Keeper of Cats

VILE EXILE!

When Jutta's mother sent her to tiny, windswept Bardhol to stay with their ancient female relations, she hinted slyly that those crafty crones might be hiding a fortune...

But all Jutta found was boredom, toil – and cats! Her grandmother and the other doddering relics of her once-mighty clan puttered away at endless, backbreaking chores. Their spoiled pets commanded constant food and attention. And their only neighbors were antiquated, mad, or resting – permanently – in the graveyard at the foot of the hill...

On closer inspection, however, Jutta found the barrow-graves to be a surprisingly lively place. Local ladies met there to dowse for ley lines, rumored to hold the key to lost powers of magic. A couple of barbarians, come from otherworldly realms, prowled about seeking a gateway back to their uncivilized home. And Jutta – with the ever-present cats – soon stumbled across grave robbers, curses... and murder!

Jutta's grandmothers warned her away from the barrows. Maybe they should have warned the cats!