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Chapter 17
Hidden Treasure
Benet is one of life’s hidden treasures!
If he wasn’t quite so unique you might call him a busker, or a street artiste, like the people who perform mime or juggling or other forms of entertainment. Benet’s family took their inspiration from a long forgotten television show for young children, where the performer simply sits on a comfy chair and tells a story.
A fifteen minute story designed to entertain primary school pupils. In Benet’s case, his almost true true stories keep people coming back for years and years. Teenagers and adults alike still find great joy indulging in this fond, childhood activity. If they have time to spare on a Friday afternoon when school ends, they’ll make their way along to Jackanory Square at the same time as the younger kids.
People never know when Benet’s coming to town. He circulates throughout Wolfland and beyond, but they’ll know if he’s doing a story this week, because he always arrives one day early, on a Thursday. The whole routine runs like clockwork.
When he visits Lancaster, the first thing he does is go to see Franklin and Faraday at The Lancastrian. To buy some off cuts of paper. He has no money at that stage, but he always promises to pay in full once his show is over. And he does tend to pay, sometimes! When he’s had a good day he pays all his dues in full.
No matter what, even when the takings are not so good, he always pays TomBaker. TomBaker runs the baker’s shop next door to the Law Courts on Market Square.
Franklin and Faraday don’t mind whether they’re paid or not. The amount of paper involved is minimal and it would have gone into the composter anyway. They’ve known Benet for years and they’ll always accept a token payment in order to keep him happy.
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