38.

Redwall's rose-coloured sandstone walls still felt warm from the summer day's heat. Blackbirds could be heard warbling throatily in the evening's stillness. Father Abbot had gone back to his Dibbun days; he was enjoying himself down at the Abbey pond with a group of Abbeybabes. The old mouse cut a comical figure as, with his long habit rucked up, he dashed into the shallows and joined in with the fun of skipping stones, chortling happily, "Three, four, five, look, my stone bounced six times!"

Ruggum glared at him suspiciously. "Yurr, oi only counted foive bouncers, zurr, b'ain't that roight, Malbun, marm?"

Malbun, who was sitting on the gra.s.sy bank with Criku-lus and Memm, agreed with the infant mole. "Aye, Rug-gum, five it was. You still hold the record for six bounces. You counted wrong, Father Abbot!"

Abbot Apodemus pulled a face that had the Dibbuns squeaking with laughter. "You just don't want me to win the candied chestnut trifle, you old cheatbet you're going to share it with Ruggum. You're both in this together!"

Crikulus looked sternly over his gla.s.ses. "Six bounces gets the trifle, siryours was only five. I counted 'em me-self!"

The Abbot registered an expression of comic shock. "You're both on Ruggum's side now! Memm Flackery, tell them my stone bounced six times, please."

The Harenurse's ears twitched. "I certainly will not, sah! An Abbot of your age, cheatin'! What's Redwall comin' to?"

Friar Gooch solved the dispute by marching up with Furrel, his molemaid a.s.sistant, in tow. "My candied chestnut trifle's been stolen!"

Wading out of the pond, the Abbot unhitched his wet habit. "Are you sure you're right, Gooch, stolen?"

Furrel a.s.sisted him up the bank. "Burr aye, zurr, ee troi-fle's bee'd stoled roight enuff. Oi see'd ee Friar putten et on ee gurt slate shelf, to let it be coolen."

Gooch cut in, fluttering his jaws wildly. "A moment later, there it was, gone!"

Paws akimbo, Memm stared accusingly at one or two likely Dibbun candidates. "Own up, you villains, who's sneaked back to the kitchens instead of playin' skimmin' stones, wot?"

Kroova's head broke the surface of the pond's centre, where he had been acting as lifeguard, and swam ash.o.r.e. "None of these liddle 'uns been away from this pond, marm, I've kept a close check on 'em since we arrived 'ere. The question ye should be askin' is, where's Scarum?"

The Abbot gaped disbelievingly at Kroova. "Scarum? You don't mean he ..."

The otter nodded decisively. "Aye, Scarum. As hares go, beggin' y'pardon, miz Memm, Scarum is the biggest glutton 'twixt 'ere an' the cracks o' doom. Come on, let's find 'im!"

The young hare in question was snoring in an upturned barrow at the orchard entrance. A candied chestnut was stuck to the fur between his ears, meadowcream liberally festooned his whiskers, and traces of redcurrant, black- berry, maple sponge and other trifle ingredients clung to his narrow chest and bulging stomach.

He grumbled dreamily as Kroova poked a paw into his midriff, "Gerroff, it's all mine, go an' get your own, rotter!" Memm took the wheelbarrow and turned him out with a mighty heave. Scarum sat up, blinking.

"What 'n the name ... I say there, chaps, have a care, wot. A gentle shake's all that's needed t'wake your jolly old military commander. Ho hum, what's up with you bounders, all standin' round with faces like flippin' fried frogs?"

Memm seized his ears and hauled him upright. "Candied chestnut trifle, sah, where is it?"

Scarum transformed into the picture of outraged innocence. "Candied chestnut trifle, marm, what're you wafflin' on about, wot wot? Never come across one in me life, no marm!"

He winced as Kroova ripped the sticky chestnut from between his ears and stuck it on the end of his nose. Quite deliberately, the sea otter wiped cream from Scarum's whiskers and smeared it along his top lip like a moustache. Kroova brought his face close until they were eye-to-eye.

"That candied chestnut trifle, you 'orrible great food-bag. Don't tell lies, yore only makin' it worse for yoreself!"

Scarum forced a weak smile. "Oh, that one! Well, why didn't you say, old lad? I, er, spotted it in the kitchen an' just took a small nibble, nothin' too drastic, wot."

The Abbot stared questioningly at him. "A small nibble?"

Scarum nodded emphatically. "Yes, sah, barely a smidgen. Don't know what happened to the rest of the confounded trifle. 1 expect those moles guzzled it. Small types, but incredibly greedy, those molechaps, I say, what d'you think you're doin'? Yowch! Owch! Lemme go, mercy!"

Memm and Kroova had him by an ear apiece. They hauled him off to the Abbey, with Malbun giving him the dressing-down of his life, accompanied by hard paw prods.

"That trifle was to be shared out among the Dibbuns as a treat/ with the winner of the stone-skimming getting the first portion. Aren't you ashamed of yourself, depriving those poor babes of their special treat?"

Opening the Abbey door, the Abbot took charge. "Thank you, Memm and Kroova, you may release him now. Right, master Scarum, follow me!"

The door slammed behind them. There was an awed silence as the Dibbuns stood looking at one another on the doorstep. Ruggum spoke in a hoa.r.s.e whisper. "Boo urr, oi wunners wot zurr h'Abbot bee's goin' t'do to Scarum?"

Mousebabe Turfee had some definite views on the subject. "Choppa off'n his tail an' baff de daylights out of him, an' make 'im go fbed for fifty 'leven days. Ho yes!"

Memm picked the mousebabe up. "Is that all? Lettin' the cad off far too easy, if y'ask me, wot!"

Later that evening, Friar Gooch and Furrel made it up to the Dibbuns by creating another trifle and serving it out to them in the orchard. The Abbot came out to join them, gratefully accepting a bowl of the delicious trifle and a beaker of strawberry fizz. Crowding around him, the Dibbuns eagerly wanted to know what punishment had been meted out to the greedy hare. As each enquiry became more gruesome, the Abbot called for quiet.

"No, no, I never chopped off his tail or boiled him up in the soupwhat a bloodthirsty notion!"

Crikulus could no longer restrain his curiosity. "Then how did you deal with the wretch, Father?"

Putting aside his bowl, the Abbot explained. "Well, the first thing I did was to put him on a diet for three days only one portion of lettuce leaves and water per day. Then I locked him in the main Dibbuns' dormitory with pail, scrubber, broom and duster. Scarum must scrub the place from top to bottom, floor, walls, windows, everything. After that he must restuff all the mattresses, make up the beds with clean bed linen and wash all the old stuff. That should keep him amused!"

Opinions were divided, with Dibbuns still muttering darkly of tail chopping and soup boiling, whilst the elders nodded sagely.

Kroova smiled with satisfaction. "Three days with just one meal a day of lettuce an' water? You'll 'ear ole Scarum yowltn' a league away!"

Looking over the top of his gla.s.ses, the Abbot agreed. "I've no doubt we will. I've also stripped him of his command. Kroova, you'll be in charge of the wallguards. Every other beast can sleep out here in the orchard. 'Tis a fine warm night here, and out of yowling range, too."

The Dibbuns cheered gleefully. Sleeping out in the orchard was an adventure for them. Sister Vernal, Mimsy and Memm exchanged grim looks; their night's work was cut out for them, keeping the Abbeybabes together in one place.

Dawn was well up and a fresh summer's day was under way. A needlepoint of sunlight pierced the gloom of Brock-hall. Za.s.saliss uncoiled, dealing the other two adders light blows with his blunt nose.

"Hisssst! Sssomething goesss on outsssside, let usss ssseeee!"

Kurda had chosen the skinniest, most useless-looking Freebooter, an old searat called Whidge. The remainder of the Seascab's Seascab's crew were forced to watch, helpless and unarmed, as Vorto and three Ratguards laid paws on Whidge, dragging him shrieking to an open spot within view of the door in the oak tree. When Whidge saw the stake, driven deep into the ground, with a rope collar attached to it, he dug his footpaws in and wailed aloud to his comrades, "Don't let 'em do this t'me, mates, 'elp me, 'elp me!" crew were forced to watch, helpless and unarmed, as Vorto and three Ratguards laid paws on Whidge, dragging him shrieking to an open spot within view of the door in the oak tree. When Whidge saw the stake, driven deep into the ground, with a rope collar attached to it, he dug his footpaws in and wailed aloud to his comrades, "Don't let 'em do this t'me, mates, 'elp me, 'elp me!"

Ablow to his jaw from Vorto's spearb.u.t.t knocked the old searat senseless. Ratguards menaced the Freebooters with their spearpoints as Kurda addressed them warningly.

"Dat von is old and useless. Anybeast tryink to rescue 'im vill take his place, yarr?"

Cowed and leaderless, they hung their heads in silence. Vorto swiftly bound Whidge's paws together and tightened the rope halter at the back of the searat's neck, where he could not reach it. Riggan signaled everybeast back to the cover of the undergrowth where Vorto placed two Rat-guards with each group of Freebooters. They held the crewbeast's weapons, ready to distribute at a nod from their captain, while Kurda took to a high fernbed, where she crouched with Vorto and Riggan on either side of her. The Pure Ferret could see the door from her vantage point. She drew her sabre.

"Und now ve haff only to vait!"

From his spyhole behind the door, Za.s.saliss and the other two snakes had seen all that went on. Sesstra hissed softly, "They leave ussss food, they fear usssss!" Her brother Harssacss flickered his tongue sensuously.

"Brother Za.s.saliss, doessss not the ssssight of food make usssss ravenousssss?"

Za.s.saliss was bigger and more powerfully built than his brother and sister. He retreated down the tunnel, pulling them along with him. Sarengo's rusty mace chain clanked as he halted a safe distance away from the entrance.

"Can you not ssssee, it issss a trap. We will sssstay here, sssstill and sssssilent. The day will be warmat noon they will tire of waiting and sssssleep. Then we will sssstrike fa.s.ssst and sssseize the bait! You two take him. I will watch over ussss and take care of any foolsss who try to attack usss!"

Triss left the main body of the column and went ahead to catch up with Mokug. The sprightly old hamster was scur- rying along, with his eyes fixed on the woodlands ahead. He pointed. "Haharr, we're gettin' near there, missy, see. Laburnums, there's plenty of 'em in this neck o' the woods."

Triss saw the splotches of hanging yellow blooms amid the trees. "D'you know which is the right one?"

Mokug plowed onward. "I will when I sees it, I'm sh.o.r.e!"

Skipper caught up with them, looking doubtful. "We're a good way east o' the place where 1 found the capes an' lanternsquite a ways, in fact. Ahoy, Mokug, are you sure it's round here someplace?"

The golden hamster halted. " Tis our lucky day, matesthere's the leanin' ash, dead ahead!"

Some unknown force of nature had caused the ash tree to grow at a strange angle. A laburnum had caught the ash trunk in its fork as it sprouted. Being stronger, the ash had forced the laburnum to bend. Together they formed a rough diagonal cross with their trunks.

Skipper placed his chin in the cross joint. "All I can see is the sun in me eyes."

Churk shook her head at his efforts. "Then try comin' round the other side an' lookin' that way."

Skipper rubbed his eyes. "That's wot comes o' bein' born wid brains. 'Ere, Sagax, you give it a go, matey!"

The young badger took up his place on the other side of the tree. With his chin in the intersection, he gazed ahead. "I'm afraid I don't see anything except woodland, trees, bushes, ferns. No, sorry, can't see a thing!"

"That's probably 'cos it ain't midday yet." Shogg stared upward at the sky. "We'll just 'ave to wait."

Skipper winked broadly at Log a Log. "Wot would ye do without us otters, I ask ye?"

The Guosim Chieftain replied nonchalantly. "Share out yore vittles atween the rest of us, me ole mate!"

Sagax brightened up. "Vittles, that's a nice idea. Thank goodness we don't have Scarum along with us."

They dined on some of Friar Gooch's oatloaf, which had honey and nuts baked into it, together with apples and flasks of dandelion and burdock cordial.

Triss felt better than she had in a long time, surrounded by good friends, true honest beasts. A sudden wave of affection for Shogg swept over her. She watched him joking and chuckling with some Guosim shrews as they shared their food. Good old faithful Shogg! He had been with her from the start, through thick and thin. It would be pleasant for them to live out their seasons at Redwall, with all its happy atmosphere and trusty companions.

The squirrelmaid gazed at her reflection in the blade of Martin the Warrior's great sword. She could see in her own eyes that this could never be. Not whilst there was a single creature living under the yoke of slavery, across the seas in Riftgard. Drufo's voice was still burned into her memory: "Get away from 'ere, Trissy. Get away! I ain't goin' nowhere! This is as good a day to die as any. Remember me, remember yore father. You'll be back to free the slaves one day, I know ye will. Now go, don't waste the chance we gave ye!"

As Triss gazed at her reflection in the swordblade, the noise of creatures talking, laughing and eating together blended into a fuzzy background hum. The squirrelmaid's eyes were fixed on the bright blade. However, it was not her features staring back at her; it was Martin, the Warrior of Redwall, whose strong, gentle voice echoed through her mind: " 'Twixt leaning ash and poison gold, Trisscar Swordmaid, look, behold, What is sought by everyone. Now! Ere high noon light moves on."

Shogg poured out a drink for Triss, but as he held it out to her, she rose dreamily and brushed by him. Log a Log watched her go toward the two trees.

"She looks like she's sleepwalkin', mate. Hi, Trissy, where are ye off to?"

Shogg silenced the shrew hurriedly. "Hush, mate, let 'er be!"

Triss's odd behaviour caused the entire camp to quieten down, Churk whispered to Sagax, "Look, the sun's dead centre, it must be exactly midday at this moment!"

Placing her chin in the treeforks, Triss narrowed her eyes, peering straight ahead. Then it was as if the spell was broken, for she became her usual cheerful self.

Leaving her position, she strode resolutely forward. Pa.s.sing Churk, she gave the ottermaid's ear a tweak and laughed aloud. "Haha, I caught a glimmer! Go and put your chin in that tree fork, mate. Don't look until I give you a shout."

Mystified, Churk carried out the request. Triss continued walking until she was almost obscured by trees and shrubbery. She halted at what appeared to be a hump in the ground. Picking up a rough, paw-sized pebble from the top of the hump, she began polishing it hard against her tunic. Having done this, she replaced the pebble and called out, "Churk, get your chin in the fork and take a look!"

A short moment went by. Then Churk could be heard yelling, "Yaharr! Great wallopin' rudders, mates, come an' take an eyeful o' this. Trissy, me pal, yore a wonderhow did ye know?"

Crowding round, the entire party struggled to get a glance.

"I see it, the light, it shines like white fire!"

Sagax and Shogg dashed through the woodland to Triss's side. She was leaning proudly on a ma.s.sive bulge with bright green liverwort moss growing all over it. Small, tight and curling fronds completely obscured the stone. Triss pointed to the rough rock crystal pebble standing at its centre.

"1 saw it glimmer in the midday sun. It was a bit dull and dirty, so I gave it a good polish to make it shine properly."

Sagax touched the bulge reverently. "So this big mound is the greenstone!"

Churk ran her paws through the moss covering the stone. "The rear entrance to Brockhall! But how did ye find it, Triss?"

The squirrelmaid shrugged, her vision of Martin unre-called. "I don't know, really. Just a bright idea, I suppose."

Skipper gave a great belly laugh. "Hohoho! Bright idea, that's a good 'un. Lookin' at that crystal pebble, I'd say 'twas a shinin' idea, miss. Now, mates, anybeast got more bright ideas as to 'ow we move this big hump of rock?"

Churk and Triss were already on all fours, doing a tour of the rock's base. The squirrelmaid suddenly halted. Without looking up, she shot out a paw. "Sharp knife, please!"

A dozen daggers appeared like magic. She grabbed one, talking as she sc.r.a.ped busily away. "Moss isn't growing as thick here. Somebeast sc.r.a.ped it away a long time ago, but it takes a lot of seasons for liverwort as thick as this to grow properly again. What d'you make of this, matey?"

Churk was at her side, inspecting the symbols scratched into the bare limestone. She nodded knowingly " 'Tis that crazy ole alphabet again. Mokug, get me that key I made, it's in my pack. I'll soon tell ye wot this says!"

By the time they had cleaned off the stone sufficiently, Mokug found the translation and brought it to Churk. Using birchbark parchment and a charcoal stick, Shogg wrote the symbols as Churk called out the letters: turn halfway and slide south Sagax scratched his striped muzzle. "Turn halfway and slide south. Let's give it a try, Skip!"

Between them, both otter and badger possessed considerable strength. However, they could not budge the stone a bit, no matter how they threw their weight against it. Triss could not help smiling at their efforts.

"Stop pushing and shoving before you do yourselves an injury. It's pretty clear that n.o.beast has moved this stone for ages. Wouldn't it be better to clear the ground around the base first, get rid of all these weeds and rubbish?"

Skipper blew a sweat bead from his nose tip and grinned. "I was waitin' for me niece Churk t'suggest that, miss, but I'm willin' to accept yore solution!"

Log a Log swept his rapier blade along the ground. When he pulled away the moss where the rock met earth, he heard a sc.r.a.ping sound. "It's stone, a stone laid on a stone base. Let's get to it!"

It did not take long for the efforts of the entire party to clear a wide circle. The Guosim Chieftain was right. Their work revealed a wide flat stone base, with scratches in it that had been made every time the badgers of old had shifted the greenstone to open the rear exit.

Streamwater and soapwort were brought, and they washed the base off and rubbed soapwort plants onto the stonework. Skipper, Sagax and Shogg tried this time. At first the greenstone refused to budge, then Triss and Churk lent a paw. The ottermaid lent a suggestion, too.

"Try turnin' it left to right, instead o' right to left."

Skipper muttered to Shogg, "Y'know, I think she inherited a double portion o' brains!"