Marlfox

MARLFOX

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To where will they go,

This is a secret nobeast may know.

Marlfox!

Plundering murdering vulpine thieves,

Who blend with stone,

Or meld with leaves.

Marlfox!

See the pale eyes and swirling cloak,

Appear like nightmare,

Vanish like smoke.

Marlfox!

What steals upon the silent air,

Gleaming fangs, mottled fur,

A deadly axblade lying there.

Marlfox!

Nobeast living can hide from thee,

O thou who treads invisibly,

Cross hill and vale, through woods and rocks.

Marlfox!

Marlfox!

Marlfox!

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PROLOGUE

Who are we but strolling players,

Wand'ring through the long ago,

Joys and sadness, hopes and longings,

Keep us traveling onward though

The laughter and applause of others,

Who view the passing cavalcade,

Leave echoes hovering some far summer,

Floating round a woodland glade.

'Twas but a tale for your amusement,

Like my small unworthy rhyme,

Gone, alas, into those realms,

The land of once upon a time.

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Act 1

Enter the Players

Chapter 1

Eternally serene, the moon ruled over star-strewn vaults of cloudless sable night, like a round shield of flecked amber, casting pale light to the earth below. Vagrant breezes from the distant sea drifted idly through Mossflower Wood's southwest margins, cooling the heavy warmth a bright summer day had left in its wake.

Janglur Swifteye sat at the edge of a well-worn trail, his back against the broad trunk of a fallen elm, savoring the calm summer night. He was an unusual squirrel, half as tall again as most of his species, with dark terra-cotta fur, untypically long and thick. A huge bush of tail added to the impression of his size. Beneath the fur Janglur's limbs were hefty and robust, with a stomach of considerable girth, which his mother constantly chided him about. His eyes were hooded and long-lashed, giving the impression he was always half asleep. However, anybeast who knew Janglur Swifteye was careful not to be fooled by his air of easygoing idleness. He was renowned as a quick and dangerous warrior, immensely strong and wise in the ways of battle. But there was another side to him: he was also an obedient son, a dutiful husband and a fond father. In the woodlands behind him his family slept in their little traveling tent, his mother Ellayo, his wife Rimrose and Songbreeze, the daughter who was the apple of her father's eye.

From beneath half-closed lids Janglur Swifteye watched, missing nothing. Clusters of flowering dock nodded lightly against gnarled oak trunks, orange-berried arums and spiking flowered sedge swayed lazily between elder, chestnut and sycamore trees, nocturnal insects trundled or winged their various ways through the darkened forest. From somewhere deep in the thickets a nightingale warbled its short rich trill. Janglur whistled a reply to it on his reed flute, aware that somebeast was creeping up behind him. The only move he made was to blink away a midge from his eyelashes. He knew who the intruder was by the way she approached. Janglur chuckled.

"I hear ye, missie. Couldn't sleep, eh?"

His daughter Songbreeze climbed slowly over the elm trunk and slid down beside him.

"Nobeast could ever surprise you, old Swifteye. Phew! It's far too hot t'sleep and Grandma's snoring like a score of hedgehogs after a feast."

Janglur winked lazily at her. "Huh, listen who's talkin'. Y'should hear yourself snorin' some nights, drowns yore grandma's poor efforts out completely."

She shoved her father playfully. "I do not! Young squirrelmaids don't snore, ask Mum."

Janglur snorted softly. "Y'mother's worse'n both of you put together."

The nightingale warbled its short melody again. Janglur picked up his reed flute. "Listen t'that feller, thinks he can sing. Come on, Song, show him." No creature who knew the tall pretty squirrel ever used her full name.

Janglur played a brief introduction, then Song's voice r.ing out with such sweetness and clarity that a tear coursed its way down her father's cheek. Her voice never tailed to move him.

"Flow'rs of the forest

Are bright in the spring,

Wake with the dawn

Hear a lone skylark sing.

Brooks gaily babble

O'er hillsides so green,

Streams ripple secrets

Of what they have seen,

Small birds give voice

Mid the leaves of great trees,

Which rustle softly

In time with the breeze.

I'll add my music

For what it is worth,

And sing just for you, love,

The song of the earth."

As the last plaintive notes died away, Janglur put aside his flute and wiped a paw quickly across his eyes. Song nudged him gently.

"Big tough warrior, eh, crying again."

Her father sniffed aloud, looking away from her. "Don't be silly. 'Twas just a midge went in me eye, but I couldn't play for you an' wipe it out at the same time, had to wait till you were finished singin'."

In another part of the woodland two foxes ceased their prowl through the undergrowth and listened to the sweet, plaintive melody floating faintly on the night air. Both beasts were identical; apart from the fact they were brother and sister they were alike in every other aspect. Ascrod and his sister Vannan were Marlfoxes, pale-eyed, with strange silver-white coats heavily mottled with patches of black and bluey gray. They wore swirling cloaks of drab brown and green weave. Ascrod's lips scarcely moved as he muttered to his sister: "That singer warbles more sweetly than any bird I ever heard!"

Vannan's pale eyes glimmered in the moonlight. "Aye, brother, and would trill even better at the court of our mother Queen Silth. Come on!"

In the space of a breath both Marlfoxes were gone, melted back into the night-shaded forest like tendrils of smoke on the wind.

Song plucked a blade of grass and tickled her father's eartip. "Big old softie. Come on, play a lively tune and I'll put a smile back on your face, eh?"

But Janglur was not paying attention to her. He stiffened, both ears twitching as he sniffed the breeze. Song caught the urgency of his mood.

"What is it? Can you hear something?"

Janglur's hooded eyes flicked. He watched the trees on the opposite side of the path, talking quietly, not looking at his daughter as he continued scanning the woodlands. "Go quick t'yore mamma, Song, an' tell 'em t'be silent. An' stay put! Hurry now!"

Song had seen her father like this before. She knew better than to stop and argue with him. Wordlessly, she slipped away to the tent.

Janglur took a dangerous-looking thorn dart, tufted with dried grass, from his belt pouch. Placing the missile in his mouth, he tucked it against one cheek, then sat back against the elm trunk. Idly he began playing his reed flute. Outwardly the big squirrel appeared calm, but inside he was poised like lightning ready to strike. In a short while he made out the two foxes moving expertly from a patch of fern to the cover of some bushes, coming closer to him by the moment. Janglur took the flute from his lips, calling out sternly, "Quit sneakin' about an' walk on the path like decent creatures!"

Ascrod and Vannan had thought the squirrel was unaware of their approach. They hid their surprise by putting on a bold front, swaggering up to where Janglur s.it. Ascrod kicked the squirrel's footpaw, just hard enough to warn him that he and his sister were well in charge of the situation.

"You there, who was that singing a short while ago?"

Janglur did not bother to look up at Ascrod, though his voice was menacingly low. "None o' yore business, snipenose. Now get goin', an' take that other one with ye!"

Vannan winked at her brother and smiled nastily as her paw began to stray toward the single-bladed ax she carried beneath her cloak. Janglur appeared to ignore them, and went back to playing his flute. Ascrod leaned close to the squirrel, baring his teeth.

"You're very insolent for a fat lazy squirrel. Shall I show you what we do to beasts with insulting tongues?"

Pffutt!

Janglur Swifteye shot the dart from his flute, burying it deep in the tip of Ascrod's nose. As the fox shrieked out in agony, Janglur sprang upright. Whipping forth a loaded sling from around his waist, he hurled himself upon Vannan, who had her ax halfway out. She went down in an unconscious heap as the hard oval river pebble in the sling's tongue thwacked heavily across her skull. Ascrod was hopskipping about wildly, both paws clapped across his muzzle as he screeched with pain.

"Yeeeeeeek! Yaaaaarreeeeek!"

"Tails'n'scuts preserve us all! Who's kickin' up that awful din?"

Shaking with anger, Janglur turned to see his family dashing toward him, with Ellayo in the lead, brandishing a blackthorn stick.

Janglur stared accusingly at his daughter. "Song, I thought I told you to stay put an' keep 'em quiet?"

Rimrose placed herself between them. " 'Tweren't no fault o' Song's. You jus' try stoppin' that ole mamma of yours when she starts swingin' that stick!"

Janglur's paw shot out. He caught the tip of his mother's stick and held it tight.

Heaving on the blackthorn and stumbling on her long apron hem, the old squirrelwife berated her son. "Leggo o' me stick, y'great boulder-bellied tree-walloper, leggo or I'll spank ten seasons' daylights out of ye!"

Song giggled and clapped her paws. "That's the stuff, Grandma. You give him a good spankin'!"

Rimrose wagged a paw at her daughter. "That'll be quite enough o' that, missie. Show some proper respect for yore elders!" Then, unable to prevent herself, she fell against Song, laughing helplessly. "Oh, heeheehee! It'd be a funny sight to see yore grandma givin' that great lump a spank or two! Heehee!"

Grandma Ellayo let go of the stick and turned on Song and Rimrose, attempting to look fierce as she hid a smile. "Hah! Don't you two think I couldn't tan his tail if'n I took a mind to do it. I'm still his mother, y'know!"

Janglur lifted his mother clear of the ground, hugging her fondly. "You can skelp the fur off'n me anytime ye wants to, my lovely ole barkbelter. Why, I'll bet y'could"

Song interrupted suddenly. "Look! The foxes are gone."

All that remained of the Marlfoxes' visit was a few drops of blood from Ascrod's muzzle, glistening darkly amid the disturbed dust of the path. Janglur peered into the dark woodlands. "Aye, they've got away somehow. Won't catch 'em now, they've vanished." He put a paw about his daughter's shoulders. "Mark what I say, Song. They're Marlfoxes, strange blood runs in their veins. They can disappear like no other livin' creature."

"C'mon, ladies, we best break camp an' get travelin'."

Janglur's family had been wanderers since he was in his infancy, and breaking camp was a simple affair to them. Once the canvas they used as a tent had been folded, their few cooking implements were rolled in it to form a backpack. In the predawn light they breakfasted on clear streamwater and a traveling fruit and honey cake that Rimrose had baked two days before.

"Grandma, what's a Marlfox?" asked Song, between mouthfuls.

Ellayo tried to explain. "The story goes back a long ways'tis far too long to tell in a short time. But I'll tell ye this much, missie. Somewhere there's a forgotten lake, a great stretch o' deep water, almost an inland sea somebeasts say. That's where the Marlfoxes live, an' the most cunning of 'em all, if'n she still lives, is Queen Silth. Aye, they call her the most powerful magic creature alive. 'Tis said her island is a place o' great riches an' beauty. I heard all this from a poor creature who was set upon by a bunch of magpies while fishing off the island."

Ellayo fell silent, and Janglur said, "Don't bother your grandma further, Song. If Marlfoxes are loose in the land y'may learn more than you bargained for. Pick up that linen now, we need t'be travelin'. North an' east a touch, I reckon."

Song folded the small tablecloth, which she had embroidered herself. "What lies in that direction, Father?"

Janglur shouldered the tentpack, settling it comfortably on his back. "The Abbey of Redwall."

The young squirrelmaid's eyes grew wide with delight. She had never visited there, though she had heard tales of the fabulous place. "Redwall Abbey! How wonderful! Oh, Mamma, will it be as nice as you told me it was when I was little?"

Rimrose smiled at her daughter's excitement. "Even nicer, I imagine. Words can't fully describe a place like Redwall."

Song took Grandma Ellayo's paw, supporting her as they walked. With Janglur in the lead, they set off as dawn was breaking. It promised to be another hot summer day, but the tree canopy was thick and would shade them as the sun rose higher. Song could not resist a final question to her father. "Why are we going to Redwall?"

Janglur tucked the reed flute into his broad belt. "Because we must warn whoever rules at the Abbey that there are Marlfoxes roaming the land."

Chapter 2

Farther south, on the flatlands close to the woodland fringe, a gaily painted cart stood propped straight on its two large wheels. It had a single shaft, crosstreed at the end by a well-worn pushing bar. Stretched over willow hoops a canvas cover was copiously painted in once bright colors, now faded by sun and seasons, though the lettering still read clearly.

"The Sensational Wandering Noonvale Companions Troupe!"

On the nearby streambank a motley collection of creatures were preparing for a rehearsal. One of them, a theatrical-looking hare, stood forward. He was clad in a rumpled frock coat of lilac silk and a wide-brimmed straw hat, through which his enormous ears poked. He wore floppy yellow boots and carried a silver-tipped cane. The hare's outfit had obviously seen better seasons, as had the cart and the entire troupe. Nevertheless, the hare twirled his cane and boomed out in fine dramatic fashion as if addressing a vast audience.

"Good morrow, one an' all. I am Florian Dugglewoof Wilffachop, h'impresario an' h'actor manager. I preesent to you the Sensational Wanderin' Noonvale Companions Troupe! Descendants of a talented tradition! Unrivaled throughout the entire land! Death-defyin' feats! Hilarious comical plays! Music an' magical virtuosity, jocular jigs an' deelightful dancin'! Come one, come all! Witness our mellifluously marvelous, perfectly pleasurable educational entertainment! Entirely free of charge!" He smiled winningly and continued in a loud stage whisper: "Homemade cakes, pasties an' sundry comestibles, purely for the nourishment of the artistes, gladly accepted with profuse thanks. Ahem!"

From the cover of the cart a gruff voice interrupted Florian's speech impatiently. "Oh, gerron wiv it afore us all falls asleep!"

The hare shot an outraged glance at the cart and snorted. Turning back to his imaginary audience, he beamed. "H'anda now, my bucolic friends, goodwives an' rustic spousesnot forgettin' your charmin' young 'unswe reach our fee-nah-lay! The very climax of our prodigious performance! Borrakul Ironchest an' Elachim Oakpaw, the two strongest h'otters h'ever born, will h'attempt a darin' display of muscle power, which H'i meself have seen kill ten h'other lesser beasts. If you are h'of a nervous nature, kindly look away, as swoonin' an' faintin' may distract the h'artistes' attention. These two mighty marvels will lift the h'entire, H'i repeat, the h'entiredisregardin' me goodself, of coursethey will lift the h'entire Wanderin' Noonvale Companions Troupe ... h'off thee gerround!"

Two burly otters, wearing tawdry gold-fringed pantaloons, skipped athletically forward, flexing their muscles and bowing. Puffing forth their chests and showing rows of white teeth in daredevil smiles, they performed a few limbering-up exercises and then went about their business. Seizing both ends of a long wooden bench, they started, with a great show of huffing and puffing, to lift. Standing on the bench were two moles, one dressed in spangled red bloomers, the other in a cloak and turban of jade green. Lying gracefully across the heads of the two moles was a mouse wearing a coronet of imitation flowers and a flowing sky-blue gown. Skilfully perched on one paw placed upon the mouse's midriff, a hedgehog balanced precariously, his spikes tipped with a mass of pennants, small flags and bunting. Up, up went the bench, with all aboard it wobbling perilously. The hare, Florian, muttered encouragement in a loud stage whisper.

"Keep it goin' up, chaps, that's the ticket! Everybeast remain still now, hold y'positions. Up she goes, wot wot!"

Borrakul and Elachim grunted and strained artistically until they had finally lifted the bench over their heads. Suddenly Borrakul gave out a tremendous bellow.

"Yahwooooch!"

He released his hold on the bench and grabbed at his rear. Amid howls of dismay, the troupe and the bench came to earth in jumbled disarray. Florian dashed forward, furious. Down on all fours he berated Borrakul, who lay trapped by the bench, still clutching his bottom.

"Great seasons o' sausages, you blitherin' bangtailed buffoon! Why did y'let the bally bench drop?"

Crimson-faced, Borrakul gasped, "Because that perishin' mousebabe shot me with a slingstone!"

Florian Dugglewoof Wilffachop drew himself to his full height, ears twitching, teeth grinding audibly. "Oho, he did, did he! Well, 'tis high time I had a serious encounter with that blisterin' undersized miscreant. Dwopple! Come out o' that cart, front'n'center, this instant. Out I say, sir!"

Florian strode resolutely forward, but the mouse in the blue gown suddenly flung herself dramatically in front of the cart. One paw outstretched, the other across her brow, she declaimed, "Oh, mister Florian, I beseech you, sir, touch not a hair of that babe's tender head. Do nothing you will reproach yourself for in the sunlit seasons lying ahead. Hear a pitiful mother's plea, and punish not the harmless innocent. Spare him, I beg of you!"

Runktipp the hedgehog chortled bitterly as he removed the bunting from his spikes. "Dwopple a harmless innocent? Huh, that 'un's about as harmless as a bucket o' serpents an' a sack o' stoats! An' you ain't his mother, Deesum, yore only his auntie!"

Deesum shot Runktipp a haughty glance. "A mere detail. Do not quibble, sir. No mother could love a babe as I love Dwopple. Come to me, my precious little mite!"

Clambering into the cart, she grabbed a small fat mousebabe, who wore a stained oversized smock and a wicked scowl. Hanging from one of his grubby paws was a miniature slingshot. He wriggled and kicked desperately as Deesum smothered him with kisses.

"Garraaagh! Leggo a Dwopple, stoppa kissy me. Blurrgh!"

Elachim the otter massaged a bruised paw as he glared at the infant. "You steamin' liddle nit, Dwopple, you ruined our re'earsal!"

Florian interrupted sternly. "Indeed you have, ye young ripcurdle. Apologize to the entire troupe, this very flippin' instant! Say you're sorry, sir!"

From over Deesum's shoulder, Dwopple grinned fiendishly at the company. "A soggy!"

The hare squinched his eyes at Dwopple. "Beg pardon, what did y'say?"

Deesum stamped her paw impatiently. "He said he's sorry, isn't that good enough for you? Would you like the little fellow to shed salt tears and roll in the dust? Isn't the word sorry satisfactory to a heartless, driving taskmaster like you?"

Florian threw up his paws in despair. "Tchah! I suppose it'll have t'be, wot!"

Deesum patted the mousebabe's back reassuringly. "There now, my little treasure, they've all forgiven you, isn't that nice. Will you give them all a big kiss?"

The hedgehog, Runktipp, backed off with a horrified face. "Let that liddle savage kiss me? No, thanks! He'd prob'ly bite the snout off'n me!"

Florian waggled his cane severely at Dwopple. "Absolutely no need t'go kissin' an' huggin' everybeast. Just behave y'self in future, m'laddo, particularly at rehearsals, wot!"

Turning on his heel, the hare strode grandiloquently off, only to be hit sharply on his bobtail by a missile from Dwopple's sling.

"Yowhooch! Bandit, fiend, pollywoggle, scallywag! I'll have y'tail for breakfast, sah!"

The sight of Florian's enraged face set Dwopple crying in distress. "Wahaaah! Nasty wabbit gonna eat Dwopple's tail. Boohoohoo! Me on'y a likka baybee. Wahaahaa!"

Deesum hugged the mousebabe closer to her as she rounded on Florian. "You callous monster! Fancy frightening the poor little fellow like that!"

Florian flung his hat down and danced upon it. "Madam, I'll have y'know that wretch shot me in the posterior, an' called me a rabbit t'boot!"

Deesum stamped her paw hard. "Enough! One more word, sir, and I'll resign from your troupe and take baby Dwopple with me!"

Roop, the mole in the spangled bloomers, shook his head dolefully, grumbling in his curious molespeech. "Hurr, no such lukk oi doan't surpose, burr no."

Muggle, the other mole, gathered up a pail and trundled toward the stream. She wrinkled her velvety snout at her companions. "Ee can stan' yurr arguin' all day. Oi'm goin' to get brekkist vittles readied. Bain't goin' to wurr moi jaws out a-shouten."

Florian, who liked to issue all the orders, coughed officiously. "Ahem, rather! Just what I was about to suggest m'self. Right, troupe, breakfast. Elachim, get a fire goin'. Runktipp, see to the larder, the rest of you make y'selves busy, wot. Quick's the word an' sharp's the action, wot wot!"

Runktipp spread the meager rations on the bankside where Muggle was boiling water over the small fire Elachim had kindled. The hedgehog scratched his head spikes. "Ain't enough grub left t'keep a fat bumblebee goin'."

Deesum glanced at the two shriveled apples, dandelion stalks, a stale loaf of ryebread which had crumbled into pieces and some half a dozen withered field mushrooms. "Oh, seasons of mercy on us, the babe will starve!"

Ever the optimist, Florian began chopping the scanty provisions up and tossing them into the pail of bubbling water. "Nonsense, marm. Fiddlesticks! Nature's bounty has provided us with sufficient food for a nourishin' broth. Let's all eat hearty an' look forward to better, more prosperous times, wot!"

The soup was dreadful, but knowing there was nothing else the Wandering Noonvale Companions spooned it down in stoic silence, until Runktipp began eulogizing on past dishes he had eaten, as hungry hedgehogs will invariably do. "Crispy 'ot white bread, straight out o' the oven, that's the stuff. Goes down a treat with some good yellow nutcheese an' young onions fresh picked, all washed down with a foamy beaker of dark ale. Hoho! A feast fit fer a king, I say!"

Borrakul the otter closed his eyes dreamily.

"Pipin' 'ot scones, matey, spread wid meadowcream an' served wid fat juicy strawberries coated in honey, with a flagon of cold cider, o' course. Now, that's a feast fit fer a king!"

Roop picked something dubious out of his soup bowl, wrinkling his nose as he flicked the offending item into the stream. "Burr aye, well, seein' as 'ow you'm two bain't kings, whoi doan't ee use yore mouths furr eatin' an' not makin' us'n's 'ungrier?"

The mousebabe, Dwopple, picked up his bowl and began toddling off. Deesum chided her charge brusquely. "Dwopple, come back here. Where are you taking that soup?"

Dwopple nodded to a rock-strewn knoll along the streambank. "Diss soop not gudd for baybees. Gunna give 'im to the fosskers."

Elachim stared at Dwopple quizzically. "Fosskers?"

Deesum translated. "He means foxes."

Florian was immediately on the alert. "Foxes, what foxes? Where?"

Another pair of Marlfoxes, identical to the two who had accosted Janglur, rose up from amid the rocks where they had lain watching the Companions since dawn. Their names were Gelltor and Predak, brother and sister. Seeing they had been spotted, the pair approached the camp boldly, their drab cloaks flapping slightly in the light morning breeze. Borrakul cautioned his friends, keeping an eye on the strange pair.

"Careful, mates, they're carryin' axes under those cloaks!"

Florian stood up. "Steady in the ranks, chaps, leave this t'me. I'll do the talkin'. See those strange markin's? I reckon I heard about these creatures, but I never thought I'd ave the bad luck to see 'em for myself. Marlfoxes they're calledbad beasts!"

The foxes stopped a few paces short of the group. Florian walked cautiously out and greeted them. "Good day, friends. Beautiful summer mornin', wot?"

Gelltor, the male fox, nodded slightly before speaking. "Who are you and where do you go?"

Florian bowed eloquently, sweeping off his hat with a flourish. "As you can see by our, ahem, cart, we are the Wandering Noonvale Companions, a purely theatrical group of talented creatures."

Predak, the female, moved closer to the fire. "What's in the pot?"

Deesum dipped a short curtsy. "It's a sort of soupy broth. You're welcome to join us."

Predak leaned over the pot and sniffed. She wrinkled her muzzle disgustedly. "Slops!"

Borrakul picked up a large pebble and tossed it from paw to paw. "Nobeast's forcin' ye to eat it an' you weren't asked to insult it either. Good manners don't cost much, fox."

Predak's paw edged toward her cloak. "Mayhap I'll teach you a few manners, riverdog!"

Florian was quickly between them. "Tush an' pish, what's all this?"

Predak drew her paw away from the ax beneath her cloak. "You've told us who you are, but you never said where you were goin'."

The hare waved a paw airily. "Oh, thither an' yon, y'know, thither an' yon. A travelin' show like ours doesn't actually go anywhere, we roam as the mood takes us. But you, friend, will you tell us your names, and where you are bound on this summer's day, wot?"

The Marlfox's pale eyes stared insolently at the hare. "What we are called is not your concern, and where we go is nobeast's business."

Florian Dugglewoof Wilffachop's ears quivered with indignation. "Soho! It's bad manners an' insult time, is it? Well, listen t'me, you popbellied, pickle-nosed, louse-bound patchquilts! You can both take a runnin' dive into that stream an' boil your fat heads, an' furthermore you can take your mange-ridden hides out of our camp before I assist you with a stout right boot. Good day to ye both!"

Gelltor had his ax half drawn when the otter Elachim picked up a thick pole used in a balancing act and flicked the air in front of the fox's face with it. "I wouldn't draw that ax if'n I was you, matey. This pole cracks 'eads easier'n it does eggs!"

Predak found herself facing Borrakul holding his big pebble ready to throw and backed by the two moles brandishing burning sticks from the fire. Runktipp dashed across to the cart and dragged out a long shining sword, a stage prop that bent and flopped about comically.

"Now back off, both of ye, or get ready t'find out the color of yore own insides. Move!"

The Marlfoxes knew they were outflanked and outnumbered, and backed off toward the rocks. Gelltor pointed at the troupe and snarled, "We'll meet again, but 'twill be different next time!"

Florian threw the hem of his frock coat up across one shoulder and called back in an outrageously dramatic voice. "Indeed it will be different! The land will be rid of two rogues when next we cross paths, mark m'words, you spotty villains!"

Predak pointed beyond the troupe and shouted, "We're not the only two here. There are others behind you!"

The entire troupe turned and scanned the landscape. After a moment or two Florian scoffed, "Not an earthly sight of anybeast. What do they think we are to fall for that one, a bunch of oafs, wot?"

When they turned back again the two Marlfoxes had vanished as if into thin air. Florian sighed. "Wish we could learn that trick. Ah well, comrades, onward ever onward."

Deesum was still looking about fearfully. "Onward to where?"

With a great flourish the hare kicked the cooking pot over, letting the meager broth spill into the stream. "Why, onward to Redwall Abbey of course, m'dear, where else?"

Roop chuckled and rubbed his stomach gleefully. "Hurr, oi dearly luvs ee vittles at Red'all h'Abbey."

Florian issued the orders. "Attention, troupe! Load up the cart. Borrakul, Elachim, in the shafts, please. Runktipp, you and I will walk behind armed with poles to protect our rear. The rest of you ride in the cart. We must get the news to Redwall, there are Marlfoxes in the land!"

As late-morning heat shimmered on the flatlands and grasshoppers chirruped dryly beneath a hot summer sun, the cart trundled off toward Mossflower Wood, with the entire company singing.

"Oh for the open road,

No dullard's life for me,

The world is my abode,

Performing endlessly.

I'm free I'm free, companions we,

Travel the highways happily,

Performing deeds of derring-do,

And plays of heroes good and true,

Tumbling singing in merry attire,

Pray tell me, sir, what's your desire?

Come fiddle dum twiddle dum derrydownday,

A harum-scarum hoopallahey,

Come one come all this day to see

The Wandering Noonvale Companeeeeeeeeee!"

At the very heart of Mossflower country the vastness of lordly, wide-trunked trees gave way to an expansive watermeadow, formed in a wide shallow basin at the juncture of two streams. Midafternoon heat haze shimmered on the far margin as Log a Log, Chieftain of the Guosim, stood waist deep at the fringe of the tall reeds with his shrews. Though usually a loud argumentative band, the Guerrilla Union of Shrews in Mossflower were unusually quiet. Each small scruffy furred fighter, equipped with varicolored headband and short rapier, watched their leader as he parted bulrush and marsh-wort. Raising himself on tip-paw, Log a Log shaded his eyes, peering about over the reaches of water lily, crowfoot and brookweed. A large striped dragonfly hovered near the shrew Chieftain's face, investigating him. He growled at it. "Buzz off!" Surprisingly, it did. He watched a brown trout fin idly by him, just beneath the surface. Log a Log wished that he could forget his tribe's troubles and go fishing. Behind him a young shrew chewed noisily at some watercress, and Log a Log turned and fixed him with a severe stare. The young Guosim shrew stopped chewing and swallowed guiltily. An older shrew pointed across Log a Log's shoulder.

"Over there, Chief!"

Log a Log's eyes narrowed as he turned and stared searchingly out over the sunstill reaches of the water-meadow. Over at the eastern edge, by a stand of weeping willows, an oar poked itself in the air, waving back and forth thrice. He cupped both paws around his mouth and let forth a long ululating call.

"Logalogalogalogaaaaaa!"

Immediately the shrews behind him relaxed and began chattering.

"That'll be Bargle an' the others!"

"Then the coast mebbe clear, eh?"

"Well, the Chief wouldn't have called if 'twasn't, stump'ead!"

Log a Log followed as they waded back onto dry ground, still disputing and debating.

"Stump'ead yerself, wobblesnout. 'Ow d'you know they ain't still around?"

"Wobblesnout? Lissen, matey, if I 'ad a snout like yores I'd keep me gob shut about others'."

"Mebbe Bargle was alone. The others might've been ambushed."

"Nah, Splikker was with 'em. He wouldn't let hisself get ambushed."

"Oh, wouldn't 'e, then? Remember that time by the south rapids ..."

"Stow the gab an' latch yore lips, mates. Mayon, see to the vittles!"

Log a Log stamped up onto the bank, shaking water from himself. The shrews were seated in a circle three deep when Bargle and his scouts came in. Log a Log motioned them to sit and help themselves to a beaker of rough cider each and some wedges of white celery cheese with shrewbread. When they were comfortably settled and eating, Bargle made his report.

"We saw the two Marlfoxes just afore noon, Chief, west of 'ere, over by widestream. Then they vanished, right in front of our eyes!"

Log a Log undid his shoulder belt and let his rapier fall to the ground, rubbing the back of a paw wearily across his eyes. "No sign o' those rats or our logboats, I suppose?"

The shrew named Splikker shrugged. "Never saw 'em, but we tracked their sign, an' they're bound west an' a point south, Chief. By the seasons, they can paddle boats as well as any shrew can, believe me."

Log a Log shook his head despairingly. "Stands to reason, doesn't it? They're water rats. West an' a point south, y'say?"

"Aye, Chief, but there's a lot of 'em, so the logboats'll be overloaded. I saw keel scrapin's in the shallows. They can't be travelin' very fast, weighted down as they are."

Log a Log drained his beaker and sat awhile, gnawing worriedly at his lip. The Guosim watched him in silence, until a scuffle broke out behind his back. Log a Log whirled around in time to see a hulking shrew deal the young one who had been eating the watercress a hefty blow. As the young shrew fell back holding his face, the hefty one began to kick him, rumbling bad-temperedly, "It was you, Dippler, sleepin' on guard while those foxes'n'rats stole the boats from under yer nose, yer worthless, tail-draggin'..."

Log a Log was up in a flash. Launching himself sideways, he caught the hefty one a flying double kick to the stomach, sending him sprawling. The Chieftain stood over him, quivering with anger. "Lay a paw near Dippler again an' I'll boot yore guts through yer backbone, that's if you've got any!"

The hefty shrew, who was called Fenno, glared up at his chief, his eyes filled with unspoken rage. Log a Log was older, smaller and lighter than him, but he was not Chieftain for nothing. Log a Log smiled, nodding back to his rapier on the ground. "C'mon, Fenno, yer a fine big beast. Carryin' a blade, too. I'm not armed, but if y'figger yore brave enough t'carry out the beatin's in this tribe, then why not try me? Come on, mate, let's see what yore made of, eh?"

There was tension in the air as the Guosim watched both shrews. Then Fenno, still lying flat, placed a paw across his eyes, a sign of submission. A few chuckles broke out from the Guosim.

"Ole Fenno did the sensible thing there, mate!"

"Aye, so he did. Nobeast messes with Log a Log!"

"Leastways, nobeast that wants ter grow old in one piece!"

Log a Log helped Dippler up. Throwing a paw round the youngster's shoulders, he gestured for silence. "Hearken now, I don't want any shrew complainin' about young Dippler, or tryin' to rough him up. We was all young once an' we all made mistakes, some of 'em worse'n others. Dippler slept on guard an' lost our logboats, all six of 'emgood craft too, they were. So the young 'un'll learn better, he'll try harder. You will, won't yer, matey?"

Dippler wiped mud from his bruised face, smiling through his tears. "I won't let the Guosim down ever again, Chief. That's a promise!"

Log a Log patted Dippler's back heartily. "Good feller! Now, Guosim, 'ere's the bad news. Those boats of ours can only go one way on widestream, an' that way takes 'em too close to Redwall Abbey fer my likin'. I know we ain't used to walkin', but we've got to get to the Abbey an' warn 'em. I never saw water rats in Mossflower afore, but I know that their leaders, those Marlfoxes, are evil beasts. Magic, too. They've got tools, wood an' carpenters at the Abbey, so the sooner we're there the quicker we'll get new boats built. Right?"

The bass-voiced shrews roared back agreement gruffly. "Right!"

Log a Log smiled as he buckled his rapier back on. "So wot are you sittin' round like a crowd o' butterflies with wet wings for? Let's get trampin'!"

They formed up into six lines, one for the crew of each boat. As they marched away, Bargle called out to Log a Log. "I know we ain't sailin', Chief, but could we sing a paddle song to 'elp us keep pawstep on the way?"

Log a Log nodded and roared out a fast paddle song with the rest as they stamped away through the dim tree aisles of Mossflower.

"Whum chakka um chakka chumchakka whum!

Guosim dig yore paddle deep,

Hurly-burly river wide'n'curly,

There's no time to sleep.

Whum chakka um chakka chumchakka whum!

Rapid wild and fast do go,

Hurly-burly river wide'n'curly,

Bend yore backs an' row.

Whum chakka um chakka chumchakka whum!

Keep her bows up in the foam,

Hurly-burly river wide'n'curly,

Logboat take us home.

Whum chakka um chakka chumchakka ..."

The rousing boatsong echoed through wooded glades and grassy clearings as Log a Log and his Guosim shrews marched to Redwall.

Chapter 3

Extract from the writings of Old Friar Butty, Squirrel Recorder of Redwall Abbey in Mossflower country.

I had a twinge in my left footpaw a moment backI hope that's a sign of rain. We could certainly do with a good shower. Everything seems to be drooping or wilting. Badgermum Cregga says 'tis the dryest summer she's ever known, and she's seen more summers than the rest of us put together! Redwallers have had to form a chain from the Abbey pond to the orchard, bringing pails of water for the thirsty trees and vines that produce our fruits and berries. A pity we haven't more able-bodied creaturesRedwall Abbey seems to be populated by the elders or the very young these last few seasons. I can remember in the times when Abbess Tansy ruled, there seemed to be no end of willing otters, moles, mice, squirrels and hedgehogs to perform the daily chores of Redwall. But that was a long time back, when I served as an assistant cook in the kitchens under Old Mother Buscol. Who would have thought the days would arrive when I would be called old? Yes, Old Friar Butty, that's me, too old to cook and far too rheumaticky to serve as Abbot, even though there was a time when everybeast seemed to keep asking me to take up the position. 'Tis a sad reflection, Redwall Abbey without Abbot or Abbess, but that's the way things are this season. Poor old Arven, who was once Abbey Warrior, served as Abbot for three seasons, after Abbess Tansy had gone to her rest. Unfortunately he passed on to the sunlit pastures during the spring, having survived a rough winter. So now there is only myself and Badgermum Cregga, with the good mouse Sister Sloey running the Infirmary, Tragglo Spearback our hedgehog Cellarkeeper, Dig-gum and Gurrbowl, his mole helpers, and Gubbio, who is now Foremole. All that is left of our old friends. The sword of Martin, our Founder and first Abbey Warrior, hangs on the wall in Cregga's room. His brave guiding spirit is blended into the ancient red sandstone of our beautiful Abbey. Seasons have been kind and peace has reigned here many, many summers. I think it is thanks to the spirit of Martin. Oh, I forgot one other still here from the old days. In fact I can see him now, from the gatehouse window where I am sitting, Nutwing the owl. He was one of three born here at Redwall. His brother and sister have long flown off, but Nutwing has stayed and remained faithful to the Abbey. He is, how shall I put it, an unwise old owl, having great lapses of memory in his latter seasons. You will pardon me, I'm sure, but I feel I'm about to be lured away from my recording duties. I just hope 'tis nothing too strenuous.

The owl waddled right up to the gatehouse window and peered in through tiny thick crystal-lensed spectacles, perched on his beak curve. "Hmm, mm. Is that you, Butty?"

The old squirrel poked his head out of the open window, facing Nutwing nose to beak. "Who else would it be, pushing a quill pen, inkstained paws, buried among scrolls on a beautiful summer morn like this? Certainly not yourself, you feathered old fraud."

Nutwing shook his head absently. "Hmm, mm. No, it wouldn't be me. Don't like writing one little bit. D'you think it's likely to rain soon?"

Butty nodded toward the hot blue cloudless sky. "I've had one paw twinge today, but that could mean nothing. I ,ook up and tell me what you think."

Nutwing flapped his wings resignedly. "Hmm. Sky's too far up for me to see. I don't bother with it."

Friar Butty came around outside the gatehouse to where the owl stood. "Well, friend, I'm sure you didn't come this far just to chat about the weather. What d'you want?"

Nutwing thought long and hard, blinking and moving his head from side to side. "Hmm, mm, er, let me see, was it something t'do with ... No, that wasn't it... Perhaps it was . .. Hmm, no, I'd forgotten about that..."

Butty smiled indulgently. "Was it anything to do with strawberries, perhaps?"

Nutwing looked astonished. "How did you know?"

"Because when you flapped your wings a strawberry Jell out on the grass. There it is."

It was a giant of a fruit, shiny red, plump and speckled with seeds. Nutwing grinned happily. Retrieving the strawberry, he gave it to the squirrel. "I brought this beauty over for you, friend. They're taking the berries to tin' kitchen, and your advice is needed."

Friar Butty bit into the fruit, wiping juice from his whiskers as he chewed. "Oh, delicious. I hope they're all lln" same quality as this'n. What a wonderful thing a strawberry is. It has a flavor and fragrance all of its own the taste of a good summer. Right, let's go to the kitchens and see how I can be of help."

IWigermum Cregga was totally blind, though it did not seem to hamper her greatly. She waited at the Abbey's main door to greet the pair. "Ah, well done, Nutwing, you remembered your errand. Come on, Butty, finish eating that strawberry and get along to the kitchens."

The old Friar was amazed. "But how did you ..."

Redwall's blind Badgermum forestalled the question. "I know 'tis you because you limp a bit on that rheumatic paw and any creature with half a nose and one ear can tell by the aroma and the sound of chomping when some-beast is enjoying a big strawberry. Now, hurry along before the Dibbuns decide what to do with the entire crop."

Gubbio Foremole and Sister Sloey had their paws full, trying to control the greedy Abbeybabes, the Dibbuns, from ravaging the baskets of fruit that were piled up everywhere around the kitchens.

"Yurr, you'm rarscal, git'n ee paws outen yon barsket!"

Foremole lifted a tiny mouse down from the shelftop, where she was rummaging in a basket to find the biggest berries. Sister Sloey menaced two small moles who were stained from ear to smock with crimson juice, shaking a wooden spoon at them as they stuffed strawberries into their mouths with both paws.

"Not another one, d'you hear me? Stop immediately!"

Through a mouthful of the fruit one of the molebabes explained patiently to the Infirmary Sister why they had to complete their self-appointed task. "Nay, marm, us'n's be on'y h'eatin' ee ones that'll go bad soon. Hurr, it'n 'ard job furr ee loikes of uz h'infants!"

The Sister did not share their viewpoint. "The only things that'll go bad are your tummies. You'll be sick as stuffed frogs, the pair of you. Now, stop it this instant!"

All the Dibbuns froze as Cregga's voice boomed severely through the kitchens. "Just point out any Dibbuns who've been pinching strawberries an' I'll deal with them, by the thundering seasons of strife I will!"

The molebabe, Wugger, tugged Friar Butty's habit cord and whispered, "Yurr, zurr Butty, doan't ee tell Badgermum oi bin pinchin' st'awbees an' oi woan't tell on ee!"

The old Friar winked secretly at Wugger and spoke out loud. "Cregga, marm, how could you say such things? I'm sure none of the Dibbuns would be so villainous as to pinch strawberries. They're merely helpin' to carry them in and stack the baskets."

A chorus of agreement burst from the Dibbuns.

"Yuss, Friar be right, marm!"

"Us'n's be gudd an' 'onest beasts!"

"Nono pincha st'awbees, not never!"

Cregga nodded solemnly. "Well, I'm very glad to hear it, because once, many seasons before any of you were born, we had a Dibbun at Redwall who . . . D'you remember what happened to him, Sister Sloey?"

Sloey pursed her lips forbiddingly as she continued the tale. "Oh, I recall that one right enough. He ate strawberries from dawn to dusk on the day of the harvest, never listened to a word when he was told to stop, kept on pinchin' and scoffin' all the biggest and juiciest ones. Guess what happened to him as he was on the stairs to the dormitory?" Sloey gazed around at the wide-eyed Dibbuns hanging on her every word. Suddenly she clapped her paws sharply and shouted out, "He went... Bang! Just like that! Exploded! Was never seen again! Isn't that right, Friar Butty?"

The old squirrel nodded sadly. "Aye, that's what happened, Sister. You can still see the red mark he left halfway up the stairs, poor greedy little mite!"

Shocked and horrified Dibbuns unloaded strawberries from their smock pockets back into the baskets, stunned by the fate of the gluttonous Dibbun in that far gone season. Then they rushed from the kitchens, squeaking and shouting as they headed for the dormitory stairs where the incident was reputed to have taken place.

When they had gone, Cregga popped a strawberry into her mouth, chuckling. "Haha! That story works every summer. I wonder what that bright red mark on the stairs is, though? It feels quite smooth. Probably a lump of quartz in the stone."

Nutwing watched Cregga feel around in the basket beside her for another large strawberry. "Hmm, mm. I've seen it. A bit too big for a Dibbun. Must've been a greedy badger who wouldn't stop pinchin' strawberries, eh?"

Tragglo Spearback the Cellarkeeper, an immense hedgehog, lumbered in. Stuffing both paws in his wide canvas apron pocket, he grinned and winked at Nutwing. "Aye, may'aps 'twere a badger. Now then, ole Butty, which ones are mine? Make sure they're good'n'juicy enough to brew into a barrel o' strawberry fizz."

Friar Butty did his rounds of the baskets, sniffing and prodding gently at the fruit they contained, and marking certain ones with a charcoal stick.

"Those should be enough for you, Tragglo, a dozen good baskets. Sister Sloey, you take this one, to sweeten up those herb potions you give to sick Dibbuns. Brother Melilot?"

A fat dormouse emerged from an unlit oven with scrubbing brush and pail in his paws.

"Last time I let moles make damson jam in my oven. Sticks like glue when it bubbles over. Did y'want me, Friar?"

Butty indicated the unmarked baskets. "These are all yours. What d'you plan on making? Strawberry tarts, obviously. I noticed a pot of redcurrant jelly cooling on the windowsill as I came in."

Melilot took off his greasy apron and began tying on a freshly laundered one. "Strawberry tarts for sure, with good shortcrust pastry and lots of whipped meadow-cream on top. I'll probably do some strawberry and pear flans too, and a big strawberry trifle if you'll be good enough to help me, Friar."

Butty agreed willingly. "Oh, yes, an extra big trifle, with plums and raspberries in it too."

Everybeast began contributing its ideas of what made the perfect trifle.

"An' lots o' flaked almonds an' hazelnuts sprinkled on top!"

"Aye, with a good beaker of elderberry wine poured in."

"Be sure to set it in blackberry jelly."

"With lots of honeysponge slices t'make it nice an' soggy!"

"Sweet arrowroot custard too, good'n'deep!"

"Burr hurr, an' gurt globbets o' clotted meadowcream .itop o' that!"

The discussion was interrupted when a stocky older M|iiirrel strode in, a younger one in his wake, both carrying pails in either paw. The older squirrel, Rusvul, was obviously hot and rather irritated.

"Anybeast interested in lendin' a paw to fetch water from the pond for that orchard out there? Seems there's only me an' my son left t'do it."

Cregga placed a paw across her brow. "Oh, I'm sorry, Rusvul. I meant to send Nutwing over to tell you the orchard's been watered enough for today."

Nutwing smiled behind his pebble-thick glasses. Hmm, mm. Glad I'm not the only creature who forgets things."

Rusvul had been at Redwall less than three seasons. He had been a wanderer and a warrior, but when his wife died he'd come to stay at Redwall, bringing with him his son Dannflor, a quiet young squirrel. Both were strong and good workers, but Rusvul had changed since the death of his wife. He was no longer the happy-go-lucky creature of former days, but was often quick to take offense, and sometimes difficult to get on with.

He nodded at the creatures assembled in the kitchen, then turned to Dannflor. "Let's put these pails away an' get washed up afore lunch, son."

Outside, the Abbey pool seemed to cool Rusvul down a bit. Dannflor washed his paws in silence, watching his father sluice water across his face with both paws, blowing and snorting as it entered his nostrils. Dannflor glanced up at the sky. "Wish it'd rain, then there'd be no need t'carry water, eh?"

Rusvul wriggled a paw in one ear to get the water out. "Aye, son. Wouldn't have been a bad idea for somebeast to tell us the orchard had enough water, an' all."

Dannflor shrugged good-naturedly. "It's not the Badgermum's fault she forgot. She carried as much water as both of us earlier on."

Rusvul nodded grudging agreement. "Mebbe she did, but this place needs a leader, an Abbot or an Abbess. I liked ole Abbot Arven. When he was alive things seemed t'run smoother."

Dannflor dried his paws on the grass. "That's 'cos Arven was a warrior one time, just like you. Prob'ly the reason you got on so well together."

Rusvul smiled one of his rare smiles, and flicked a pebble at his son. "True enough, Dann. Me'n'you are the only warriors left in Redwall now, an' we get on well t'gether, don't we?"

Dannflor caught the pebble and skimmed it out over the pond. "Of course we get on, 'cos I'm your son an' yore my dad. But I've never been in a fight or seen battle, so you couldn't really call me a warrior. I was only a Dibbun before we came here, y'know."

Rusvul's eyes hardened. He took his son's paw and held it tight. "But you are a warrior, Dannflor, I know it. The blood of warriors runs in yore veins. Never forget that, son!"

They rose together and walked toward the orchard, where lunch was being served in the shade of the trees. Dannflor paced easily beside his father. "But Redwall Abbey's the most peaceful place a creature could wish to be. How will I know when I've become a warrior?"

Rusvul stopped and stared at him. "Yore name is Dannflor Reguba. In ancient squirrel language the Reguba was the greatest warrior in all the land. I am called Reguba, as my father was before me. When danger threatens an' you have to face the foebeast, then you will know you are Reguba, bravest of the brave!"

Lunch was a fairly simple one: sliced fruitsapple, pear, greengage and plumsome fresh-baked scones and damson jam, and dandelion and burdock cordial, loamy and cold from Tragglo Cellarhog's vaults. Rusvul sat chatting with Tragglo, while Dannflor chose to sit next to Cregga. The Badgermum reached out a huge paw and ran it gently over his face.

"You are troubled, Dann. What's going on in that mind ill yours?"

The young squirrel sucked foam noisily from the top of his beaker. "Not so much troubled as puzzled, marm. They say you were once a great warrior. My father likes the company of warriors, but he never seems to talk at .my length with you. Why's that?"

Cregga shrugged lightly, her blind eyes facing straight ahead. "Probably because I never talk about my seasons as. a fighter. That is all in the dead past to me. Peace and this beautiful Abbey are what matter in my life now. Do you like Redwall, Dann?"

"Aye, I like it a lot. It's really home to me."

Cregga smiled, nodding her great striped head. "Good. Tis my home too, though I've never seen it with my eyes. I was blinded in battle before I ever arrived at Redwall. Do me a favor, Dann, look at it and tell me what you see. You can be my eyes. Go on. Let's see if we both live in the same place."

Dannflor held the blind Badgermum's paw as he spoke. "A path runs from north to south, and Redwall stands by the side of it. Mossflower Wood grows around the north and east walls and partially on the south. A big main threshold gate faces the path, with a little gatehouse just inside; the outer walls are high, thick and solid, built from old red sandstone, like the rest of the Abbey. Battlements and a wide walltop run round the outer walls, making it like a safe fortress. Inside there are gardens and lawns, a pond and this orchard. But in the middle of it all stands the Abbey. It is a huge old building, very high, with a weathervane atop the great long roof, and marvelous stained-glass windows, great arches and columns. Built against one side is a belltower with two bells inside, which are tolled at dawn, midday, twilight and softly at midnight. I like the bells. They have a warm, friendly sound, as if they're watching over us."

Cregga squeezed the young squirrel's paw gently. "You have a good eye and a kind heart, Dannflor. Your picture of our Abbey is the same as the one I carry in my imagination."

While they had been talking the sky was starting to cloud over from the southeast, gradually at first, but the clouds increased as a breeze sprang up to drive them along, blotting out the blue summer noon. Friar Butty felt his footpaw twinge again.

"Hah! I knew it. We'll have rain before long, friends."

Splot! Splack! Two large raindrops hit the leaves of a plum tree, one of them rolling down to burst on Foremole Gubbio's nose.

"Ee rain bain't awaitin' on yore word, Butty, et be yurr right naow!"

As the mole spoke, long-awaited rain came splattering and battering suddenly down, a proper summer storm, driven sideways on the wind. Thunder rumbled afar, with a distant lightning flash flaring briefly in the east. Dust turned immediately to mud, dry yellowed grass was flattened against the wet earth, and a tremendous din of countless large drops pattering against foliage and rapping upon treetrunks as it hissed around the Abbey virtually drowned out all other sound.

Brother Melilot and Rusvul swept the linen spread off the ground, and knotting it loosely into a large sack with foodstuffs and dishes inside they bore it off between them to the Abbey. Cregga Badgermum boomed out over the din, "Everybeast inside!" Ambling sideways, she shielded many elders and young ones with her bulk. Sister Sloey tugged at Tragglo's apron, rain pouring down her face into her open mouth as she called to him.

"Mister Tragglo, there's two Dibbuns not here!"

Dannflor joined them, his fur plastered flat by the downpour. "That'll be the two molebabes, marm, Wugger an' Blinny. They went off toward the gatehouse as my father an' I were comin' up from the pond."

Tragglo Spearback shooed Sister Sloey off to the A bbey. . "You get yoreself indoors, marm. Me'n'young Dann'll find 'em!"

Dannflor and Tragglo dashed across the lawns, heads down, footpaws sloshing and slapping through the wet grass, as the thunder boomed closer and a great fork of lagged lightning rent the sky asunder. Both creatures were driven flat against the gatehouse wall by the wind, and stood there a moment regaining their breath before fighting their way around to the gatehouse door. It was flapping back and forth, for Butty had left it open, and they hurried inside out of the storm. Tragglo cast a quick eye about.

"I.iddle rascals. They ain't 'ere, Dann, an' we never passed 'em on the way 'ere."

The young squirrel wiped rain from his eyes on a window curtain. "Let's think. I know! Maybe they're up on the walltop. Dibbuns are always being told not to go up there, so that's the likely place for them to be."

Sheeting rain swept the ramparts, dancing across the stones and gurgling noisily out of small downspouts, so heavy that visibility was virtually nil. Tragglo and Dannflor were running almost doubled up past the north battlements when a peal of thunder exploded with frightening; force directly overhead. In the crackle of chain lightning that followed the hedgehog pointed to the northeast gable end and the two small figures huddled there.

"Haharr, there they be!"

It was hard to imagine two more saturated and frightened little creatures. The molebabes wailed and threw themselves at their rescuers.

"Whhauhau! Us'n's be gurtly drownded, zurrs!"

Tragglo untied his stout canvas apron and placed it over the Dibbuns, then between them he and Dannflor picked them up and started down the east wallsteps, watching carefully where they trod as the steps were awash. Reaching the lawn, they skirted the rear of the Abbey, almost blown around the corner of the belltower by the increasing wind. Wugger and Blinny held tight to the canvas apron covering them as it ballooned and flapped. More thunder banged sharply overhead and lightning sheeted the scene, illuminating it momentarily in an eerie white flash.

Cregga and Sloey were waiting at the door, holding it open against the weather's onslaught, when the four of them rushed inside, breathless and bedraggled.

Sister Sloey gave Dannflor and Tragglo a towel apiece. "You found them! Thank goodness. Where were they?"

The hedgehog rubbed vigorously at his face. "Just where you'd expect the rogues t'be, Sister, top o' the bloomin' wall at the northeast corner, wetter'n water-weed an' yellin' to be saved from a drownin'. Anyways, they're safe now."

As the little group passed through the Great Hall more lightning flashed outside, throwing cascades of bright pattern from the colored stained glass onto the worn stone floor. A fire was burning in the Cavern Hole where all the Redwallers were gathered, towels flapping wetly about and steam rising from damp fur. Sister Sloey and Gurrbowl Cellarmole dried the two Dibbuns off, none too gently. Wugger's head shook from side to side as the Sister rubbed at it, scolding, "Time and time again you've been told not to go up on that walltop to play. So what were you both doing up there, eh? Speak up!"

"Hurr, us'n's was on'y talkin' to they funnybeasts in ee woods, marm."

"Funnybeasts? What funnybeasts?"

"Thurr wurr two of 'em, marm. They was whoit'n'blarck'n'blue, a-wurrin' gurt cloakers!"

Dannflor had trouble keeping a straight face. Wugger was obviously making up some kind of story to justify his visit to the walltop. "Two funny creatures, all white and black and blue, wearing great cloaks? What did you say to them?"

"Us'n's din't say nowt. They'm arsked if oi'd cumm down an' open ee likkle wallgate furr 'em."

"And what did you say?"

"Hurr, us'n's was a-goin' to, when ee rain cummed, then us'n's was too affrighted t'move."

"So, what happened to the two funnybeasts?"

Wugger spread both paws and blinked. "They'm gonned! Jus' vanished loik that, zurr!"

Dannflor smiled and winked at Tragglo, who nodded understandingly at the molebabe as if it all made sense.

" Ho, right you be, Wugger. The two funnybeasts just vanished, y'say?"

Wugger nodded, his little face completely serious. "Aye, zurr, that's roight!"

Sister Sloey wagged a severe paw under his nose. "You've eaten too many strawberries and made yourself ill. Straight up to bed for you, young moleyou too, blinny. Both of you have had quite enough for one day, pinching strawberries, playing on the wall in that thunderstorm and telling a pack of fibs. Now not another peep out of either of you. Straight upstairs this instant!"

Looking the picture of dejection, the two tiny moles, fur still standing up from their toweling, were led off to the dormitories by Sister Sloey.

Friar Butty smiled at Nutwing. "Black, white an' blue creatures with great cloaks that vanish into thin air. What'll they think of next?"

The owl dried his spectacles off on a towel corner. "Hmm, mm. I blame their elders, telling tales of strawberry thieves who just went bang and were never seen again save for a red patch on the stairs. Little wonder that Dibbuns grow up telling fibs after hearing stories like that!"

Outside, the midafternoon resembled night as the storm roared around Redwall Abbey, lashing its ancient stones and causing the Mossflower treetops to sway wildly in its grip. Snug inside their comfortable Abbey, the creatures of Redwall, now warm and dry, took their ease in safety and calm.

Chapter 4

Janglur Swifteye unfastened the tent canvas from his hack and tossed it expertly across two rocks that stood a small distance apart on a knoll overlooking a storm-swollen stream. Rimrose and Song weighted the canvas down with flat slabs of sandstone placed on its edges where they lapped the ground, working quickly, their heads bowed against the pelting rain. Grandma Ellayo hurried into the covered space between the rocks and swept out the wet leaves, creating a dry floor inside the makeshift shelter. Janglur dropped the last large slab on the rear of the canvas, making sure it was stretched taut so that it would not fill up and belly inward upon them. Straightening up, he blew rainwater from the tip of his nose, blinking hard against the scything curtains of wind-driven wetness. Rimrose and Song were already inside under cover, and Ellayo called out urgently to her son. "Git you in 'ere fast, afore that thunder bangs agin!"

Dropping on all fours, the big squirrel scrambled into the confined shelter space, the others moving aside to make room for him. Ellayo jumped instinctively as a thunderclap sounded overhead. Janglur put a paw about her comfortingly. "There now, Mum, no need to be jumpin' about like a toad on a cinder. Thunder won't harm ye."

But Grandma Ellayo was not to be placated. "Mebbe thunder won't, but lightnin' will. Take that knife o' yourn an' bury it, son. Lightnin' has a way of findin' knives!"

Janglur knew there was a lot of truth in old wives' tales. Drawing the long blade he carried sheathed sideways across the back of his wide belt, he scratched a shallow trough, placed the knife inside and covered it. Lying flat on his stomach, he rested his chin on both paws, watching the stream being peppered with torrential rain as it pounded furiously on its course. Song joined him, while Rimrose and Ellayo snuggled down at the back of the shelter. Janglur nodded in their direction. "Take a tip from them, Song, an' rest while y'can. Nought else t'do but sleep this storm out."

The young squirrel watched the rain glumly. "When's it going to stop so we can get to Redwall Abbey?"

Her father shrugged. "It'll stop when 'tis ready to. Must be gettin' towards eventide now. If it ceases later on we may be able to travel by night. You have a good nap; I'll wake ye if it clears up."

Song tried to sleep, but the longer the bad weather continued, the less she felt like sleeping. Twilight lent a strange aspect to woodland and stream, and a weird gray-yellow nimbus hovered over the banksides, cast through with a dull lilac glow. Gradually she began to drift toward slumber, lulled by the sound of rainfall and swishing treetops, but then a sharp movement from her father brought her back to instant alertness.

"Be silent, Song, an' don't move. Look at the stream!"

A long logboat thundered by on the roiling current. Seated in the prow were two Marlfoxes, identical to the two they had encountered, and large scrawny water rats, some brown, others black or gray, packed the boat from stem to stern. The majority of the rats were paddling oars, skimming and sculling to keep the craft upright and on course, while the rest were kept busy bailing out stream-and rainwater with any implements they could lay claw to.

Janglur muttered to Song out of the side of his mouth, "lust as well they can't hear yore grandma snorin' in this liddle lot. Be still now, here comes another!"

A second logboat forged along in the wake of the first, langlur moved forward, poking his head out into the rain, peering upstream.

"There's more of 'em, another four if'n I ain't mistaken. Never seen aught like this afore. I'm goin' to take a look. You stay put, Song. Y'know where my dagger is if y'need 11. Don't wake your mum or grandma, what they don't know can't 'urt 'em. Be back soon!"

Not far from the knoll where they had camped a big gnarled crack willow overhung part of the stream, langlur Swifteye climbed it with surprising speed and grace for a squirrel of his size and weight. Skipping nimbly out along one of the main limbs that bent over the water, he tested it for firmness. Two more logboats had passed beneath the willow, their occupants unaware of the presence of a squirrel overhead. Janglur looped his tail and footpaws firmly around the sturdy bough, hanging downward almost as if he were part of the tree. Another logboat bobbed past on the turbulent waters. He let it sail by beneath him, noting that all the vessels were parked with water rats, but the only Marlfoxes were the two in the lead boat. Unwinding the sling from his waist, langlur readied himself as the final craft shot toward the willow, a foaming bow wave curling either side as it plied the water. Three rats in the stern were bailing busily. As the logboat sped past beneath the watching Janglur, the hindmost rat bent to scoop up a bowlful of water. Suddenly, a noose settled around his neck and a paw clamped round his mouth like a vise. The rat's footpaws were hauled swiftly clear of the scuppers and the logboat shot on without him, his companions not even noticing his departure.

langlur flopped the water rat up over the willow limb like a landed fish, dealing him a sharp blow between ear and jawside. Working efficiently, he sat him on the branch, whipped the sling from the stunned rodent's neck and bound his middle to the tree. A soft moan escaped the rat's lips as he began to come around. Janglur patted his cheek playfully. "Hush a bye now, me ole cully, you sit there awhile until yore ready an' willin' t'do a bit o' talkin'!"

Song watched her father emerge out of the sheeting rain. He was carrying a bundle and whistling cheerfully between his two front teeth. One of the lazy hooded eyes winked slyly at her as he ducked to enter the shelter.

"Found some nice dry pinewood back there. Must be the only bit o' timber left in Mossflower that ain't wet this evenin'."

Song unearthed the knife and took tinder and flint from their pack. Striking the flint against the spine of the blade, she blew softly on the bright sparks that fell on the dry mossy tinder. A thin blue column of smoke rewarded her efforts, followed by a glow and a tiny flame. Janglur began adding pine splinters until they had sufficient fire going to pile on some of the pine billets. Wakened by the smell of wood smoke, Rimrose held her paws out to the flame gratefully.

"A nice fire. Would you two like somethin' to eat?"

Grandma Ellayo's voice came from the back of the shelter. "Aye, us three would like a bite if y'don't mind!"

The last of their provisions was made into an acceptable meal. Song sliced up the final piece of Rimrose's traveling fruit and honey cake, while her grandma brewed a kettle of mint and comfrey tea. Rimrose had saved four oatcakes and a small wedge of cheese. She toasted the cheese and oatcakes together. The family sat by the fire, staring out into the rainswept night as they ate. Later Janglur took out his flute and played, encouraging Song to sing.

"I once knew an ant and I knew him right well,

This ant he lived in a hazelnut shell,

He had relations to count by the score,

They used to come knocking on his tiny door.

One was called distant, he lived far away,

Another was pleasant, he'd bid you good day,

A third was constant, he was never away,

Then there was hesitant, not sure he'd stay,

And poor old reluctant not sure too,

And one called valiant stout and true.

Now I'll tell you the reason they all came to call,

"Cos this ant was the most important of all!"

As the final echo of the ballad died away a gruff voice called from the streambank, causing Ellayo to jump with fright, "Well sung, young missie. Y've got a fair pretty voice on yer!"

Song immediately grabbed for her father's knife, but Janglur stayed her paw, a smile flitting across his half-closed eyes as he replied, "Aye, better'n any ole scrag-furred shrew could sing, I'll wager!"

Surrounded by a party of Guosim, Log a Log strode up to the shelter.

"Hah! Janglur Swifteye, ye great fat branchbounder, I heard you was dead three seasons back!"

Janglur shook his old friend's paw heartily. "Log a Log Guosim, ye big-bellied brookbeast, I heard you died more'n four seasons ago!"

The shrew threw a paw about the squirrel's shoulders. “Well, we must be the two healthiest ghosts in the woodlands."

Introductions were made all around. The shrews joined their old logboat sails, which they carried with them, to Janglur's shelter. Using oars and dead branches, and taking advantage of nearby bushes, they soon extended the covered area. Log a Log sat by the fire, gratefully accepting a bowl of tea from Ellayo, while he told Janglur of what had befallen him and his tribe. The squirrel listened intently, then told Log a Log of his first encounter with the Marlfoxes. The shrew scratched his ear thoughtfully.

"D'you think the two you met are the same two who stole our boats?"

Janglur shook his head emphatically. "Impossible. We were too far apart, but I saw the two foxes that took yore boats this very evenin'."

Log a Log's paw grabbed his rapier hilt. "You saw 'em? Where?"

"They sailed right by here, round about twilight, six boatloads of 'em, water rats, with the two foxes sittin' for'ard in the first boat that passed. So I went t'take a look."

"So, tell me, what did y'see?"

The squirrel's long lashes flickered idly. "Wasn't much to see. I figgered they wouldn't stop to chat with me, so I worked the ole rear ambush an' captured one."

Log a Log leapt up and drew his rapier. "You captured one? Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

Janglur rose with a sigh. "Because you called me fat an' said I was three seasons dead. Come on, stop lookin' so injured, an' I'll take you to him."

The water rat was fully conscious, but his face showed little emotion as Janglur loosed the bonds and hauled him down from the crack willow. Log a Log's rapier point was swiftly at the rodent's throat. The shrew's voice dripped menace.

"Now, matey, yore goin' t'do a bit o' fast talkin'. Who are these Marlfoxes, how many of 'em is there, an' what are you doin' in these parts? Make it easy on yoreself an' speak!"

The rat's face was blank, his eyes devoid of either fear or hatred of his captors.

Janglur prodded the rat's chest with a hard paw. "Where d'you come from? Are you from the same place as those foxes? I hear they come from a secret island at the center of a great lake. Tell us about it. Who rules there?"

The rat's expression never changed, though Log a Log noticed that his paws were trembling visibly. The shrew loaned close to Janglur and spoke in a whisper so the water rat would not hear them. "Wot d'yer make o' this one, mate? Mayhap he's a mute . . . Look out!"

Before either creature could stop him, the rat dashed back a few paces and flung himself into the swift-flowing stream. Log a Log and Janglur rushed to the water's edge and stood helplessly, watching as the rodent was swept away on the wild racing surge. It was far too rough and speedy, even for a water rat, and his paws struggled feebly against the surging mass until a broken rowan tree came hurtling like an arrow on the current. It struck the unfortunate rat and he sank instantly. Log a Log screwed up his face in disgust.

" Tis always bad when a life's wasted for no reason, even the life of a vermin like that'n."

langlur fastened the sling back around his waist. "I wouldn't say the rat's life was wasted fer no reason, mate. We mightn't know why he did it, but no creature could live in that current, so he knew what he was doin'. He must have been really terrified if he killed himself rather than betray any information."

The shrew stood staring at the spot where the rat had gone down. "Yore right, Swifteye. Let's go an' get some sleep. Mayhap we'll find the answer to all this when we reach the Abbey of Redwall."

The Wandering Noonvale Companions' cart was stuck up to its axles in mud. Florian wrung rain from the hems of his frock coat and bellowed mournfully.

"Oh, calamity, folly and woe unto us! Abroad on a night like this in the midst of a hurricane, nay a typhoon, a veritable deluge! And now, to cap it all, we are sinking slowly into the muddy oblivion of a bottomless quagmire. Brave hearts and faithful friends, 'tis a night for lamentations. Ooooh, lack a bally day, wot!"

Runktipp tried unsuccessfully to block a rip in the canvas of the covered cart with a pennant he had plastered with mud. "Aye, we could do with lackin' this day right enough. Pesky rain'll drive me off my spikes if it don't stop!"

Borrakul, who was caked in mud up to the waist from trying to get the cart unstuck, grinned mirthlessly. "Cheer up, we're only lost, starvin' an' likely to be drowned by mornin'. At least there's plenty o' water t'drink out there."

Roop twitched his nose at the otter. "Oi bain't thursty, thenkee, zurr, tho' 'tain't ee weather oi'm wurried over, 'tis Dwopple. Ee young maister's gone vurry quiet, an' oi doan't loik et!"

Deesum instantly leapt to the defense of her charge. "You're quite heartless, mister Roop. See, the dear little chap is slumbering innocently."

Elachim, the other otter brother, who was trying to sleep at the same end of the cart as the mousebabe, shifted his position, muttering, "Slumberin' innocently? The wretch is snorin' like thunder, an' he keeps tryin' to eat my tail in 'is dreams!"

Muggle flung her soggy turban at the otter. "Gurr! Doan't ee menshun eatin' again. Moi pore stummick is a-growglin' an' a-rowglin' loik thunner an' loightnin'!"

Dejectedly, Florian pulled out his battered one-string fiddle and plucked at it experimentally. "Tchah! Confounded wet weather's knocked it all out o' tune, wot!" Nevertheless, he scraped away at it with a tattered bow and began singing a song that he composed as he went along.

"Deah mothah I am hungry, hungry,

An' starvin' as well to boot,

Oh to be back home in your orchard,

So full of delishowus froot.

If I perish'n'die before maaaawnin',

My last thought will be of yewww,

An' the smile on Father's whiskers,

An' a whackin' great bowl of stewwww!

Are Grandpa's teeth still missin',

The way I'm missin' yooooooou?

You're the nicest ma a son could have

An' I've had quite a feeeeeewwww.

Fare thee well my dearest parents,

For quite soon now I must die,

But if I get home before midnight,

Don't let Grandma eat all the pie!"

Florian's song was abruptly cut off when a soggy tunic flopped in his face. He removed the offending article, which had become tangled with his ears and whiskers, and held it up.

"Which rotter threw this? Own up immediately, wot?" he demanded with an air of injured dignity.

The troupe stared at him in blank innocence. Baby Dwopple shook with malicious mirth, but kept his eyes tight shut, pretending to be asleep. He even threw in a couple of lusty snores for good effect. Deesum stroked his head fondly, murmuring, "So young, yet so talented. One day you will be a great actor!"

Night closed in around the little cart in the woodland as the rain continued to batter down.

Chapter 5

The lake was so huge that nobeast standing on any part of the shoreline could tell that its sweeping vastness held an island at its center. Not even birds, because they knew better than to try to fly across the lake. Whipping up the surface into a frenzy of crested waves, the storm raged throughout the night hours. Rain howled like a wild thing, driven by the winds. From the billowing masses of black and purple-bruised cloud that obscured the moon, thunder crashed and lightning ripped down in a flickering dance across the heaving waters.

Inside Castle Marl a grim-faced band of brown-liveried water rats were trying to drown out the storm noise with music. They plucked at stringed instruments, struck small gongs and played strange melodies on flutes and pipes of varying sizes. From cellars to attics they paraded, up and down the fortress's many ramps. There were no stairs inside Castle Marl, just steeply sloping ramps, winding or angled, everywhere. The odd group followed a curtained palanquin, a long boxlike affair with silken tasseled drapes around its sides, borne on four thick poles running beneath its length and width. Over a score and a half rats bore the odd conveyance, treading with carefully measured paces, so that the box was kept perfectly steady at all times, and by the side of the palanquin strode a Marlfox. When a sharp tapping noise issued from within the covered box, the carriers stopped moving instantly. A harsh rasping voice sounded from behind the silken curtains.

"Lantur! Tell them to play louder. I will not be disturbed by weather noises, for I am mightier, more powerful than storms! These fools must play louder. The storm stopped me sleeping, so they must outplay it. That is my command!"

The Marlfox, Lantur, strode back to the musicians, who had already heard the order. Nevertheless, she repeated it in the imperious tone of one used to commanding others.

"The High Queen Silth decrees that you play louder. If you disobey the royal word you will all answer to the Teeth of the Deeps. Play louder! You there, bring the Chanters so they may add to the music by singing the High Queen's praises!"

More water rats were quickly brought to join the band. At a nod from Lantur the procession continued, the Chanters droning along in time with the musicians.

"All-powerful mighty Queen, whose beauty has ne'er been surpassed,

Far brighter than the sun, whose rays it will outlast,

We live to serve you truly, until our final breath,

Knowing you hold all secrets, the power of life and death,

Wisest of wise, greatness sublime,

Rules o'er our isle for all time."

Rats with incense burners scurried ahead of the bearers, wafting sweet smoke into the air so that it would drift down between the curtains. Lantur drew close to the palanquin and spoke in a comforting, wheedling tone. "You see, O Queen, whatever your heart desires is yours."

The harsh rasping voice came back to her, childish and complaining. "I cannot bear not to be surrounded by beauty and calm. Oh, my head hurts with the noise of the thunder, lightning flashes through my brain! Tell them to play louder, Lantur. Louder!"

The Marlfox smiled as she bowed low. She resembled the four who had accosted Janglur Swifteye and the Noonvale Companions, but was slightly smaller, and finer-featured in a sinister way. Silkily, she said, "Your wish is my command, All-Powerful One!"

Outside Castle Marl the storm raged on, oblivious of the pathetic sounds from within as they strove to drown out the greatest sound of all: the power of the weather, combined with the forces of nature.

Below, in the rear courtyard, lines of manacled slavebeasts, squirrels, otters, hedgehogs and mice stood with weary heads bowed in the downpour, waiting for the barred pens to be unlocked. The sadistic Slave Captain, the water rat Ullig, lounged under the protruding roof shelter, jangling a bunch of keys at his belt.

"So then, me lucky lot, yore gettin' off easy today. Darkness arrived early 'cos o' the storm an' I ain't standin' out in the fields gettin' drenched. But you'll work twice as hard tomorrer, or you'll feel my whip around yore backs!" Shrugging his heavy cloak closer about him, Ullig smiled wickedly at the tired, saturated slaves. "Ain't that right? Come on, let's 'ear yer. Speak up!"

The wretched beasts were forced to call out in a chorus, "Aye, right, Cap'n!"

Ullig tossed the bunch of keys to a water rat guard. "You, open up an' get 'em under cover till dawn."

Shuffling through the deepening puddles, the slaves crowded into the pens, throwing themselves down on the damp straw bedding, grateful to be under cover. Locking the pens, the guard returned the keys to Ullig. Two more guards staggered from the barracks nearby, carrying between them a cauldron of boiled maize porridge, which they placed close to the bars. UUig watched the slaves thrusting their paws through and scooping the rapidly cooling mess into their mouths. He shook his head at the pitiful sight. "I'm far too kind t'you lot. Must be gettin' soft with me long seasons." Laughing to himself, he strode off to the cover of the barracks, where a warm fire and good food awaited him.

Song slept heavily. It was long past dawn when the young shrew called Dippler flicked rainwater at her head.

"Come on, dozychops, wake up or you'll snore until autumn!"

The squirrelmaid had chummed up with the Guosim shrew, who was roughly her own age, on the previous evening. Now Song opened one eye and lay unmoving as she threatened her newfound friend.

"You've just done three things that really annoy me. One, you flicked water on me while I was asleep. Two, you called me dozychops. Worst of all, though, is number three. You said I snore. For that, my friend, you're going to take an early bath in the stream!"

Leaping up, she dashed after Dippler, who was very agile and could duck and dodge with ease. They flew past Janglur and Log a Log, showering them with the wet banksand churned up by their paws.

"Aye aye, steady on there, you young rowdies!" The shrew Chieftain shook sand off himself, grinning at Janglur. "Wish I had the energy o' them two. 'Tis good that your Song's palled up with Dippler. That young 'un ain't got many friends. He was the one doin' guard duty when our boats went missin'."

Janglur dodged smartly aside as the pair chased by him again. "Well, he won't go far wrong with Song. She's a good 'un, mate, an' she don't make friends lightly."

Song and Dippler dodged about a bit more on the bank, then flopped down on the ground grinning at each other. Dippler held up a paw, panting fitfully. "Truce?"

Song nodded. "Truce it is. Look, the rain's almost stopped!"

Last night's high wind was gone and the downpour had slacked off to a fine drizzle, though the skies were still slaty gray. Log a Log called out to his shrews, "Break camp, mates, grub's all gone. We'll be headin' fer Redwall in comp'ny with Swifteye an' his family. Mayon, Bargle, stick with Gran'ma Ellayo, an' lend 'er a paw. Fenno, douse the fire. Splikker, take two scouts an' march ahead of us. Bit o' luck an' we should make the Abbey sometime in the late noon."

The woodlands dripped water all morning as the party followed a trail left by Splikker and his scouts. Song and Dippler walked slightly ahead of the main group. Suddenly, a big otter emerged from the trees and approached Log a Log.

The shrew scarcely gave him a glance. "Mornin', Skip."

The big otter returned the greeting noncommittally. "Mornin', Log."

Log a Log nudged Janglur. "This's Skipper of otters. Skip, meet Janglur Swifteye. We're goin' to Redwall."

Janglur nodded at Skipper, who winked back in reply.

"So'm I, matey. Me an' the crew went over the waterfalls, three days from 'ere, 'cos of the hot dry weather. Huh! Hot'n'dry? Never expected this liddle lot. Any'ow, I've left the crew at the falls havin' fun. I decided to drop back this way an' see if everythin' was shipshape over at the Abbey after the storm. Where's yore boats, mate? 'Tisn't like the Guosim to be hoofin' it through the woods."

Log a Log rolled his eyes skyward, making light of his misfortune. "Oh, we lent 'em to a crowd o' water rats an' a couple o' Marlfoxes. Don't worry, though, we'll get 'em back an' make those vermin pay for the hire of six good logboats, take my word for it!"

The conversation was interrupted by Splikker, who came trotting back on his own tracks, gesturing with a paw over his shoulder. "Left the scouts further along the trail, Chief. There was all sorts o' noises comin' from the edge of the marshy area. Come an' see wot we've found. Y'won't believe yore eyes!"

He turned and ran off the way he had come. Their curiosity roused, the entire party hurried after him.

Florian Dugglewoof Wilffachop made a brave figure as he stood on the seat of the half-submerged cart like the captain of a sinking ship. In one paw he held the long sword with which Runktipp had menaced the Marlfoxes. It was only a trick stage prop and kept bending in the middle of its blade. Notwithstanding this drawback, Florian brandished it at the grinning shrews.

"Laugh all y'like, you scurvy villains, you'll not take me alive! By the cringe an' fur you won't, not while there's breath left in this poor body to defend the ladies an' the infant, wot!"

One of the shrews laid his rapier on the ground. "We ain't gonna hurt ye, mate, ye've got my word on it . . . Yowch!"

Dwopple hung over the back of the cart. Loading another stone into his small sling, he announced with an innocent smile, "I'm a h'infant. I shooted ya wi' me slinger. Heeheehee!"

The shrew rubbed furiously at his swelling nose. "You liddle pot-scrapin' . . ., that ain't fair! We came 'ere in peace!"

Florian waved the flapping blade of the sword at him. "A likely story, sah. Peace me flippin' whiskahs! I'll have y'know you are dealin' with a band of expert warriors, trained to slay with a single bally swipe, wot!"

Skipper, Log a Log and Janglur arrived on the scene at this point, closely followed by Song and Dippler. Song i mmediately went to the injured shrew and held a pawful of damp moss to his nose.

"What's going on here, may I ask?" she said.

At the sound of a sweet musical voice, Florian was transformed. Sweeping off his straw hat, he bowed so low that he almost fell into the mud surrounding the cart. "Faith, miss, your tones are music t'me ears, wot! Pray dissuade those small surly rogues from attacking us. We are innocents lost. A simple troupe of strolling players, ravaged by an unseasonable quirk of the weather and unjustly menaced by savage spikefurred persons."

The shrew took the damp moss from his nose long enough to argue back. "You flop-eared ole fraud, you was the one goin' to attack us!"

Deesum showed herself, wringing a large flowered kerchief anxiously. "Oh, desist from bickering and help us, please!"

Gallantly Skipper and Janglur helped the troupe from the cart, taking care to swing them out clear of the mud. Introductions were made all around as the Guosim rolled their canvas sails into long bands, attaching them to the cart like tow ropes. Skipper and Janglur found a good stout yew limb to use as a lever. The cart rocked back and forth, making wet sucking noises, as the team of Guosim pulled and Skipper levered. Janglur found the shaft and the crosstree beneath the mud and hauled. With their combined efforts they soon had the cart back on firm ground. Skipper shook mud from himself as Florian thanked him.

"My my, what a stout feller you arestout fellers all, in fact. Let us put on a performance for you in gratitude for your sterlin' services in recoverin' our jolly old transport, wot!"

Skipper could not help smiling at the effusive hare. "Lucky y'never went any further afore ye got stuck, matey. That's a swamp out there, an' there wouldn't have been a trace of you creatures or yore cart in the middle of the marshes!"

"Oooooohhh!"

Deesum did a graceful swoon and fainted. Janglur indicated her prone form with a nod at Ellayo. "Bring 'er round, Mum. Mister Florian, yore performancell have to wait till another time. We've got to get to Redwall Abbey afore dark."

Florian did a comical double take. "Redwall Abbey, sah? Capital! The very place we are proceedin' to. Mayhap we can wend our way togetherstrength in unity, y'know. I can defend you from any blackguards, rogues or hardpaws we may encounter on the way. Lead on, my good fellow, lead on!"

Deesum gave a yowl and sprang upright. Borrakul looked in awe at Ellayo. "You soon brought 'er outta that faint, marm. You must 'ave good medicine."

Ellayo clambered up into the cart. "Good medicine nothin'. I could tell she was fakin', so I just bit the tip of 'er tail. That brought 'er round all right. This's a good little cart, save my ole paws a bit. Move over, young 'un!"

Dwopple moved, scowling at the old squirrel. She scowled right back. "Just put a paw near that slingshot o' yourn an' I'll bite yore tail clean off to teach ye good manners!"

Elachim the otter yelled, "Here's the good ole sun come to chase the dull clouds away!"

After the prolonged rain, wind and dark skies, a bright summer sun set everybeast's spirits soaring. Cheering and laughing, they continued their journey to Redwall.

Late afternoon found Tragglo and Dannflor out on the path by the Abbey, gathering dandelions and the sticky-budded burdock. The Cellarkeeper explained the finer points of the plants as they culled them into a rush basket.

"Dannelions, now, you can use 'em fer brewin' or in salads. Pick the young 'uns with plenty o' buds on, they're the sweetest."

Dannflor smelled the lemony fragrance of a young bud and nibbled it. "Right, Tragglo, they do taste good. Which burdock do I pick?" The hedgehog pointed them out. "Those smaller ones. They're the lesser burdock, much better'n the big 'uns, which're called greater burdock. Good juice in lesser burdock. Y'can use it fer treatin' burns an' bruises, or y'can take the whole plant fer brewin', or use the stalks in salads too. Hold 'ard there, young Dann, who be they comin' up yon path?"

Dannflor shaded his eyes against the sun, watching the strange assortment of creatures and the canvas-covered cart approaching the Abbey. An otter out in front raised his paws and called out, "Redwaaaaaalll!"

Tragglo climbed out of the ditch where they had been gathering plants, wiping his paws on his apron. He chuckled. "Me ole pal Skipper an' some friends by the look of 'em. Go an' give the bells a toll, Dann, let every-beast know we got company!"

The young squirrel scampered off, delighted to have the privilege of being bellringer. Hurrying into the ground floor of the belltower, he grabbed the two ropes, one in each paw, high up and pulled with all his might.

Bong! Boom!

Dannflor's footpaws shot off the floor. He dangled there a moment, then came down to the ground again as the bells tolled a second time. Releasing the ropes, he ran outside and joined the Redwallers who were hurrying toward the gate, eager to meet the visitors.

Dannflor's father recognized a friendly face instantly. Hugging and back-patting, they greeted one another.

"Janglur Swifteye, you haven't changed a hair since the old days!"

"Hahaha! Neither have you, Rusvul Reguba, you old warrior!"

"Ellayo, Rimrose, you look well. Hah! I'll wager that's yore daughter, Janglur. A lot prettier'n you, but she's got yore long eyelashes. Come here, son, I want you to meet my ole pal Janglur an' his family. This is Dannflor Reguba, son of a warrior!"

Song shook Dannflor's paw. "I'm Songbreeze Swifteye, but they all call me Song."

"Pleased to meet you, Song. I'm Dannflor, but they call me Dann."

"Where's your mother, Dann? Is she here?"

Dannflor looked down awkwardly. "She died when I was very small. I don't even remember her."

There was a moment's embarrassed silence, then Dippler bounded up. "Hello, you've found another pal for us, Song. Don't introduce himI'll guess his name afore the season's done."

Song gave the shrew a playful shove. "This is Dippler, he throws water on squirrels when they're trying to sleep. Dippler, meet our new friend Dann!"

Brother Melilot had been holding a whispered conversation with Badgermum Cregga. She nodded in agreement with him. Melilot banged the main gate timbers with a copper ladle to get attention.

"Friends, guests, travelers, whoever ye be, welcome to the Abbey of Redwall. Now, d'you want to stand out here gossipin' an' backslappin' until dark, or would you like to come along inside an' get somethin' to eat?"

Florian's voice rang out over the general chorus of approval. "Eat, sah! Did my ears deceive me or did some-beast mention victuals? Lead me to the jolly old table an' I'll show you what a peckish thespian can accomplish armed only with mouth and appetite, wot!"

Foremole Gubbio murmured to Gurrbowl Cellarmole, "Hurr, woe be us'n's, oill wager yon creature's gurtly 'ungered!"

Sister Sloey, who had heard the remark, nodded agreement. "That hare looks as if he could strip the orchard bare on his way to clean out the kitchens!"

The visitors were seated on the lawn, close to the Abbey pond, while numerous Redwallers hurried off to the kitchens to prepare food for them. Log a Log, Janglur and Florian sat apart from the rest, and quietly reported the Marlfox sightings to Cregga, Friar Butty and Nutwing. The blind badger listened carefully to what they had to say before giving her verdict.

"I'd always thought Marlfoxes were a legend, some kind of bogeybeast whose name is used to frighten naughty Dibbuns. But in the light of what you have told us I think there could be great danger in their presence around Mossflower."

Nutwing preened his wing feathers thoughtfully. "Hmm mm. What's to be done about them? Log a Log says that they've got a considerable number of water rats, and that means extra trouble."

Friar Butty looked around the group. "We need the advice of an Abbey Warrior. Trouble is, old Abbot Arven was the last Redwall Champion, but he's passed away. Er, I don't suppose any of you creatures would have a suggestion?"

Janglur's slitted eyes betrayed little as he spoke his piece. "Here's what y'do. First you shut that Abbey gate tight. Nobeast leaves Redwall, except for scoutin' patrols. Our friend Log a Log can organize his Guosim shrews fer that. Meanwhile, we'll use what warriors we have to organize defenses. Skipper, Rusvul an' myself."

Cregga's heavy paw patted Janglur's shoulder. "Thank the seasons we're not without sensible warriors. You arrived at Redwall not a moment too soon, friend. Friar Butty, what do we know of Marlfoxes? Is there anything in the Abbey recordings that might help us?"

"I'll take a look, marm. Mayhap you'll help me, Nutwing?"

The owl began polishing his spectacles on his breast feathers. "Hmm mm, of course I will. I'll do my best to remember all you say."

Janglur had another suggestion to make. "If'n you want to know about Marlfoxes, I'd start by askin' my ole mum, ' Ellayo. She's never spoken too much about it, but I'm sure she's got a couple o' tales concernin' such beasts."

Meanwhile, over by the pond, Dann scooted a flat pebble out over the surface, counting the number of times it skipped. "I make that five. Of course, I'm pretty used to this pond. See how many times yours bounces, Song."

The flat brown pebble Song had found skimmed out while they watched it.

"Four, no, four and a little one. Oh, go on then, we'll call it five. Righto, Dippler, let's see if you can beat five!"

The young Guosim shrew picked up a pebble, not bothering about its shape or weight, and slung it almost haphazardly, turning to face his friends as the stone skipped on its journey across the water. "Eight! But y'must remember that I was born around water, been skimmin' stones since afore I could speak."

Dannflor was watching the main Abbey door from the corner of one eye, and now he noticed Brother Melilot emerge with a ladle and a flat pan. The young squirrel smiled slyly at his companions. "Hmm, you two are pretty clever at most things, aren't you. Well, let's see how good you are at bein' first in for scoff!"

He took off from them at a dead run on the same instant that Melilot began banging the ladle against the pan and shouting, "Vittles ready in Great Hall, come and get 'em one an' all!"

Song and Dippler pursued Dann, berating him.

"You crafty rotter, wait for us!"

"Treewalloper! Least you could've done was give us a level start!"

Mokkan the Marlfox pointed to a sheltered creek at the streamside, raising his voice.

"This should do. Pull in here, and hide the boats under those trees."

The female Marlfox, Ziral, leapt ashore and watched until the last logboat had turned into the inlet. When the water rats had disembarked she called two of them. " Allag, Ruheb, take six trackers apiece, spread out and go separate ways. Find our brothers and sisters and bring them back here."

Mokkan stretched wearily out beneath a spreading sycamore, glad to be free from the confines of a logboat's prow. He snapped out orders to the water rats standing to attention along the bank. "Get the nets, find fish. Archers, bring down some birds. You four, collect wood and get a fire going. Dry wood, mindwe want as little smoke as possible. Bring fruit and berries, only the ripest ones. You, spread my cloak carefully over that bush to dry out."

As the rats scurried to do his bidding, Ziral sat down beside him, nibbling at a juicy grass blade. "The Abbey of Redwall is not far west of here."

Mokkan closed his eyes, savoring the sun's warmth. "I know that, but we don't make a move until the trackers find Vannan, Ascrod, Gelltor and Predak and bring them back here. Relax, vixen, there's no hurry."

However, Ziral was unable to rest. She paced the bank, honing her ax blade on a sliver of shale. "I'll relax when we're back on the island with that mother of ours. Halfwitted old fool, you'd think she has enough possessions, but no, all she does is witter on from morn till night, 'I must be surrounded by beauty, I must be surrounded by beauty!' I don't know how our sister Lantur stands it. I'd like to surround her with a couple of boulders tied to her neck and drop her in the lake, then she could be surrounded by fishes!"

Mokkan opened one eye. "It's treason to speak about the High Queen in such a manner, you know that?"

Ziral snorted contemptuously and flung her ax. It buried its blade deep in the sycamore trunk.

Mokkan sniggered dryly. "Temper, temper, sister of mine! That sort of behavior won't do you any good."

Ziral's pale eyes blazed. She pushed aside a water rat, sending the creature staggering into the shallows as he tried to hold on to the bundle of kindling wood he was carrying. The vixen Marlfox jerked her axblade viciously from the sycamore trunk. "High Queen? Silth is nought but a doddering old wreck who hides behind silken curtains. Why doesn't she die and leave the island to us, her own brood?"

Mokkan raised himself on one paw, smiling. "That's when the trouble will really start. There're seven of us, we'd never be able to share all that wealth and rule the island together from Castle Marl. Not without killing each other off. Remember, we're Marlfoxes, born to stealth and deceit. Only one of us could ever rule the island."

Ziral made as if to sheathe her axblade beneath her cloak, then instead she suddenly brought it about in a scything swipe, only to find it locked against the curve of her brother's ax. Mokkan forced the vixen's ax to the ground and trapped it beneath his footpaw. He continued smiling at Ziral.

"You see what I mean, sister!"

^{Chapter 6}

Janglur Swifteye gazed in awe and admiration at the tapestry hanging on the west wall of the Abbey's Great Hall. It depicted vermin fleeing in all directions from the figure standing boldly at its center, Martin the Warrior. The armor-clad mouse leaned upon the hilt of his fabulous sword, a friendly reckless smile on his striking features.

Janglur whistled softly. "Now there stands a warrior among warriors, by the seasons! He looks so confident an' strong, small wonder those vermin are fleein' for their lives, mate!"

Rusvul pointed to the name embroidered on the border. "Aye, that's Martin the Warrior. He was the creature who freed Mossflower from tyranny an' helped to found this Abbey of Redwall. I felt just as you do, when I first saw him. This tapestry means a great deal to any creature calling itself a Redwaller. But come an' join the company at vittles afore that hare an' his performin' troupe do a vanishin' act with all the food. Twist me tail! Those actors can put it away!"

Florian Dugglewoof Wilffachop was on his fourth, bowl of summer salad with celery cheese and barley bread. Between salads he had demolished a number of strawberry cream tarts, a mushroom and leek pasty with gravy and a portion of woodland trifle topped with meadowcream that would have fed four Dibbuns for two days. The hare waggled his ears appreciatively. I say, you chaps, this spread is absojollylutely enscrunchable! My compliments to the cook, Lady Cregga, marm!"

The Badgermum put aside her apple turnover with maple syrup. "Tell him yourself, mister Florian. He's just resigned at the thought of having to cater for you again!"

The entire table of guests fell about with laughter. Florian looked slightly baffled, and attacked a wedge of plum pudding pensively.

"Flippin' strange feller. You'd think a cook'd enjoy servin' up dinner to a chap who enjoys his tuck, wot?"

Dannflor sat between Song and Dippler, advising them on the fare. "Here, Dipp, try some o' this candied fruit sponge, you'll like it. Song, here's some deeper'n ever turnip 'n'tater'n'beetroot pie."

Foremole winked broadly at the pretty young squirrel. "Hurr, you'm gonna loik et, missie, us'n's h'eat et noight'n'day. 'Tis ee moles' fayvurrt grub, burr aye!"

Rusvul treated Janglur to a tankard of October Ale and a thick slab of yellow cheese studded with hazelnuts and carrot, with a small farl of hot brown bread. "Git that down yore famine-fed chops, mate. 'Twill make yer feel like a real warrior!"

Janglur's hooded eyes gazed around at the scene. "I came here once when I was but a mite. Have y'ever seen a more cheery an' welcomin' bunch than these Red-wallers? No wonder travelers tell tales an' legends of this Abbey!"

Dwopple was sitting on Skipper's lap, in company with Blinny and Wugger. The otter Chieftain allowed them to sample his soup.

"Eat 'earty, mateys. 'Tis called watershrimp an' 'otroot soup, full o' dried watershrimps, bulrush tips, ransoms, watercress an' special spices. Otters like it 'cos it makes 'em big'n'strong!"

Sister Sloey rapped Skipper's paw with her fork. "You are naughty, Skipper. Those Dibbuns won't be able to cope with your dreadful hot spicy soup."

The big otter chortled as he saw the Dibbuns ladle soup from his bowl. "Marm, beggin' yore pardon, but I'm a great believer in lettin' young 'uns find out things for theirselves. This'll learn 'em a lesson."

However, contrary to expectations Dwopple and the molebabes thoroughly enjoyed the fiery concoction.

"Burr, ee soop be luvly an' warm. Oi dearly loiks gudd soop!"

"Mmmm! Dwopple 'ave more a diss soop, tasty nice!"

The delicious repast continued into late evening, when candles and lanterns were lit in Great Hall. During a lull in the proceedings, Log a Log hailed Florian.

"Ahoy there, matey, how's about you an' yore troupe puttin' on that show you promised when we rescued yer cart from the swamp?"

The hare stood and bowed to the assemblage. "Why not indeed? The Wandering Noonvale Companions would be churlish in the extreme not to return the compliment of such fabulous fare. But I know that seated here at table this evenin' is one among us who possesses a voice of pure gold. Janglur's daughter, who is aptly named Song. Mayhap she would honor us? In anticipation of this, I meself scribed a small ballad." Florian produced a scroll with a resounding flourish. "Ahem, a few simple lines I recorded while in the paws of the muse, wot wot! Goes to the tune of 'Breeze in the Meadow.' D'you know that one, Song?"

The young squirrel took the scroll and studied the lines. "I'd be pleased to, sir. These words fit the tune nicely. Father?"

Janglur smiled proudly as he played the introduction on his reed flute. Song clasped her paws in front of herself and took a deep breath. All eyes were riveted on her as the first heartbreakingly sweet notes poured forth, echoing slightly through the ancient hall.

"Our thanks to you friends, our thanks to one and all,

For kindly asking us to join you at Redwall,

We saw from afar, just as we thought we should,

Your Abbey like a gem, set in Mossflow'r's green wood.

The welcome you gave us was like we'd never known,

Like family you treat us, as if we were your own,

The bells tolled so pretty, out o'er the countryside,

A message of friendship, it echoed far and wide,

The food and drink you gave us was wonderful and yet,

'Tis you and your friendship that we'll never forget!"

Song's parents and Grandma Ellayo congratulated her heartily as the rafters rang with admiring cheers and applause for her singing.

Florian and the two otters, Borrakul and Elachim, took the floor next. The hare reversed his frock coat and tied the sleeves about his neck so that it hung down behind like a cloak, stuck a golden twirling mustache to his upper lip and struck a noble pose. The otters fitted brass rings to their ears, put on ragged breechclouts and brandished a pair of floppy stage swords. Florian explained the scenario to his audience.

"H'andaaa now, good creatures of this awesome edifice, we wish to present a historical h'entertainment... the Duel of Insults! This was a h'actual h'incident, involvin' my great ancestor one Ballaw De Quincewold an' two vermin, ferrets, who would not let him pass. Picture the scene then, a narrow trail runnin' through a woodland glade, an' here comes I, the gallant hare Ballaw!"

Florian strode breezily across the floor, stopping short of the two otters, who were trying their best to resemble a pair of evil ferrets. The hare greeted them civilly enough. "Good morrow to ye both, sirs. Pray stand aside an' let me pass through the woodlands, for I am but a travelin' gentlebeast, wot!"

The two otters paced toward him, waving their swords savagely.

"Haharr, nobeast passes 'ere an' lives ter tell the tale!"

"Aye, to pass safe y'must first defeat us in combat. Draw yer sword!"

The hare spread both paws dramatically wide. "Alas, I am unarmed, but stay, I shall defeat ye both, though not with any mere weapon. Nay, I will use only my thunderous voice an' sparklin' wit, an' they will suffice to vanquish you both. In short, I challenge you to a duel of insults, you foul an' feckless ferrets!"

Elachim and Borrakul scowled wickedly and began their insulting.

"Yew rotten rip-eared rabbit!"

"Yah lanky lopsided lettuce leaf!"

Florian appeared to sway slightly, but stood his ground, jaw outthrust. "Hoho! Is that the best ye can do? Well, let a champion show ye a thing or two!"

Wugger shouted out encouragingly, "Goo on, zurr, you'm show ee vermints!"

Others began egging him on. He held up a paw for silence, then launched into his tirade. "You misbegotten muddleheaded mudmuckers! Slop-pawed, fiddlefaced bottlenosed baggybottomed bucketbellied beetlebrained beasts!"

The two make-believe ferrets looked aghast, falling back several paces under the onslaught, then they recovered and retaliated.

"Stinky stringpawed snaggletoothed slopswiller!"

"Aye, filthy frogfaced flippin' foozlebacked fop!"

The hare threw a paw across his brow and reeled about. as if wounded by the barbed words. Excitement broke out among the onlookers as Elachim and Borrakul swaggered about triumphantly.

"Fight back! Don't let vermin shout things at y'like that!"

Dwopple shook a clenched paw at the ferrets. "Nutnose nokkykneed smellypaws!"

Deesum covered his mouth, shocked. "My dear, where did you learn such horrid expressions?"

Florian, alias Ballaw, was back insulting gallantly. "Toothless twoggletongued twitterin' tripehounds! Slackgutted slimesided sludgehearted spiritless spit-spatterers ..."

The ferrets began to sink to the floor under the weight of insults. Red wallers rose, clapping and cheering as they urged the heroic hare on to greater efforts.

"Don't stop, you've got 'em now!"

"Aye, carry on, sir, give it to 'em hot'n'heavy!"

"Show the villains who's boss!"

"Burr hurr, you'm tell umm wot you'm think of umm, zurr!"

Florian strode bravely forward, cloak swirling as he finished off the retreating foebeasts with resounding phrases. "Addletongued applenecked amateur animals! Baldybacked bumptious birdbrained bootlickers! Craven-tailed crumpetfaced curs! Despicable dungeon-eared doodlebugs! Entrail-eatin' eggheaded eyesores! Foulfurred frog-fearin' felons! Nitnosed chopcheeked dishwater-drinkers! Loppylugged laggards! Begone! Fatuous ferrets!"

As Elachim and Borrakul dropped their tails and scrabbled off on all fours, the hare swaggered victoriously through the imaginary woodland glade. Every creature in Great Hall cheered him to the echo, leaping up on the tables and applauding wildly.

Florian took a jug of strawberry fizz from a passing mole server and drained it at a single draft. He bowed deeply, trying modestly to prevent himself from belching. The Dibbuns thought it great sport to dash about the tables, trying out newfound insults on their elders.

"You'm a gurt baggybum beetle, zurr, hurr, an' a foozleface too!"

"Heehee! An' you a flittynose an' a doogleduck figgleface, so there!"

Stifling a smile, Cregga rapped on the table for silence. "That's quite enough for one night. Up to your beds, Dibbuns!"

Grandma Ellayo agreed wholeheartedly. "Aye, an' bed for you too, mister Florian. Shame on you, teachin' liddle 'uns language like that. Go wash yore mouth out!"

Florian protested volubly. "But madam, 'twas only an entertainment, a historical play. What about the two otters? They said some jolly dreadful things."

Elachim and Borrakul sipped cold mint tea innocently.

"What, us? Oh, marm, mister Florian beats us if the insults don't sound bad enough!"

"So he does. We never used words like that afore we joined up with mister Florian's troop. We were brought up t'be gentlebeasts."

Sister Sloey shook her paw reprovingly at the bewildered hare. "Double shame on you, sir, for teaching these poor creatures dreadful things. What would their mother say if she could hear them?"

Gathering his cloak about him, Florian strode off in a huff toward the dormitory stairs. He turned and paused on the bottom step, his voice quavering with emotion. "Culture is wasted upon such as you. I am injured, marm, deeply and sorely injured. I bid you goodnight!"

He tripped upon his coat hem and fell flat on the stone stairs. The Red wallers were in hoots of laughter as Runktipp called out, "Which is the most deeply injured, sir, yore feelin's or yore bottom?"

Skipper of otters' face was almost purple. The hedgehog had made the remark as Skipper was downing a beaker of cider, and now he spluttered and choked as he tried to stop laughing. Rusvul pounded his back. "I think we'd all be better goin' to bed afore anybeast else injures theirselves too deeply!"

Badgermum Cregga never slept in bed, but propped herself up with pillows on the armchair in her room. Redwall Abbey was peaceful and quiet after the feast and entertainment, but the blind badger could not prevent her thoughts from straying. With Marlfoxes and water rats roaming Mossflower, how long was the peace and quiet destined to last?

Janglur and Rusvul, like the instinctive warriors they were, were light sleepers, and both squirrels were up and about in the hour before dawn. They met in the kitchens, where Janglur found his friend lifting a few hot scones from under the noses of three slumbering night cooks. Rusvul was armed with his favorite short javelin, which he tipped toward Janglur, who crept over to join him.

"G'mornin', mate. What're you up to?"

Janglur quietly lifted a small flask of elderflower cordial from the stone cooling cupboard. "Just a feelin' I had. Thought I'd take a bite o' breakfast an' a stroll around the grounds, y'know, a sort o' patrol."

Rusvul added a few scones to the ones he already had stowed in a clean napkin. He winked knowingly. "Shows how a warrior thinks, eh? I had exactly the same idea. Well, I've got the scones an' you've got the cordial, so what are we waitin' for?"

The three night cooks, who were taking an early nap on a heap of empty sacks, slept on, unaware that the squirrels had been and gone.

Starting at the gatehouse Janglur checked the main gate bars, ensuring the heavy oak bolsters were secure in their slots. He joined Rusvul at the gatehouse window. "Main gates well locked. All quiet here?"

His companion peered through a gap in the curtained windowpanes. "Not exactly quiet. Ole Friar Butty an' Nutwing are in there snorin' like thunder in the middle of all those scrolls an' volumes."

Janglur shook his head disapprovingly. "Should have at least one able-bodied beast who can stay awake in charge of this entrance. Shall we go up on the battlements?"

Rusvul swept the inner grounds with a wave of his javelin. "Best cover the inside first, then we'll take a turn around the walltops."

They headed toward the southwest corner, Janglur munching away at a scone. "Mmm! Hot'n'fresh, like a good scone oughter be. I never tasted anythin' nicer'n Redwall Abbey vittles in all me life, mate."

Rusvul passed him the cordial flask. "Then why don't you stay? There's always a place for a useful squirrel like yoreself 'ere. I gave up wanderin' when I lost me pore dear wife. Redwall's home t'me an' Dannflor now."

Janglur gave the matter serious consideration. "Aye, I've still got my family about me, though my mum's gettin' too old t'be travelin' these days. I know Rimrose likes the Abbey. She said so last night, hinted that it'd be a good place to bring our Songbreeze up in, an' I agree with her. Pretty young maid like Song shouldn't spend 'er seasons roamin' the woodlands an' dales. Redwall's a place she can meet nice friends an' grow up good."

They continued in this vein, strolling along the south grounds, conversing quietly, but checking carefully around bushes and shrubbery, their keen eyes constantly searching for things otherbeasts would miss, disturbed dew on the grass, or a freshly broken stem. Everything was in order. As they approached the small wallgate set in the center of the east wall, both stopped talking and stood still.

Janglur's heavy-lidded eyes fixed themselves on the wallgate. He whispered, "Listen, can you hear that scratchin' noise?"

Rusvul nodded, pointing his javelin tip at the door-jamb. "Look!"

The door was a solid little affair made from close-jointed elm planks painted green. It had a single heavy iron bolt securing it. The scraping noise started up again, and a narrow strip of soft metal, hooked at one end, poked through a fresh gap made in the doorjamb by a knife. Janglur looked at the wood shavings on the ground, and took in the full situation at a glance.

"Somebeast tryin' to push the bolt back an' open the wallgate!"

Now they could hear gasping and muttering from outside.

"Mmff! Grmmf! Should've cut a wider gap fer this t'go through!"

"Owch! Y've trapped me paw. Leggo, I can do it!"

Rusvul pointed silently to the walltop. Careful to make no noise, they hurried back and dashed up the southeast wallsteps. Dropping flat on the ramparts, both squirrels wriggled swiftly toward the center of the east wall. Straightening cautiously, they peered down between the battlements.

Four water rats were at the gate, one with his body flattened sideways against the door as he strove to hook the metal device over the bolt and push it open. The others were either urging him on or telling him to let them try to do it. Mouth close to Janglur's ear, Rusvul whispered, "Four of 'em!"

Janglur scoured the scene thoroughly, eyes flicking from side to side. "Rusvul, wait. There's five. See the Marlfox leanin' on that rowan!"

The Marlfox, Gelltor, unaware that he was being watched, struck the treetrunk impatiently. "Hurry it up, Fatchur. What's the matter? I thought you were supposed to be good at opening locks."

A rattle of metal upon metal sounded out. The rat, Fatchur, straightened up confidently, assuring his master, "I think I've got it, sire. The hook's over the bolt end!"

Janglur nudged Rusvul urgently. "Best put a stop t'this afore they're in. I'll take Fatchur, you pick off the Marlfox. Now!"

Janglur leaned out over the battlements whirling his sling. Thwok! Fatchur was slain instantly as the big round river pebble struck him square between the eyes. Rusvul threw his javelin.

It was only Gelltor's swiftness that saved his life. He saw the rat fall as the slingstone struck, and glancing up at the walltop he could see Janglur, sling in paw at the battlement, with Rusvul to one side of him launching the javelin. The Marlfox threw himself to one side, but not fast enough. The javelin, which was aimed at his chest, missed any vital spot, but took a chunk of flesh from his shoulder, pinning his cloak to the rowan. Stifling a shriek of pain, Gelltor ripped the cloak free as he fell on all fours. Not waiting to see what fate befell the other three rats, he took off through the undergrowth, crouching low and clasping his wounded shoulder. Instantly the remaining rats fled, sent on their way by another stone from Janglur's sling, which cracked the tail of the last one stumbling into the cover of the trees.

The squirrels immediately hurried from the walltop back down to the gate. Janglur unlatched the metal hook from the protruding bolt end and inspected the device. "That rat knew what he was doin'. A good shove or two an' they would've been in. Let's see if'n he's still alive."

They unlocked the gate and stepped out into Mossflower Wood. Rusvul turned the rat over, placing a paw on the creature's heart. "Hmph! Won't get anythin' out o' this 'un. Dead as a doornail!"

The rat was long and thin. He wore a gray tunic with a wide belt in which were stuck a dagger and curved sword, the only other item he possessed being a half-length black cape. Rusvul rolled the carcass into some deep loam beneath a spreading buckthorn bush. Janglur heaved on the javelin, tugging it from the rowan trunk.

"Y'had tough luck there, mate. He moved a bit too fast for ye!"

Rusvul cleaned his javelin tip by jabbing it in the earth. "Maybe, but one thing I'm sure of now, Marlfoxes ain't magic. They're quick, but they can't vanish like some say they do. Don't worry, I'll get 'im next time!"

Dawn was up now, rosy and clear. They strode back to the Abbey finishing the last drop of cordial. Janglur licked his lips. "I'm ready for a proper breakfast now. Don't mention what happened back there to any save those who have t'know. Oh, an' we'll have t'see if'n those wallgates can be locked up more secure."

Mokkan, the self-appointed leader of his brother and sister Marlfoxes, sat eating a meal of trout, cooked over the fire. Gelltor plastered stream mud on his wound, binding it with dockleaves and sorrel. Mokkan spat a fishbone at him, curling his lip scornfully.

"Blitherin' oaf! You made a right mess of that plan. Now the Redwallers are sure to know we're about!"

The vixen, Predak, helped herself to a portion of the trout. "They probably already knew we were in Moss-flower if they have half a brain between them. Don't blame Gelltor. I don't think you could have done any better."

Mokkan wiped his paws on the grass, taunting his wounded brother. "A Marlfox getting himself wounded by a squirrel, and losing a good water rat into the bargain. Tell me, Gelltor, d'you think I could have done better?"

Gelltor winced as he tied the dressing with green reeds. "They'll get back more than they gave when I start on them. I'll slay ten for killing Fatchur and twenty for injuring me!"

Mokkan shook his head in disbelief. "You don't understand, stupid. We came to steal, not to start a war. Where's the profit in that?"

Gelltor whipped out his ax and gripped the haft tightly. "Blood for blood, I say. Who's with me?"

Ziral raised her voice. "It's not blood for blood unless somebeast kills a Marlfox. That's our law, brother. Mokkan's right. We came for plunder and Redwall Abbey is the only place worth thieving from. You messed things up, got yourself wounded and lost Fatchur. None of us is with you!"

Mokkan picked his teeth with a fishbone, sneering at Gelltor. "See, for the moment we're robbers, not killers. Haven't you got it into that thick skull of yours? High Queen Silth must be surrounded by beauty. Rich, wonderful things, that's what we need to bring back to the island. Imagine what she'd do if we staggered back to Castle Marl with half our number dead because we'd started an all-out war with the beasts of Redwall?"

Gelltor slumped against a tree, nursing his wound. "Aarh! I don't see the sense to it, trampin' round the woodlands just to rob stuff to please that crazy old relic. It's daft!"

Ascrod, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. "Listen, brother, we're storing up these valuables for ourselves. Remember, one day our mother will be dead maybe sooner than we think, considering her age. When that day comes we will rule the island together. Castle Marl, everything, will be all ours!"

Ziral chuckled mirthlessly. "Not according to Mokkan. He says we'll kill each other off until there's only one left to rule, right, Mokkan?"

Mokkan shrugged. "Who can tell? I say let the future look after itself, and for now we concentrate on that Abbey. Listen, I've got a plan that's a lot wiser and less warlike than Gelltor's was. Let's get the rats on the march to Redwall. I'll explain to you as we go."

Mokkan was the toughest and most resourceful of all the brothers and sisters. Even Gelltor went along with the scheme when he heard it.

Chapter 7

Tragglo Spearback and his cellar helpers were good carpenters. By midday they were fitting hingelocks to the wallgates, bolts that doubly secured the doors and could only be opened from inside. Rusvul and Janglur were in conference with Log a Log, Skipper and Cregga, deciding what the next move should be in the light of that morning's attempted break-in. The Wandering Noonvale Companions were rehearsing out by the pond, watched by the Abbey Dibbuns. Dann was strolling in the grounds with Song and Dippler when Grandma Ellayo passed them, hobbling toward the gatehouse. Song and her friends took the old squirrel's paws to assist her.

"You're in a bit of a hurry, Grandma. Where are you off to?"

"I'm goin' to the gate'ouse, Song m'dear. Yore dad said Friar Butty needs me t'tell him all I know about those Marlfoxes."

"Oh, can we come too? I love to hear you telling tales!"

The old squirrel looked at the three eager young friends. She paused a moment as if undecided, then gave in to the request. "Oh, if'n y'wish, but y'must sit still an' don't fidget, I can't abide fidgety beasts. Oh, one of you nip back an' tell that nice Brother Melilot that we'll all be takin' lunch in the gate'ouse!"

Dippler sped off, calling back, "Leave it t'me, marm. I'll go!"

A few minutes later, seated comfortably on an old sofa, Ellayo faced Nutwing, who was perched on an armchair opposite her. Butty sat at the desk with quill, ink and parchment. Song and Dann settled themselves on the arms of the sofa. Friar Butty began.

"Now, marm, I want you to speak slowly and clearly. Address my friend Nutwing as if you were telling him a story. I'll sit over here and record all you say. You may begin if you're ready, marm."

Ellayo stroked the smooth top of her blackthorn stick. "Hmm, Marlfoxes, now let me see. When I was a maid, young as Song here, my father told me of a secret island at the center of a great lake somewhere. Foxes had discovered the island and claimed it for their ownof course, that was after the lake monster was slain and the white ghost left the island ..."

Friar Butty cut in on the narrative. "Excuse me, marm, what lake monster and what white ghost?"

Grandma Ellayo sniffed at him irritably. "How should I know? I'm just telling you what was told to me. Can you remember everything from your early seasons?"

Butty held up his paw respectfully. "My apologies, marm. Please continue."

"Where was I? Oh yes! Father said that a tribe of foxes, with water rats to serve them, took over the island and built a big castle there. Then the story went that there was a war. Y'see, most of the tribe were ordinary vermin, save for two, a male an' a vixen, who were Marlfoxes. It was them who were magic. They could make theirselves invisible, 'twas said. Anyhow, the Marlfoxes got the water rats on their side an' wiped out the other foxes, slew 'em all. Then nothin' more was heard of, or from, that island. Now when I was a bit older, I had a mate, Gawjo, an' a liddle 'un too. That was Song's daddy Janglur. Gawjo was a real adventurer an' a great wanderer, an' one day he went off in search of the Marlfoxes' island an' that was the last anybeast ever seen of him. I was left t'bring Janglur up. We became wanderers, always hopin' we'd find Gawjo again someday, but we never did."

Song took in every word. She felt sorry for Grandma Ellayo, bringing up Janglur alone, always searching for her lost husband; it must have been a hard life. She put a paw around her grandma's shoulder as the old squirrel continued.

"One winter, when Janglur was still only a liddle 'un, we were camped in a hole on a streambank, with nought to eat but a few roots an' late berries an' a fire to warm ourselves by. Then one night a young kingfisher, half alive an' freezin', crawls out o' the stream an' up the bank to our dugout hole. Pore liddle bird, I took him in an' shared our fire an' wot vittles we had. This kingfisher told me he'd come from the great lake. He lived on the island an' was fishin' off it when he was set on by a bunch o' magpies. They chased him far, an' left the liddle bird fer dead in the lake shallows. But he wasn't dead, y'see, an' one way or t'other he managed to get away an' survive. I tell ye true, I owed me'n'Janglur's life to that kingfisher. When he got well an' could fly again, he brought food to us all winter long. At night we'd all three of us sit together by the fire to keep warm, an' he told me wot he knew of the island, said it was ruled by one Marlfox now, a murderous vixen callin' 'erself Queen Silth. The kingfisher said that she had a brood of seven cubs, all Marlfoxes, an' she slew her mate 'cos he wanted to call 'imself king. So then, wot d'yer think o' that?"

Old Friar Butty shook his head to think that such wickedness existed. Song crept down off the sofa arm to sit beside Ellayo. "What happened to the little kingfisher, Grandma?"

Ellayo stared into the dust motes swirling in a shaft of golden sunlight from the window, remembering that winter, long seasons ago. "I recall one mornin', 'twas spring, me'n'liddle Janglur woke up an' the kingfisher was gone. I never set eyes on 'im again, but I always hoped that good bird had a happy life, 'cos we owed 'im a lot."

Dippler breezed in with Roop, the mole from the troupe, pushing a trolley laden with food between them. The Guosim shrew bowed. "Lunch is served. Summer veggible soup, leek an' mushroom turnover, an' apple an' blackcurrant flan, with a nice flagon o' rosehip tea to wash it all down. I 'ope you ain't started tellin' the story yet, marm. Nothin' better'n eatin' lunch an' lissenin' to a good yarn!"

Ellayo heaved herself up with a groan and began dishing out the food. "Started? I've done all the tale-tellin' I'm doing for today, young feller m'shrew. Yore too late!"

Friar Butty put aside his quill. "So that's all you know about Marlfoxes, marm, you can't tell us more?"

Ellayo passed him a plate of food. "Aye, right enough, 'tis all. You'd best wash those inky paws afore you eat lunch, Friar."

Nutwing, who had dozed off halfway through the narrative, awoke with a start, blinking repeatedly. "Hmm mm, lunch? Did somebeast mention lunch?"

The mousebabe Dwopple and his two new friends Wugger and Blinny, young Redwall moles, were making thorough nuisances of themselves at the Wandering Noonvale Companions' rehearsal. Runktipp was going through his conjuring act in spite of their constant barracking and interruptions. The hedgehog spread both paws wide, a pebble had vanished, and Florian announced the trick's next stage.

"H'anda now, before your very eyes, the great Runktippo Magicspike will turn the pebble into a long string of flags, which he will produce from his magical mouth while I give a roll of the drum!"

Most of the Dibbuns were silent, gazing awestruck at the performance, but Dwopple sniggered villainously as he called out, "Well 'urry up, gerra h'on wid it!"

Florian shot him a glare that would have shriveled lettuce. "Silence, please. This is an extremely delicate an' dangerous illusion. Kindly refrain from shouting aloud!"

Dwopple whispered something to Wugger, who immediately yelled out, "Runktippo dropped ee pebble onna ground. 'Tis unner 'is footpaw!"

Florian picked up the drumsticks, eyeing Wugger icily. "Any more interruptions, sah, an' I will eject you from the audience! Great Magic Runktippo, are you ready?"

The hedgehog nodded as Blinny announced what Dwopple had told her. "Ee can't talk 'cos 'is mouth be gurtly full o' flags'n'string!"

The final straw came when Florian tried a drumroll, only to find that the drum head merely gave forth a dull sticky thud. "Sabotage! Some rotten cad's poured honey over me drum. Dwopple!"

The mousebabe and his companions sensed the game was up. They took to their paws and fled, with Florian hurling dire threats after them. "Fiends! Show-wreckers! I'll have y'roasted with turnips, I'll chop off y'tails with a rusty saw! I'll. . . I'll. ..!"

Deesum twitched her nose at the furious hare. "Mister Florian, you'll stop this unprofessional behavior in front of your audience and continue with the rehearsal!"

Behind the bushes by the north wallgate, Dwopple sat with the molebabes, wondering what mischief they could accomplish next. He pointed to the battlements. "We go play up onna wall."

But Wugger and Blinny would not hear of it.

"Burr! Nay, zurr, us'n's bain't a-goin' up thurr agin, ho no!"

They contented themselves with banging on an old cooking pot that Blinny kept hidden in the bushes. The molebabes whacked it gleefully with sticks, as Dwopple mimicked the troupe's act.

"I'm a magic Dwoppo, pulla lotsa flags out me nose, heeheehee!"

They marched about behind the shrubbery, banging and yelling.

"Us want cake and st'awbee fizz! Lotsa lotsa cake or we don't gerra wash!"

On the other side of the wallgate the vixen Ziral had no need to press her ear against the wood. She turned to Mokkan. "You were right, the young ones are there. Allag, bring the others round here from the south and east wallgates."

Gelltor winced as Mokkan patted his injured shoulder. "I told you, sooner or later they play by the gates or on the walltops. Now, we only need to snare one and we won't have to worry about thieving. Those Red wallers will give us what we want when they hear what we could do to a little hostage."

Gelltor moved out of range of Mokkan's paw. "Well, let's see you get one of 'em on this side of the wall."

Mokkan loosed the drawstring on a bag he carried beneath his cloak. "Easy, just watch me!"

Dwopple and his friends eventually grew tired of marching and shouting. They were about to run off and see if there was any fun to be had around the gatehouse, when several loud knocks sounded on the wallgate door. The little ones went to the door, listening curiously as the knocking continued. Dwopple picked up a stick and knocked in reply. "Who's derr? Wot you knock for?"

The answer came back in a soothing homely voice. "Who do you think I am, little friend?"

The mousebabe pondered a moment, then made up a fictitious name that he liked the sound of. "Stickabee!"

A slice of preserved apple, thick with crystallized honey, slid under the narrow gap at the bottom of the door. The voice chuckled. "How did you know my name is Stickabee? Well done!"

Dwopple stuffed the delicacy into his mouth. Wugger crouched down and called under the gap, "Summ furr Wugger. Oi wants some Stickybee, zurr!"

"Of course you do, Wugger, but you must open the door so that I can give you the whole bagful."

Mokkan listened to the sound of tiny paws scraping on the door, followed by the voices of disappointed Dibbuns.

"Us can't open d'locks, mista Stickabee, they's too tight!"

Gelltor smiled mockingly at the Marlfox leader. "Oh dear, what are you goin' t'do now, mister Stickabee?"

Mokkan's paw strayed beneath his cloak. "One more word from you and I'll introduce you to mister axhead!" He turned back to the door, his voice cajoling the Dibbuns. "Oh, come on now, I'm sure you can open one little lock?"

Dwopple sounded impatient at the Marlfox's ignorance. "It not one liddle lock, there be's two. One's too stiff an' the nuther one be too far up t'reach. Pusha more candyfruit unner d'door, Stickabee!"

"But I can't, my little friend. The fruit slices are too thick to fit under the door, they'd get all dirty and squashed. Look, why don't you come up to the walltop and we'll think of a way to get the whole bag up to you. Good idea, eh?"

Dwopple jumped up and down with excitement. "Aye, good idea, good idea, we go up onna wall!"

Wugger and Blinny backed off, shaking their heads vigorously.

"Hurr no, us'n's bain't goin' on ee wall!"

"You'm catch gurt trubble if'n ee go up thurr, D'opple!"

The mousebabe headed boldly for the north wallsteps. "Yah, you two 'fraidyfrogs!"

The moles trundled off to the gatehouse. They had learned their lesson about walltops.

Dwopple looked down at the assembly of rats and Marlfoxes below on the ground. "Where mista Stickabee?"

Mokkan held up the bag of crystallized fruit. "Gone to his house to get more candysweets like this. Are you the friend he was telling us about?"

"Aye, my name Dwopple, I mista Stickabee's friend."

"Oh, good. He said I had to give these to you. Here, catch!" Mokkan tossed the bag, which rose only a short way before falling on the ground. The Marlfox shook his head sadly. "I can't throw them high enough for you to catch, little friend."

Dwopple spread his paws expressively. "So whatta we do?"

Mokkan paced back and forth, as if deep in thought. Suddenly he clapped his paws and smiled broadly. "Of course, you can come down and get them, Dwopple!"

"Yah, silly, Dwopple no can climb downa wall!"

Mokkan took off his cloak, gesturing to several rats to get around and hold the edges. They held it high, stretched tight in a great triangle. The Marlfox pointed to it, grinning brightly. "Now you can, Dwopple. It'll be great fun. Just jump and all my friends here will catch you safely!"

The mousebabe clambered onto the battlements and looked down doubtfully, not sure whether he would enjoy the experience. Mokkan leapt onto the cloak, bounced on the taut material once and jumped back off nimbly.

"Hoho! That was great! I wish I were up there with you, Dwopple, I'd really enjoy jumping down onto the cloak. That's unless you don't want the candysweets and you're a 'fraidyfrog!"

That did it. Dwopple swelled his fat little tummy out and scowled. "Me norra 'fraidyfrog, Dwopple jump high, higher'n dat, right offa top o' mister Florian's cart! You watch me. Yeeeeeeeeee!"

Dwopple launched himself off the ramparts. He landed in the center of the cloak, bouncing twice. Mokkan deliberately trod on Gelltor's footpaw as he passed. "What've you got to say for yourself now, mister oafhead?"

The water rats had Dwopple wrapped and bundled in the cloak before he could make another move.

_{Chapter 8}

Cregga Badgermum and Rimrose completed their after-lunch stroll by calling in at the gatehouse. Grandma Ellayo and the owl, Nutwing, sprawled on the old sofa, fast asleep after the amount of food they had eaten. Song, Dann and Dippler had joined Friar Butty at the table, searching through ancient scrolls and dusty volumes of Abbey records. Rimrose guided Cregga to the armchair and seated her.

"Whew, 'tis warm out there today!"

Song filled two beakers with rose hip tea. "This is nice and cool. Where's Dad?"

Cregga sipped her tea, the beaker almost lost within her huge paw. "Taking up a new career, I think. He's with Tragglo and the cellarmoles, learning all about October Ale and such. When your mum and I passed there earlier he seemed t'be enjoying himself."

Rimrose glanced at the books and documents on the table. "And what are you up to, missie?"

Song flicked idly through the pages of a hefty tome. "We're helping Friar Butty to look for more information about Marlfoxes. Grandma told us all she knew, but it's not enough."

The blind badger held out her beaker for more rose hip tea. "But she did tell you a few things that you didn't know before?"

Friar Butty rerolled a scroll neatly. "Indeed she did, although at first her story was a bit muddled. She began talking of a white ghost and a lake monster that lived in a great lake until it was slain. Then she said that the white ghost left the hidden island, but she said she didn't remember much about it. I think it was probably some figment of Ellayo's imagination from her young days."

Cregga sat up straight. "Maybe not. I was once Badger Ruler of the hollow mountain by the sea called Salamandastron. Badgers always rule there. I recall seeing some rock carvings in a chamber on the mountain. I never really paid them much attention. Strange how it comes back to one at the mention of certain words. A lake monster means nought to me, but a white ghost, I remember that. You see, those wall carvings told of all the great Badger Lords who had held sway on Salamandastron. Two of these were twins, Urthstripe and Urthwyte. I think the tale goes that they were separated at birth and lost to each other. However, Urthstripe discovered his brother, Urthwyte, on an island in the middle of a vast lake. There, Urthwyte, who was born completely white of fur, became known as the White Ghost. They both traveled from the island to Salamandastron, where Urthstripe was Badger Lord. There was a great battle against vermin hordes and Urthstripe was slain. Urthwyte became Badger Lord in his stead and was often known to the hares that serve the mountain as Whiteghost. That's all I can tell you, but it may prove Ellayo wasn't imagining things."

Cregga stopped talking. Holding up a paw for silence, she listened, and after a while she smiled. "Come out, you two. Blinny and Wugger, if I'm not mistaken."

The two molebabes crawled from behind the sofa.

"Hurr, you'm surrpintly bain't mistaken, 'tis us' 'n's."

"Burr, 'ow did ee knowed 'twas us'n's, mum?"

Cregga judged they were within paw range and swept both Dibbuns up onto her lap. "I just knowed, that's all. Now what are you two after in Friar Butty's gatehouse?"

"We'm horful thursty, marm. Ee sun be 'ot out thurr!"

Song poured them a beaker each of the cool rosehip tea, smiling as she watched them noisily sucking it up.

"Been playing hard, I suppose. Where's your pal got to, that rascally mousebabe Dwopple?"

Blinny drained the last of her drink, wiping a paw across her mouth. "Us'n's never goed on ee walltop, miz, 'onest we'm din't!"

Butty wagged his quill pen at the molebabes. "But Dwopple did, eh? What was he doing up there?"

"Ee'm talkin' to mista Stickybee. We'm tol' 'im not to go oop thurr, but D'opple a likkle naughtybeast, hurr aye."

Friar Butty shook his head wearily. "He certainly is. Song, would you and your friends like to go and get that little wretch down off the ramparts before he does something silly and injures himself? Which wall was it, Blinny?"

"Norff wall, zurr. Ee'm oop thurr a-talkin' wi' mista Stickybee."

Dannflor patted the molebabe's velvety head. "Don't you fret, young 'un, we'll get mister Stickybee down too, whoever he is. Come on, Dipp."

The three chums mounted the walltop by the gatehouse steps and trotted along the north wall. Song searched carefully around the angle of each battlement, while Dippler and Dann covered the east wall adjoining.

"There's no sign of 'im 'ere, Song."

"No, he's not here either, Dipp. What d'you think, Dann?"

"Oh, the little wretch prob'ly got fed up and got down by himself. Perhaps he's by the pond. Let's take a look over that way."

Florian and the troupe were singing a comic song for their audience, who were not just Dibbuns, but many Red wallers who had finished their chores. The onlookers were in pleats laughing at the antics of the Noonvale Companions as they performed funny walks in time to their song, encouraging the Dibbuns to get up and join in with them. The little creatures needed no second urging and paraded joyfully with the troupe.

"Oh come along dearies follow me,

I'll take ye down t'the sycamore tree,

Plum pudden an' turnover, apple pie.

Beneath its spreadin' boughs we'll lie,

With veggible pasty an' damson tart,

We'll wheel it along in a little cart,

The birds will sing 'Give us some do.'

Oh the food's for us an' the crumbs for you,

So empty the cupboard out what d'you see,

A fruitcake for you an' trifle for me,

There's bread'n'cheese an' what d'you think,

A jugful o' raspberry cordial to drink.

A rowtle tee towtle an' toora lie ay,

What do you think our old mother will say,

Riddle dum diddle dum derrydown dare,

When she comes home to find her cupboard all bare?"

Dann caught up with Florian, who leaned against the cart wheezing after the performance.

"My word! Not as young as I was last season, wot!"

"Sir, have you seen baby Dwopple lately?"

Florian mopped his brow with a red spotted kerchief. "That scutterbug! Can't say I have, young laddo, but with a bit o' luck an eagle may've flown off with the blighter!"

Deesum was immediately in the midst of things. "Eagle, what eagle, where? Oh, my poor little treasure, he's been carried off in the talons of a huge eagle!"

The hare rolled his eyes skyward and sighed. "Dwopple was not borne off by an eagle, marm, 'twas merely wishful thinkin' on my part. Huh, pity the poor eagle that had the nerve to try an' make off with that miniature rotter, wot!"

Song reassured her. "I'm sure Dwopple is safe, miz Deesum, somewhere within Redwall, but we can't find him. Blinny and Wugger, the molebabes, were the last to see him, on the north walltop. We've looked, but he's not there."

Deesum snatched the kerchief from Florian and wrung it distractedly. "Then we must search until we find the sweet little mite. Everybeast, stop what you are doing and search the entire place. Look high and low, drag the pond and scour the cellars!"

Florian could not resist a dig at the mouse's dramatics. "Right y'are. I'll turn out m'pockets an' comb my fur!"

He wilted as the tough-looking Rusvul caught him tight by the paw. "A babe is missin'. 'Tis no jokin' matter, an' you'd do well to quit playactin' an' join the search!"

Janglur and Tragglo searched the cellars, Brother Melilot and Foremole Gubbio checked the kitchens. Song and her friends accompanied Sister Sloey through the Infirmary and dormitories. The three otters, Borrakul, Elachim and Skipper, waited until the coast was clear before diving in the Abbey pond and covering every fraction of it carefully. Skipper thwacked his wet rudder on the bank, sending droplets cascading wide. "Thank the seasons the liddle feller ain't in there!"

Runktipp and the two moles, Roop and Muggle, had patrolled the orchard twice. They tried to comfort Deesum, who wept pitifully.

"There there now, miz Deesum, don't go gittin' yoreself all of a tizzy, that mousebabe's bound to be somewheres in the Abbey or the grounds. Stands to reason, don't it?"

"Burr aye, all ee gates be well locked oop, an' ee walls be too 'igh furr maister Dwopple to clamber o'er. Doan't ee fret, marm, us'11 foind 'im afore long."

Evening came and still they searched, finding no trace of the mousebabe. Badgermum Cregga and Friar Butty questioned Wugger and Blinny patiently.

"What time of day was it when you last saw Dwopple?"

"Urr, just afore lunch, zurr, on ee norff walltop."

"Right, now what about this mister Stickybee? Did you see him?"

"Ho no, marm, us'n's din't see 'im!"

"Then how do you know there is such a creature?"

"Ee'm talked to uz an' gived D'opple a candysweet."

Friar Butty scratched his ear distractedly with the quill pen. "But how could he do all that and you still didn't see him?"

" 'Cos ee wurr outside, zurr, back o' ee likkle wallgate. Stickybee slided D'opple a candyfruit unner d'door. Stickybee say ee give us'n's a gurt bag o' candyfruits if'n uz go oop to walltops."

"But you two never went up there, only Dwopple did, right?"

Both molebabes nodded. Butty tried to hold his patience. "Why did you not tell us all this before?"

'"Cos you'm never axed uz, zurr."

Cregga could not help smiling, despite her anxiety. "Well, Friar, there's a bit of true mole logic. Wugger's right, though, we should have thought to ask them a lot earlier. Come on, you two, 'tis dark out and way past your bedtime."

Friar Butty walked back to the Abbey with them. "Cregga, marm, I don't like the sound of this. Sounds like the Marlfoxes to me. Remember the night of the storm? These two practically described Marlfoxes to us, but nobeast believed them."

Cregga felt for the Abbey door handle. "Aye, that's true, Friar. But I want no mention of what they've told us made to anybeast yet. There's no need to cause alarm. Dwopple may be found hiding somewhere before morning. We'll just have to kelt;*p searching."

"But what if we can't find him?"

"Then we'll just have to search the whole of Mossflower." Mokkan and the other Marlfoxes sat around a fire on the creek edge, roasting a couple of plump waterfowl. The rats sat farther away, cooking fish over their own fires. Mokkan blew a feather from his muzzle tip and watched it float off into the night.

"Plenty of good vittles in this part of Mossflower. Nothing like a roasted bird after a good day's work, eh!"

The cloak, with its top tied securely, hung from the bough of a beech tree close by, bobbing about as Dwopple kicked and protested from inside his prison. "You fibba liars, where mista Stickabee? Lemme go, I wanna bag o' candy sweets, you let Dwopple go!"

Gelltor slapped the bag lightly. "Quiet in there, or I'll give you something to shout about!"

The mousebabe did a dance of rage inside the cloak. "Rottin fosskers, toucha Dwopple an' I get you wirra me slinger!"

One of the vixens, Predak, stared across the flames at Mokkan. "You're very confident this is going to work, brother?"

Mokkan tested the roasting bird with a knife tip. "Why d'you say that? No reason it shouldn't work. You'll see, those Abbeybeasts would part with anything rather than have one of their babes hurt. But speak up if you have a better idea."

Predak watched a moth shrivel as it ventured too near the firelight. "Oh, your idea's a good one, but wouldn't it be better if we had another plan to fall back on in case anything goes wrong?"

Mokkan's pale eyes glimmered as they reflected the flames. "Tell me. I'm not like our brother Gelltor, I'm always ready to listen to other schemes."

On the island, two rat guards marched up a ramp toward the main chamber. One of them whispered irately, "Well, what is it tonight? There's no storm to disturb 'er."

The other rat's eyes flickered from side to side among the gloomy recesses and curves of the winding stone passage. "Keep yer voice down, mate. Y'never know who might be lissenin'. Queen Silthll let us know wot's on 'er mind soon enough, an' you can bet yer tail it won't be good news. It never is!"

Outside, the great lake was calm and the island quiet in dim peaceful summer night. But the main chamber was lit like noontide, with banks upon banks of thick tallow candles ranged from floor to ceiling, their light reflecting amber and gold against the long brass wallplates the Marlfoxes used as mirrors.

Threescore rats of the Guard Command stood stiffly to attention, their black livery marking them apart from the brown of lower ranks. Each carried a leaf-bladed short spear and a small round buckler shield. Above in the crisscrossed roofbeams more than fifty magpies swaggered and strutted, hopping boldly about, some even venturing to perch on the big circular candle-laden wheels that served as chandeliers. These were the tribe of Athrak, feared favorites of the High Queen. The two water rats from the shoreline patrol hurried to stand in formation with their fellow Guard Commanders, flinching as drops of hot wax from the ceiling fell on them each time a magpie caused one of the wheels to sway. After a while, even the magpies became still and silent, and an uneasy quiet fell over the chamber as Silth made her entrance.

The carriers bore their burden with exquisite care, setting the silken-curtained palanquin slowly down on a raised block of speckled marble at the chamber's far end. All eyes were now centered on the stone, though they had seen it many times before. A gasp went up from the onlookers as the vixen Lantur seemed to materialize from the speckled marble block. She had been standing there since the first rat entered, completely undetected, camouflaged by the stone's pattern. Lantur held her paws wide as two water rats hurried forward and draped the brown-green cloak about her shoulders. At a nod from her the Guard Commanders raised their spears, calling out as in one mighty voice: "O eternal Silth! High Queen, live for ever! Beauty be yours alone!"

The harsh rasping voice that issued from behind the curtains held a petulant note, like that of a spoiled young one. "Noise! All night long. Noise! I hear the waters of that lake, trying to eat away the rocks of my island! I hear the night breeze whispering like death, swirling about my castle, trying to find me! But what have you done about these things ... Nothing! Sleep will not come, it flies away from me on dark wings, I cannot catch it. Why?"

The water rat Commanders stood rigid, not daring to move a muscle, watched by the bright searching eyes of the magpies above them. Lantur strode up and down between the ranks, chastising the hapless rodents with her tongue. "You are growing fat and idle while your Queen suffers. There are no excuses for your stupidity. At night, while you are shirking your duties, the White Ghost wanders the rooms and corridors of Castle Marl!"

The Queen's voice interrupted Lantur, shrill with fear. "Fools! I know what you are thinking, but I have seen it!"

At that point one of the unfortunate Guard Commanders dropped his shield. The clang of metal upon stone echoed through the chamber. Athrak launched himself from a crossbeam, calling his tribe.

"Rakkarakkarakka! Gerrimclaw!"

The magpies zoomed down like lightning upon the wretched creature. Talons and beaks gripped fur, paws, tail and tunic cruelly, lifting him bodily from the floor. Knocking other rats aside, the magpies rushed their prisoner forward, chattering gleefully as they dropped him in front of the marble block and stood surrounding him. The water rat lay cringing on the'floors tones. Silth's voice was harsh and accusing. "Have you seen the White Ghost?"

A thin smile played about Lantur's features. She adopted a tone of reasonable inquiry. "Well, friend, have you seen the White Ghost or haven't you? Answer your Queen."

The rat was in a quandary. If he said he had seen the White Ghost Silth would make him describe it. If his description did not ring true, then what? His only hope was to tell the truth.

"O High Queen, I have not seen the White Ghost, I swear it!"

It was the wrong answer. The tasseled silk curtains shook as Silth raged insanely.

"Of course you haven't, because you've been sleeping on duty and idling your time away! Athrak, tell my protectors of the skies to remove this worthless heap of offal from Castle Marl! He shall answer for his laziness to the Teeth of the Deeps!" The rat gave a pitiful moan as Athrak's magpies seized him with wicked joy and bore him off.

At an upstairs window the curtains of the palanquin parted slightly. Silth watched the scene below on the lakeshore. Blazing torches had been spiked in a semicircle into the rock at the water's edge. The head of the Guard Command chopped a dead fish into chunks and hurled them into the dark waters. There were no shallows; the island was a massive, steep-sided mountain, its bottom resting on the lake bed, unfathomable depths below. The water rats stood watching the surface, their stomachs knotted in terror, mouths dry with fear, as the waters began to thrash and churn. Dorsal fins and gold-green scales, hooked jaws and curved sets of ripping teeth flashed in the torchlights. Pike! The great freshwater predators set up bow waves as they stormed to the spot, whipping themselves into a feeding frenzy as they fought for gobbets of the dead fish. The condemned water rat screeched as Athrak's ruthless birds lifted him out over the depths. "No, no, I lied. I've seen the White Ghost! Eeeeeeyaaaagh!"

Silth listened to the splash as the rat's body was dropped to the waiting pike shoal. She shut the curtains with a triumphant chuckle. "I knew he was lying all along. If I've seen the White Ghost, then others have. Right, Lantur?"

The vixen Marlfox smiled slyly. "It is as you say, O Great One!"

Two water rat Guard Commanders unspiked the torches and extinguished them, sizzling, in the lake.

"Is she still up at the window watchin'?"

"I dunno. Keep yer eyes front, mate, unless you wants ter feed the fish. You know 'tis death to look upon the Queen."

"Huh, 'tis death to do anythin' on this cursed rock. In fact ye can get slain fer nothin'. Lookit pore ole Rigglent, all he did was drop his shield. That ole Queen was just lookin' for a chance to pick on somebeast. This place gets worse!"

The other rat finished stacking the torches in a pile. "Don't tell me, cully. Why don't yer leave? Lake full o' pike an' the sky guarded by magpies, wot's to stop yer, eh?"

In the slave pens there was speculation over what had taken place at the lakeside. An ancient mouse rubbed the area above his footpaw, where the manacles had worn through his fur, causing a sore. "Sounded like one o' the water rats bein' fed to the Teeth o' the Deeps. Better one o' them than a slave, that's what I say."

A lean, tired-looking otter stared longingly through the bars at the water rat barracks. "Aye, yore right there, matey. I don't suppose there's any chance that the one who got slung in the lake was Ullig?"

Sitting up in the straw, a sturdy hedgehog maid muttered, "No such luck, friend. Y'best keep quiet, 'ere comes the bully hisself."

Slave Captain Ullig rattled the bars with his whip butt. "Silence in there or I'll pick a few of you lot out to feed the Teeth o' the Deeps. Those pike ain't fussy wot they eat. Even a couple of scrawny slaves would taste good to 'em."

Ullig sauntered off back to the barracks, watched by the silent slaves. When he had gone a gaunt-eyed squirrel smashed his chains against the bars in helpless rage. "Swaggerin' scum! I'd teach Ullig a lesson if I was free of these chains just fer a moment!"

The ancient mouse shook his head in despair. "Free? There ain't no such word for a slave. I've been on this island so long I've forgotten wot free means."

"An' you've never seen any slave break free in all that time?"

The old mouse smiled grimly at the young hedgehog who had asked the question. "I saw lots o' slaves break free, like that'n in the corner." He pointed to an emaciated vole, lying in a huddle shivering so hard that his chains rattled constantly. Two other slaves were bathing his feverish brow with damp rags. The vole's eyes rolled wildly, and he whimpered and coughed as another tried to force water between his trembling lips. The old mouse nodded knowingly as he explained to the hedgehog maid, "That pore beastll be free afore dawndead free. That's the only way you'll leave the Marlfoxes an' Slave Cap'ns an' this island, matey, tail first!"

Chapter 9

Florian Dugglewoof Wilffachop walked along the west walltop, calling out for Dwopple at the top of his voice. They had searched all morning but not a trace of the little one could be found. Stopping briefly at the threshold over the main gate, the hare breathed deeply. Despite his constant chastisement of the mousebabe, he was secretly very fond of him. He did not notice the Marlfox emerge from the ditch until the creature hailed him.

"Hey, rabbit!"

Florian stared regally down his nose at the Marlfox. "Huh! Rabbit y'self, you speckled scrap o' jetsam. I'd come down there an' drub some manners into y'hide if I had me bally stick with me, wot. Count y'self lucky, measle-f eatures!"

Rusvul, who had just emerged from the gatehouse, heard Florian's voice and called up to him. "Hi there, mister Florian, who are ye talkin' to, yoreself?"

The hare was in no mood to be bandied with. "M'self? Pish tush, sah, never! Actually I'm exchangin' insults with one of those Marlfox types down on the path, doncha know."

Rusvul dashed off, roaring at the top of his lungs, "Marlfox out on the path! Marlfox outside the gate!"

The Abbey bells boomed out an alarm. In a short time most of Redwall was atop the wall, armed with anything that came to paw: ladles, shovels, curtain poles and sundry everyday implements. Mokkan the Marlfox leader backed off to the ditch edge on the path's far side, ready to flee if things got more dangerous. Cregga's voice was low and menacing, but quite clear as the exchange took place.

"You've got a mousebabe, one of our young 'uns."

"Aye, that's right, had him since yesterday noon."

"Clever of you, and now you've come to bargain. What do you want?"

"Oh, I don't know yet. What've you got in there? A rich Abbey like yours, should be something valuable enough to save a life."

"We do not hoard treasure at Redwall. If you need victuals we can give you a supply of the best food prepared anywhere."

Mokkan shook his head, almost pityingly at the simple offer. "No, no, food doesn't interest us, there's plenty in Mossflower. Let me gather my brothers and sisters, we'll come into your Abbey and take a look around. I'll wager Marlfoxes could find something of value as a ransom for your babe."

Skipper of otters wiggled a paw in one ear. "Did I 'ear that right? You want t'bring a pack o' your kind inside Redwall an' take a root about? Lissen, snotnose, 'tis only the grass that's green round 'ere, not the Abbeybeasts!"

Mokkan drew his ax and tested the blade edge. "You have until midnight. After that you won't see Dwopple again!"

Shouts of indignation rang from the walltops.