With his paws pinioned to the sides of his head by the vine that encircled his neck, Martin struggled to get loose and reach his short sword, shouting to Rose and the others.

"Rose! Are you all... gaaaargh!"

The big red-frilled lizard pulled savagely on the vine, choking Martin into silence. The young mouse tugged either side of his neck, striving to loosen the vine so he could breathe properly. Then they were off at a headlong run, pulled along cruelly with countless lizards flanking them and shoving from behind. Splashing through marshwater, cludging through mud, crashing through nettles, they rushed through the night.

Rose sobbed for breath. Tripping on a root, she fell flat in some ferns. The speeding reptiles did not stop or even slow, they continued their mad stampede, dragging 180.

her along thumping and b.u.mping across the soggy earth. How she fought her way back upright Rose never knew, but she was certain she would have been dragged to her death had she not done so.

Grumm's short legs battered the earth as he was dragged and swept along in the midst of the lizard throng. Somewhere close he could hear Pallum's ragged gasps as his friend fought for air on the end of a strangling vine noose.

Battering through evil-smelling liquid and bubbling marsh gases, they pelted onward, mud flying everywhere as lizard tails waved and scaly legs leaped high in the reptile stampede. Martin lost all count of time or distance until, like his three friends, he pa.s.sed out from lack of air and was dragged along by the neck.

Morning in the marshes was overcast with wraithing grey mist tinged with yellow sulphurous wisps. The four bodies that lay tied to stakes were practically unrecognizable as a mole, a hedgehog and two mice. They were completely covered in thick caking mud and clay from the wild run.

Martin stirred and coughed. His throat hurt abominably.

"Martin, are you all right?"

It was Pallum. The hedgehog resembled a round ball of clay.

"Pallum. I'm alive at least. How are you?"

"Be much better when my old neck stops hurtin'. I've been awake an hour or more, but I lay still. Didn't want to attract attention from those creepy lizards-they're all round us."

Martin strained his neck slightly. The vine was still looped around it, though now his paws were free. Lizards were everywhere, just sitting and staring at them. He noticed the large red-frilled leader had the short sword lying on the ground in front of him.

Martin crawled across to Rose. Loosening the vine on 181.

her neck, he patted her muddied cheeks, calling her name. "Rose, Rose!"

A jumble of lizards dived on him, pulling the noose tight as they dragged him away from Rose. Martin fought back as best as he could, shouting through the scaly bodies that enveloped him, "I was only trying to let her breathe, you scaly villains. Let me go. We weren't trying to escape!"

The big red-frilled lizard stalked slowly across. He kicked the others off Martin and dragged the young mouse back to his stake. Hissing softly, he gave the vine a final sharp tug, indicating that Martin should stay in that spot. Flicking his serpentine tongue, he turned and slid gracefully back to his former position.

Pallum looked across at Martin and shrugged. "Don't say much, do they? We'd best sit tight and wait for Rose and Grumm to come around."

Both Rose and her mole friend revived some short time later. They sat ma.s.saging sore necks, easing the tight vines off to enable easier breathing. The big red-frill gave the vines a tug when he thought they had messed enough with them. He hissed softly and sat watching the four captives.

After a while, they got to know the rules. They were allowed to talk, but only in quiet tones. If they talked loudly, or pulled at the nooses, the lizards would yank hard, tightening the vines, and hiss soft warnings at them.

Grumm picked burrs and mud from his face. "They'm sloimy vurmints, aroight. Soilent, tho'. Nary a word do they'm lizzyards be a-speaken."

"Hush now, Grumm," Martin muttered quietly and urgently. "They're coming over here!"

Silently a group of lizards came to each of the prisoners and deposited by them four large gourds of water. The reptiles retreated and sat watching.

Rose tilted one of the gourds and sipped, then she 182.

drank deep gratefully. "It's water, good clean and fresh. I never knew it could taste so nice."

They drank their fill, dashed some in their faces to wash away the dirt and grime, then sat waiting. Next to come was a great wooden pan fashioned from a section of lime trunk. The red-frilled leader indicated that it be placed in the centre of the area between the four stakes, where the captives could reach it. Again the reptiles retired to watch.

The vessel was filled with a warm cream-coloured mixture. Pallum ventured a dip into it with his paw. He licked at the stuff and shrugged.

"Food. Tastes like some kind of porridge. Not much flavor in it, though. Hmmm, yes. I think it tastes a bit like mushroom."

They all tried some and agreed it was palatable enough, but had hardly any taste.

Grumm shovelled a pawful into his mouth. "Hurr, tain't zoop or nothink noice, but et ain't bad, burr no."

Rose had taken several mouthfuls. She splashed a little water on her paws to cleanse them. "Huh, it's not very good either. I've had enough of that tasteless mush, thank you."

The red-frill stalked sinuously over to her. He tugged the vine sharply, indicating that she should carry on eating.

Rose sighed and looked across at Martin. "Old frilly neck won't be happy until we've eaten all our dinner up like good little creatures. I suppose I'd better try some more."

Martin licked his paw and dug in again. "Mushroom porridge. It's deadly boring."

"Huh hu huh!" Pallum chuckled as he spoke through a mouthful. "D'you think they're trying to fatten us up a bit?"

Suddenly they stopped eating. The horror of what the hedgehog had just said dawned on them.

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"What was it Mr. Mirdop said," Rose whispered in a hushed voice. "Cannibal lizards!"

Twice that day more bowls of porridge and gourds of water were brought to them. If they showed signs of refusing to eat, the big red-frill would tug on the vines until they began choking.

Grumm groaned as he noticed several of the reptiles sc.r.a.ping ashes from a long pit at the edge of the lizard settlement. Others began laying charcoal and dry wood in it.

Martin seethed silently. If only he could break away and reach his short sword, but it was impossible-they were watched by scores of gaping lizards who seemed to have little else to do but sit and look at them. The young mouse lay back, his mind racing furiously against the insurmountable problem.

A dipper appeared on a low branch nearby. The little bird nodded its head from side to side, ruffling its handsome browny red plumage and preening at its fawn-colored breast. It made a twittering noise and Rose looked at it strangely.

"Martin, that bird is talking to us."

Noting that the lizards were still watching, Martin kept his voice to a quiet conversational level. "Can you understand it, Rose?"

"I think so. It's said the same thing twice now. Ganna aitcha gannc aitcha. I'm pretty sure it's saying, Going to eat you, going to eat you, meaning the lizards are going to eat us."

"You're right, Rose." Martin trembled with excitement, trying hard to keep his voice under control. "The lizards must not be able to understand it or they'd have chased it off by now. See if you can get it to carry a message to the Warden of Marshwood Hill."

"Ganna alpiz, ganna alpiz?" Rose made a strange noise halfway between a whistle and a chatter.

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The little dipper nodded, pecking at the branch. "Alpi-choo alpichoo!"

Pallum had been listening. "What did it say?" "I tried to ask it for help." Rose explained. "Ganna alpiz, sounds a bit like going to help us. It replied, Alpichoo, which sounds like help you"

Grumm came in on the conversation. "Ho urr, but 'ow you'm goin' t' say Warden o' Marshywood 'ill?"

Rose pondered a moment. "Right, how does this sound?" She made a lilting sound. "Whoa hoo din alpiz! Whoa hoo din alpiz!"

The dipper puffed out his tiny chest and flew off trilling, "Whoa hoo din! Whoa hoo din!"

Martin sat up slowly. "Well, he's gone now. I take it that whoa hoo din meant warden, Rose?"

"It was the closest I could get. Whoa hoo din alpiz. Warden help us. Let's hope the dipper understood. Oh no, they're bringing more porridge."

Silent lizards replaced the empty bowl with a fresh one of the sickly warm mushroom porridge and full water gourds were brought.

Rose held her stomach and pulled a face. "Yukk! I can't eat any more of this filthy rubbish!"

The red-frill came striding over. Martin could tell that he was going to tug Rose's neck vine tight. The young mouse's warrior spirit boiled over at the thought of the reptile tormenting Rose. As the red-frill stalked past him, Martin let out a yell and smashed the water gourd over its head. In a flash they were grappling. Martin's neck vine strained tight as he pushed the red-frill's head straight into the porridge, leaning his full weight to keep it there as he tried to drown the reptile.

"Here, frilly. Try some of your own medicine!" Before Rose, Pallum or Grumm could help, a mob of lizards were upon Martin, smothering him with their pulsing bodies as they freed their leader. Four of them untied Martin's neck vine from its stake. The red frill hissed balefully at him, tongue flickering in and out 185.

constantly. Helpless and weighted down by numbers, the young mouse was dragged off towards the firepit. Two lizards put flint to tinder and leaped back as a curl of smoke arose. Other lizards flung themselves on Rose, Pallum and Grumm as the mousemaid screamed at the top of her voice, "Leave him alone, you filthy crawlers. Put that fire out!"

186.

22.

Sometimes in a pinch frivolous young squirrelmaids can turn out far more resourceful than they themselves would have known. So it was with Celandine. As a Rambling Rosehip Player, she had acted the part of the brave and beautiful heroine many times. Now was her chance to give a star performance.

Cap'n Tramun Clogg advanced on her, leering and winking roguishly. "Haharr, don't be afeared o' me, pretty little bird. Soon you'll be singin' just fer me!"

Celandine backed off, throwing up her paws in horror. "Begone, you great ugly toad. Put not a paw near me!"

Clogg, who had always imagined himself as a handsome buccaneering beast, halted indignantly. "Ugly toad? You hardnosed liddle snip, come 'ere, I say!"

"Never. I would rather die!"

"Hoho, missy, that kin be arranged. Now be still or you'll make it worse on yoreself.. ."

Clogg leaped at her, clutching with his free paw. Celandine stumbled back, half tripping. She grabbed a pawful of the sandy soil and flung it straight into the corsair's face. Regaining her balance, she dashed off.

Clogg dropped his cutla.s.s and sat down hard, pawing at his eyes, which were jammed full of loose, gritty dust.

"Get after that bold baggage an' catch 'er," he howled 187.

at his crew. "Lively now! I'll 'ave 'er ears fer dinner an' 'er liver 'n' tripes tore out!"

Only Gruzzle stayed back to look after Clogg. The rest set off at a run after Celandine, laughing and cheering. They knew a single squirrelmaid could not get far with an entire crew of corsairs hard on her paws.

Celandine ran as she had never run before, wishing that she had not added all the frills and furbelows to her Rambling Rosehip tunic. They impeded her and often caused her to stumble. Behind her she could hear the whoops and guffaws of her pursuers as they drew closer. The squirrelmaid's breath came in ragged sobs. She was unused to running any great distance. Cap'n Clogg had made it plain that he meant her harm, and there was no telling what might happen to her if she fell into the claws of searats and corsairs. Death would be inevitable. Not knowing where she was running to, Celandine forced her flagging limbs onward.

Three searats, Critter, Crableg and Bluddnose, took the lead, outstripping the rest of Clogg's crew easily. They were good runners, lean and fit.

A sand dune rose up in front of Celandine, and there was no way round it. She panted fitfully, going down on all fours as she attempted to scramble up the hill. Crableg put on an extra spurt and dived forward. He managed to catch the squirrelmaid's back footpaw. Wriggling swiftly on to her back, Celandine kicked out. She caught him hard on the snout, causing Crableg to release her. The searat was so close he could have reached out and touched her.

"You ain't goin' to be pretty no more, squirrel!" he snarled as he wiped a stream of blood from his snout on to the back of his paw.

Whipping a curved dagger from his waist sash, he brandished it. Suddenly a wooden lance seemed to grow out of his chest. Crableg looked down at it and fell dead with a foolish expression of surprise on his face. The 188.

slaying happened so quickly that Gritter and Bluddnose had not seen it. They arrived panting at the dune to find their messmate lying dead, with the short wooden lance protruding from him like a ship's mast. There was no other creature in sight except the squirrelmaid, her eyes wide with horror.

Gritter drew his sword and walked uphill towards her. "You killed Crableg wi' that piece o' wood, you lid die serpint!"

As he raised the sword, another javelin came whistling through the air and transfixed him through the throat.

Bluddnose had drawn his sword, but his nerves failed him. With a small wail of fright he flung the weapon away and took to his heels, back towards the main group, who were now in sight.

Celandine sat shocked, looking at the two dead searats in front of her.

"Celandine, climb the hill, get up here quickly!" a hoa.r.s.e, urgent voice called from the hilltop.

She sat staring at the carca.s.ses of Crableg and Gritter, unable to comprehend what had happened.

"Move yourself, missy," Ballaw's voice rang out theatrically. "Come on, up here or you'll miss your cue!"

Automatically, Celandine picked herself up and scrambled dumbly to the hilltop. Rowanoak's huge paws swept her over the hill and out of sight. The badger clamped a paw over the squirrelmaid's mouth, and Ballaw and Felldoh fixed fresh javelins on to their throwers.

Crosstooth the fox had always liked Crableg's curved dagger. He took it from the searat's lifeless paw and tucked it into his belt as he nudged Critter's body with his spearshaft "Y'mean to tell us that the pretty liddle squirrel did this?"

Bluddnose was shaking uncontrollably. "Well, there was n.o.beast else 'ereabouts. She musta did it!"

189.

The ferret Boggs curled his lip scornfully. "Did ye see the squirrel kill 'em?"

Bluddnose sat down on the duneside, head in paws. "No, I never. One moment they was large as life, next thing they're both dead. She must've done it. Can't yer see, she's vanished. I knew we should never 'ave messed with magic beasts!"

A weasel called Floater swapped his own chipped and rusted sword for the better blade that Gritter had once owned, and scoffed aloud, "Vanished me tail! We seen 'er go over this 'ere dune. See, there's the beauty's paw-tracks. I'm goin' up there an' get 'er meself."

Clogg stumped to join the rest, with Gruzzle at his side, still trying to clear the corners of his Cap'n's eyes with a none too clean silk kerchief. Tramun shoved him away and patted Floater's back.

"Aye, there's the laddo. Up the 'ill ye go, Floater. Sing out if you sees anythin' up there."

As they stood watching the weasel scale the dune, Clogg muttered in his beard to himself. "Nay, it weren't no snip of a squirrelymaid did fer two tough rogues like Crableg an' ole Gritter. The beast that did this could sling a lance good an' proper."

Shielding his eyes, Clogg squinted up at the weasel, who had made it to the top of the hill.

"Ahoy, Floater. Any signs o' life up there?"

The weasel waved his paws wildly, shouting aloud, "Cap'n, it's threeeeeeeeeee!"