He was lying down on the floor of the workshop, his head rested in her lap, while she was slowly and gently passing her fingers through his hair and beard. Suddenly, his contented smile broke out in a wide grin.

"I suddenly realized," he said, "that you finally told me something about your past."

"Did I?"

"Yes, in those postcards you sent me before you came back – you mentioned your grandfather in one of them and being in Austria in the other."

"I did, didn’t I?" she smiled back at him "Well, that’s hardly much revealed – you can learn far more about me by reading Spenser."

He rose into a seating position and looked straight into her deep, black eyes. "I know that you have a reason for not telling me, but, well, we’ve been lovers for over fifteen years, I just wish sometimes I knew more about you, what your life’s been like before I came to this damned Estate".

"Well," she said "There’s one story I think I can tell you. Go to the kitchen and start making the coffee and I’ll be down the moment I get dressed and you can hear it."

Many, many years ago, when the world was still not fully explored and still possessed it’s undiscovered corners of mystery, there lived a traveler, renowned for extraordinary bravery and curiosity, who took a long and dangerous journey overseas. The journey brought within it many exciting and interesting adventures – perhaps you have already heard some of them – but then again, perhaps you have not. It was as a result of one of these adventures that a contingency arose, that demanded that the main ship be abandoned, and the traveler was forced to seek safety in a small lifeboat. After several days of rowing, with supplies just about to run out, just as the traveler was about to give up all hope of ever reaching the shore, there appeared over the horizon a great cliff-face, reaching out of the ocean like a wall. The traveler knew not if the cliff was climbable, but any ray of hope was better than none at all so the course was set directly towards it.

Imagine the traveler’s astonishment when, as the little boat approached the cliff, it was made clear that it was not totally uninhabited – in fact, exactly in the path of the boat lay was a jetty, sticking out of the cliff like a finger pointed towards the traveler. Excited, yet somewhat mystified, the traveler started rowing frantically towards the jetty. As the boat came even closer, the traveler saw that the jetty was not abandoned – in fact, sitting on the jetty, looking directly in the traveler’s direction, was a young-looking, beautiful woman, with long black hair and deep, dark eyes. She smiled at the traveler, and it seemed the there was something not quite human about her looks, something that suggested lost lands of magic and heros.

" Greetings, oh noble traveler", the woman said as the traveler climbed onto the jetty, " I have been waiting many days for you".

"For me?" the traveler exclaimed.

"Oh yes, for there is a great task to be done, one unequalled by all others. That is why you have come and that is why this jetty has been set up in waiting, and I upon it. You see," and here she pointed at a narrow, winding path leading to the top of the cliffs "the land up there is set out for a great and curious destiny, one whose rules and purpose are still being figured out. Soon, a great and terrible Estate will be set up there, and a game be played where many things are decided. But before this may happen, one thing must be done, for the land is uninhabitable in it’s current state. You see, there is an infestation of mice – everywhere you look you see thousands of the creatures. No work may begin on the Estate before these mice are cleared off – and no one but you may get rid of them."

"Me?" asked the traveler "but I am no pied piper – I have no tools to get rid of mice. I am an explorer, a traveler, and I have just survived a long and treacherous journey, which has sapped all my strength. While I would love to help you, my lady, I fear myself not up to the task".

"Don’t worry," she said "for I have a magical potion, which shall not only sustain you but provide your body all you need. All you have to do is climb the cliff, and drink the potion – just remember not to drink before you reach the top."

The traveler was obviously confused by all of this, but being a generous, caring person could not refuse the lady’s request. Potion in hand, the traveler began climbing the grueling track until the summit was reached. But the trek upwards proved difficult for the traveler’s aching muscles, so difficult that not much further than halfway up the traveler fell down and felt that further ascent was impossible. Then the traveler suddenly noticed the potion – and immediately the traveler thought "why, what difference could it make where I drink the potion? Let me drink it now, for otherwise I shall never complete my climb", uncorked the potion and drank it in a single gulp.

Immediately, the traveler began to feel better and stronger – better, in fact, than ever before – and without hesitate set out to complete the task. Easily reaching the summit, the truth of the lady’s words became inherently obvious – the entire land was crawling with mice, so that no one could take a single step without treading on at least three. The traveler leapt at the nearest mouse and tried to grab it with both hands – but the mouse managed to escape. Then, the traveler tried chasing another mouse, but it too got away. This continued for several hours – the traveler chasing mice, but all to no avail.

Just as the traveler was about to give up, the mysterious woman appeared as if out of thin air. "You drank the potion before the proper time," she said "and thus, while you now possess great strength and agility, you are unable to fulfill your task. But fear not, for I have a second recourse – I can grant you a magical ability that will allow you to complete the task. But because you have not fulfilled your original promise, you must then leave this place and never return, no matter how much you would want to stay." She then touched the traveler’s forehead, and turned away and left.

Then, reaching down to grab a mouse, the traveler discovered the nature of the magical ability – for the moment the traveler’s fingers touched the mouse the mouse was transformed into Swiss cheese. This, of course, attracted all the other mice, which the traveler promptly turned into cheese as well. And thus, after a whole day’s work, not a single mouse remained, and the entire Estate grounds were covered with Swiss cheese for as far as the eyes could see. The traveler then took the cheese to the lifeboat, and thanking the beautiful woman sailed on with renewed supplies to have more and even more mysterious adventures. But for the rest of the traveler’s life, there existed a desire to return to the grounds and see the Estate that was built there, a desire that was never fulfilled until the traveler’s death.

And that is the story of the Jetty.

* * * * *

He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "You don’t expect me to believe that – that’s a really stupid story, and it makes no sense. Of course, it would explain this" – and he pointed at a small, newly made figurine lying on his workbench. "Oh well, I just give up".