel protected and she would soon get all the information she needed to get rid of her own nemesis for good.
Mother and son had got back to her lodgings quite late in the afternoon and then they had gone out for a meal together. Each time Gargamel tried to tell his mum the important news he had she would tell him that they would speak about it in the morning. He so wanted her to be proud of him. He had managed to get hold of the most important book of black magic that any wizard could possess and he way dying to tell her about it and what he had done to the Smurfs. But he bit his tongue as much as he could and slowly he relaxed and even grew to enjoy his mother's company. At least she was not cooking the food so he could enjoy that as well.
The next morning at the Smurf village
"Oh my head," groaned Hefty as he sat up in bed. He had in fact been lying sideways across his bed. "No more Smurfberry wine for me ever again!" he vowed to himself. He slowly got up and had to steady himself before he managed to shuffle over to the bathroom and did his daily ablution. Once he felt that he could face the world he stepped out of his door into the village.
What a mess outside. Chairs and tables were strewn all over the place, broken glass on the ground and the bunting had blown into the surrounding trees. What a hell of a party they had last night.
Hefty made his way to the main dining hall and was greeted with the sight of all his Smurf family looking the worst for wear. "My Smurf! Look at us, if Gargamel was still around we would have never let ourselves get in such a state! He'd Smurf us in no time!"
Brainy Smurf looked up from a book he had been reading, he was the only Smurf apart from the Smurflings and Baby who had abstained from Smurfberry wine and he replied "Well, it seems that he used to keep us all sober. We wouldn't have dared to let ourselves get so inebriated in case he came to the village. But of course now we can relax and let our hair down. And as Papa Smurf always says, because Papa Smurf is always right, we should.." Brainy did not get to finish his sentence as Hefty Smurf had clamped his hand over the myopic Smurf's mouth and rudely shoved him out of the dining hall.
"Thanks Hefty," said Papa Smurf he was driving us a bit potty. We are all suffering this morning and he would not shut up about it being our fault and what do you expect if you drink until four o'clock in the morning?" The village elder looked tired but it seemed as if a great weight had been taken off his shoulders. His family were safe, they were rebuilding their homes and even though they had lost Miner it could have been so much worse. Their biggest foe had been defeated and Papa felt that he could relax at long last.
Papa got up from the table once he and the other Smurfs had finished their breakfast, Brainy had been let back in as they could not let him go hungry even if he was annoying. The elderly Smurf went over to Hefty and whispered "Could you do me a favour and help me recover some items from the hovel?" he looked around to make sure no-one was listening and added "I want to get some of the spell books and equipment, now that Gargamel has no further use for them," Hefty smiled and together they set off to see what they could salvage.
The same morning in Paris at Celestyn's lodgings
Gargamel woke to the smell of something burning. His mother was making breakfast and it did not smell very appetising at all. He got up off the floor where he had been sleeping and slowly stretched out his aching joints. "You could have at least let me have a couple more blankets to cushion me from this hard floor" he said to his mother. She looked up from the pot on the stove and replied "Come, sit down and have some breakfast," Gargamel looked at the burnt offerings of what looked like bacon and maybe something that could be egg and he held up a hand and said "Um, I'd rather not, feeling a bit rough," he rubbed his stomach for emphasis.
"Sit down now!" she shouted and before he could help himself he was sat at the table like an obedient son. They ate their 'breakfast mush' in silence and once they had finished their cups of tea. His mother looked him in the eye and asked "Well show me what you have then?"
Gargamel reached into the bag that he had been carrying since stealing it from Homnibus and brought out the fabled book. His mothers eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Oh, my dear Lord how did you get hold of this book? This will indeed be the answer to all our prayers!
He will never be able to defeat us when we have this power at our disposal. I could kiss you!" And she did.
They spent the rest of that day reading the book together. Practicing some of the spells but being very careful not to use the most powerful ones. Not yet.
They made preparations to leave the very next morning and once they returned to the Pays Maudit with their new weapon, no-one would be able to stand in their way. Not even Balthazar!
To be continued.