Draft 1 of the sequel to In The Wicker Wood is progressing.

This sequence deals with the deranged Grorgie, who escaped being tried for the murders, since he had regressed into the personality of his Grandmother The Duchess. Now he is planning his escape......from the Hospital.

The boy visited more often now, never with any interesting gossip. He was only interested, it seems, in telling his own stories, ones, Duchess presumed from his past, his youth, when he lived away from then family. Then she remembered he never lived outside of Bowen Court, at least not for any time.

The stories, the tales he told were vile. No sane human would be involved in such depravity. She hoped he was telling her about his dreams as the scenes, he was able to replay in her head, terrified her, although the telling seemed to excite the boy.

She began to close her mind to his wants, yes wants, he wanted her to know what she had assisted in. He called it that assisted, helped, because she did not stop him. As the time passed he became more insistent that once again she would let him loose again to do more killing. He enjoyed doing that he said.

Over time Duchess got weary, tired, confused again. The world she knew was crumbling. Georgie was becoming aware again.

Duchess tried to resist on those occasions when the boy dressed her as a man and sneaked her out in that guise from her rooms to the hospital – a terrible confused place full of sadness. Georgie was not being honest. He would not let her walk in a normal fashion. He made her slouch along walls, often making her drool, and mumble. It was most distressing for her to act in that way, but somehow in those occasions she did not have the will to resist. Always she wanted to go back to her rooms and take to her bed.

Then when they returned she could wash the disguising smell of madness from her body, power herself, resume her wardrobe, lie on her bed and cry.

“Yes”

“Chief, Laurel here.” Before he could continue he was interrupted.

“Good news? The gravelly voice asked, then continued, “Still away with the fairies I hope, and if he is not, why are you disturbing me?”

“He's recovering. He sneaks out of his room now in man's clothes. We watch him. He is visiting the other inmates. Just looking and observing so far. What should we do?”

“Get him out of there if this goes on. Watch him closely. If we snatch him and he is lucid, well as lucid as he ever was, we will have to eliminate him.

The phone link was broken and Laurel looked at Hardy and said, “He promised to send us on holidays in the Sun, when this is all over.”

“Don't hold your breath,” Hardy replied, “He'll change his mind about that when another project comes up for us, probably making the calls now.”

“To his travel agent?” Laurel asked.

“Dream On. Hardy replied.