The Bellmaker

19

Finnbarr Galedeep drew his two swords as he watched the swarming masses approaching. Log-a-Log stood at his side, rapier at the ready, assessing the oncoming foe. “Giant marshtoads, big uns, there must be thousands of em! he yelled.

“Everybeast to the Pearl Queen, use her as a fort, well stand a better chance of fighting them off! shouted Jo-Iseph as he grabbed a long driftwood spar. It was a sensible idea, and the crew rushed to do his bidding. The shrew Patch pulled Rufe Brush away from iiihe memorial cairn, hurrying him along. “Cmon, mate. ;t Said Id look after you, didnt I?

Rufe found himself pushed aboard, and he took up his Iposition with Patch on the aft gallery of the crazily listed . “I dearly wish Rosie Woodsorrel was here, Patch, fee said. “She was as good as ten warriors!

Long green banners streamed out above the hordes of it marshtoads as they came on in their hundredsre, horrible, wart-studded creatures, armed with what appeared to be big curved scythe blades mounted on poles. Rufe swallowed hard, his paws trembling. “Ill wager they could inflict awful damage with those things. Dyou think theyll attack us, Patch?

The brave shrew tested the point of a boarding pike. “They aint here for a party, Rufe. You stick close tme!

Finnbarr grinned with anticipation. His lust for battle rising hotly, he spoke out of the side of his mouth to Joseph, “Well, it was nice knowin ye, Bellmaker. Lets go out with a bang. Dyou creatures ave a battle cry?

The toads were almost upon them as Joseph shouted out, “Give em a good roar, come on crewwheres our war shout?

Wild cries ripped from the throats of everybeast aboard: “Red wall! Redwall! Logalogalog! Red-waaaaallll!!!

The toads halted dead in their tracks.

An eerie silence fell over shore and cliff. Joseph looked quizzically at Finnbarr. “Great seasons of plenty! That seemed to do the tricklook at em, youd think they were frozen!

The sea otter was stupefied for a moment, then his love of battle took over. Clashing his twin sword blades in the face of the massed toad army, he bellowed defiantly, “Whatre ye waitin for, ya blisterin mudsuckers? Eres the Galedeep, fightin fit an rarin tgo. Ill take on any number of ye, potbellied marshspawn, web-brained cowards! Do ye use those weapons fer eatin yore vittles or diggin oles to ide in?

Joseph restrained the impetuous sea otter. “Steady on there, Finnbarr, no use forcing a fight with this lot. Theres too many of em; wed be slaughtered. Lets wait and see what they do next.

The marshtoads raised their weapons and began chanting: “Glogalog! Hoolya, hugg hugg! Glogalog!

The massed ranks parted, leaving a long aisle. From the foot of the cliffs came a procession of toads carrying a canopied hammock on a wooden frame. Lying in the hammock was a massive old toad, far bigger than all the others. Across his stupendous stomach rested a bulrush scepter with a sun-bleached lizard skull fixed to its top.

Patch nudged Rufe, whispering, “Looks like the big boss wants to visit us.

The bearers let the framed hammock rest on the sand. The marshtoad ruler pointed to himself and uttered a guttural sound. “Glogalog, Bulgum Glogalog!

“What dyou think hes saying? Joseph murmured to Finnbarr.

The shrew Chieftain came to stand with them. “I think hes telling us his name, Glogalog. Sounds very like mine, Log-a-Log.

The marshtoad pointed to himself again. “Glogalog, Bulgum! Bulgum!

The vast army of marshtoads bowed low, their voices almost a moan as they chorused, “Bulgum! Bul-guuuuummmmm!

Finnbarr sheathed his swords, “What dyer suppose a Bulgum is, mates? he said.

A familiar earsplitting laugh rent the air. “Whooha-hahooh! I say, you chaps, dyou need a jolly old interpreter, wot?

Patch had to restrain Rufe from leaping over the stern. “Its Rosie an Duny, he yelled. “Theyre not dead! Oh look, Patch! Rosie an Durry, theyre alive!

The Hon Rosie Woodsorrel and Duny Quill stepped from behind the canopied frame and waved merrily to their friends aboard the Pearl Queen. Both looked none the worse for their ordeal of being lost at sea. A great gasp of delight and astonishment came from the animals massed on the deck. Rosie and Durry crossed the sand, while the toads stood watching silently. They reached the ship, and dozens of hands leaned out to help them on board. Rufe threw himself happily on Durry.

“What the ... ? How did ... ? spluttered the Bell-maker.

Rosie gave Joseph a huge wink. “Toodle pip, old sportlisten carefully an dont ask silly questions. Young Durry an mself have got to keep up our image as Bulgums, sort of greatbeasts who come flyin out of the sky an all that. Have you got any of that absolutely foul seaweed grog that those searats left aboard?

Log-a-Log scratched his head in bewilderment. “Theres jugs an jugs of it in the galley. Why?

“Never mind why, old thing. Just go and get a jug, please.

While Log-a-Log went to the galley Durry and Rufe carried on hugging each other. The young squirrel seemed lost for words; all he could do was weep. Durry hugged him tighter. “There, there now, Rufey, dont you cry no more, Im back!

Patch could not help chuckling. “Hed probly weep a lot less if you didnt ug so tight, matey. The pore beast gets spiked worse every time ydo!

Durry immediately let go, and Rufe giggled helplessly as he pulled hedgehog spines from his paws. “Oh hahaheehee, Ill never let you out of my sight hahaheehee again, Duny Quill. Hahaheehee!

Patch and Durry joined in the laughter, three friends together. Log-a-Log had returned with a jug of seaweed grog, and Rosie took it from him.

“Come on, young Quill, stop that laffin an conduct yself like a proper Bulgum. Leave those two a moment, theyll still be here when yget back. Weve got a bit of magic to do for old Glogalog.

Log-a-Log gave Rosie a skeptical look. “Can you really understand the marshtoad language?1

Hon Rosie jumped down to the sand, carefully catching the jug of grog as Durry lowered it to her. “I spose so, though not all of it, just the main bits, she said. “A Bulgum is a high-up sort of chap, chief or magician, that kind of rot, and Glogalog is the podgy feller in the hammock. Hes the King of all marshtoads; we saved his lifebut Ill tell ymore about that later. Oh, by the way, Id change my name if I were you, just for the time were here. The mighty King wouldnt like havin somebeast around with a name that sounded too much like his. Well cheerio, see you later, Glug a Bag!

The shrew Chieftain looked at her indignantly. “Glug a Bag?

The breakfast fire was reduced to a few smoldering twigs and ashes. Glogalog and the marshtoads formed a circle around it. Rosie instructed Durry as to what they should do, and the performance began. As the hare and the hedgehog went into a wild dance, jigging and prancing madly, the toad circle moved back to give them more space. At intervals Rosie and Durry would point to each other and shout out in deep impressive voices, “Bulgum hoolya hugg hugg Bulgum!

Still cavorting crazily, they passed the jug of seaweed grog, each taking a quantity and holding it in their mouths. Rosies ears stood up stiffthat was the signal.

Ppphhhssssstt!

Durry and Rosie squirted the grog from their mouths over the smoldering ashes of the breakfast fire.

Whoof! Red and blue flames shot up high, as the embers ignited by the grog took fresh light. All the marsh-toads, even Glogalog, fell flat on their faces in the sand, moaning, “Bulgum, Bulguuummmm!

Pulling a wry face, Durry spat out again. “Pthooey! Orrible stuff. My ole nuncle Gabe wouldve had it all buried in a hole far out in the woodlands!

Rosie pointed to the prostrate toad masses. “Whoo-hahahooh! Twas worth it though, Durry. Were a right old pair of Bulgums now, and no mistake!

With the threat of a marshtoad invasion now gone, the crew set about making a ceremonial lunch aboard the Pearl Queen, with Glogalog and several of his lieutenants as guests. Food was prepared and spread on the hatch covers. The Guosim cooks did it up proud: October ale, heavy fruitcake, hot plum scones, mint tea, and a superb apple and blackberry flan. While Rosie held disjointed conversations with the marshtoad King, Durry related their strange story to the crew.

“When the mast broke off in the storm, me and Rosie hung on to it like limpets, and we were swept off by the winds, high up in the sky. I was never more frightened in me life, but Rosie there, she laughed an laughed fit to bust. Up an* up we went, whirlin an* twirlin, drenched through by the rain an clingin on for dear life. Next thing I knew the wind dropped an so did we, straight out the sky like an arrow, down! We landed on the far side of yonder cliffs in a great swamp, an guess what? That mast came down smack on the skull of a fearful great hissin adder, a serpent! It was just about to make supper of King Glogalog when men Mrs. Rosie an the mast landed on its ead, whacko!

Joseph selected a slab of heavy fruitcake. “So thats how you became a Bulgum, eh Durry, by saving Gloga-logs life? But how did you figure out the language?

“I never, that was Rosie, Durry shrugged, sipping his October ale. “It werent two ticks before er an the King was Bulgummin an* Blogalogin an hoolyahoyin together. She picks things up very quick, yknowaint that right, Mrs. Rosie?

Hon Rosie Woodsorrel gave up ravaging the apple and blackberry flan momentarily. “Right you are: us Bulgum types are pretty sharp in the lingo business, wot? Woo-hahahooh!

King Glogalog winced and stuffed a webbed claw in one ear. When the laughter had subsided, he pointed to Rosie, saying, “Bulgum umutcha Glogalog, umutcha kug yettayur!

Rosie shook her head and pointed seaward. “Numutch Bulgum Glogalog, Bulgum yuggafurr yur yur!

Joseph put aside his fruit cake. “Whats going on, Rosie? he said. “I dont like his tone.

The hare translated. “It seems the old King gets a bit cheesed off bein the only Bulgum in this neck o the woods; he wants me to stay here forever as official Bulgum to the jolly old toads. But Ive just told him that this particular Bulgum has other plansIm sailin* off with you lot when weve patched the Pearl Queen up. Youll notice he doesnt look too happy about it.

Glogalog shook his lizard-skull scepter at Rosie and the crew. “Yutcha slugg! Bulgum yuggafurr!

Rosie took a dainty sip of mint tea. “Says hell kill us all before hell let me sail away; Ive got to stay here forever. I say, this is all gettin a bit tiresome, wot? Very basic chaps, marshtoads.

“Look, Ill stay here as Bulgum if Glogalog lets you all sail away without any trouble, said Durry glumly.

Rufe picked up a jug of seaweed grog. “No you wont, mate. Come on, Rosie, Ill need an interpreter. Tell Glogalog to come with me to the galley. The fire is still lit thereIll teach him to be the greatest fire-raisin Bulgum these toads have ever seen!