Everyone enjoys a good ghost story at Christmas, so, over the next few days I thought I would regale you with some of the curious incidents that have taken place here at Homeward.
As you know, I always like to do a Christmas shop at Stiener Brashburg's Antique Shop 'Temptations'. He always has the most interesting curios - eighteenth-century crabtree cudgels, medieval boaster's stools and the like. His motto is "Offers You Cannot Resist".
One Christmas, I arrived rather late - having stocked up with bargains from Cheapman's Store first. He had a number of electric cars at the bargain price of five shillings so I snapped up fifty of them for the Homeward Taxi service.
"Any interesting curios, my good friend?" I inquired.
"Well, I did have the most magnificent ancient ornate door - reclaimed, I thought, from the Haunted Tower. I priced it at £200. I think that you would have most impressed." he replied.
"A bargain - has someone beaten me to it, then?", I responded, sadly. I must admit I was somewhat disappointed that this wonderful artifact had slipped through my hands.
"I'm afraid so, Sir. A mister 'Hateman' came in early this morning looking for a present for his dear maiden aunt, he said. He spotted the door and was quite aghast at the price. He informed me that it might well be worth the asking price - it it were not for the fact that it was clearly a reproduction. He offered me half a crown to take it off my hands - as it was Christmas he wanted to do me a favour. In the circumstances I accepted his offer. Such a shame, I was sure it was an original from the famous Haunted Tower!" said the despondent Brashbag.
"Hateman, you say? I fear that you have been tricked, Steiner. Hateman is the leader of the Badfort Crowd and is renowned as a con artist." I replied.
Brashbag was furious - and Hateman had made a grave error of judgement in cheating the proprietor of this store. For each purchase comes with "a big novelty surprise". For those who pay a fair price this surprise is generally good, but for those that cheat Brashbag - well, a nasty fate awaits all of them.
What would fate bring Beaver Hateman as a reward I wondered?
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