Part 11 (1/2)

The grey seal threw back his head and honked mournfully. ”Kuhoo umhoon kahooka, mofortable affair, with the three travellers avoiding their host's accusing gaze. Raura commented drily, ”I've filled up yore bags with vit-tles for the trip.”

Scarum kept his eyes fixed on the meal. ”Terribly decent of ye, marm, a thousand thanks from us.”

She busied herself raking ashes from the fire. ”No need t'thank me, I'd do as much fer anybeast. Weather's cleared up out there, 'tis a prime day. There's plenty o' vittles to get ye back 'ome, if'n youse was thinkin' to sail that way. The goin' is easier, too, if'n ye travel south.”

Kroova rose, dusting crumbs from his paws. ”If 'tis all the same with you, marm, we was figurin' on goin' to find Redwall Abbey, 'cos that's where we're bound.”

Raura pa.s.sed her little harp to Slippo, smiling at them in a fond, motherly way. ”There's no great rush t'get to Red-wall, as I sees it. Why don't ye stop until lunch? I'll make us a nice apple an' whortleberry pudden an' sing ye a few old songs. I've remembered a few my ma used t'sing. There's one called 'A Mother's 'Eart Is Made o' Gold/ aye, an' another ditty called T'd Give the World fer a Slice o' Mamma's Nutbread.' Then there's the one about a mother's tear bein' like a pearl o' grief...”

Sagax grabbed the foodpacks. All three travelers were closely jammed as they fought to get through the cave doorway. ”No, thankee, marm, you've done quite enough for us!”

”Aye, we'll miss the tide if we don't go now, we wouldn't dream of imposing on your hospitality any further, marm!”

”Sorry we've got to jolly well go, marm, er, toodle pip an' all that, wot. Bye bye now, got to tear ourselves away!”

Piling hastily into the Stopdog, Stopdog, they sailed off down the narrow rocky pa.s.sage, fending off the stony walls with their oars. Only when the bright morning and the open sea lay before them did they chance to look back. Raura was standing on top of the rocks, singing at the top of her voice as Slippo tw.a.n.ged the harp for her. they sailed off down the narrow rocky pa.s.sage, fending off the stony walls with their oars. Only when the bright morning and the open sea lay before them did they chance to look back. Raura was standing on top of the rocks, singing at the top of her voice as Slippo tw.a.n.ged the harp for her.

”Though she is wrinkled, grey and old, A mother's heart is made of gold, And her smile is like a quiet sunny day, So hearken to my lonely song, Don't stay away from home too long, There's nothing crueller than a runaway.”

A tear was springing to Kroova's eye as he put on all sail and pa.s.sed around chunks of laverbread. ”Stuff this in yore ears, s.h.i.+pmates, afore we ends up blubberin' an' puttin' about to sail 'ome!”

By early noon the Stopdog Stopdog was well out at sea, with the coastline a mere smudge of dark strip on the horizon. Sagax and Scarum were sitting atop the bow seat, their happy, carefree mood now restored. was well out at sea, with the coastline a mere smudge of dark strip on the horizon. Sagax and Scarum were sitting atop the bow seat, their happy, carefree mood now restored.

”Haha, imagine us wailing like babes just because we're taking a short holiday from Salamandastron!”

”Rather! Did you see old Kroova? He was cryin' buckets, an' the silly great seadog hasn't even got a home t'go to, wot. Look at him, sittin' there fast asleep at the tiller, snorin' like a toad with a toothache. Hawhawhaw!”

Scarum rolled a pellet of laverbread and flicked it at the sea otter. It pinged him neatly on the nose. Kroova wakened with a start and blinked at them.

”Ho, very funny, mateys, pingin' me nose an' wettin' me footpaws, aye. Very funny, I must say!”

Scarum flicked another pellet and missed. ”Bit of an unjust accusation there, old lad. I pinged your nose, but neither of us wet your flippin' footpaws, wot!”

Kroova diverted his gaze to the water slopping round in the bottom of the ketch. Dismay crept across his features. ”Must've banged 'er prow a bit 'ard on those rocks when we came down the channel from Raura's cave.”

Scarum grinned mischievously as he rolled another pellet. ”Y'don't say, me old scout. Nothin' too serious, is it, wot?”

Kroova turned the tiller, sending the vessel sh.o.r.eward. ”Serious? You two s.h.i.+ft yoreselves an' git bailin'. It means we've sprung a leak an' we're sinkin'!”

BOOK TWO.

Of Serpents and Paradoxes

15.

Plugg Firetail sat studying the chart in his cabin aboard the Seascab, Seascab, while Grubbage poured him a beaker of seaweed grog. ”Put that over 'ere, where it won't spill all over this chart. Tis the only one we've got wot shows the route.” while Grubbage poured him a beaker of seaweed grog. ”Put that over 'ere, where it won't spill all over this chart. Tis the only one we've got wot shows the route.”

Tazzin, the knife-throwing weasel, was hovering close by. She relieved Grubbage of the beaker and set it down carefully before she spoke. ”Cap'n, beggin' yer pardon, but when do we do away wid the Princess an' that fatbel-lied Prince?”

Plugg gave her a smack that set her sprawling. ”Y'ain't been lissenin', Tazzin, yore like the rest o' the numbskulls I've got fer a crew. Now 'earken t'me, an' you, Grubbage, you, too, Slitfang. Clean the mud outta yore ears an' pay attention. Right, 'ere's the plan. We don't kill n.o.beast until this s.h.i.+p's 'omeward bound fer Riftgard. Agarnu promised me booty twice the value of anythin' wot's brought back from this Mossflower place.”

Slitfang poured himself a beaker of Plugg's best grog. ”Oh did 'e now, an' wot are we supposed t'be bringin' back?”

Plugg sneered. ”Ole King Sarengo, or 'is bones if'n he's dead, an' a golden crown an' a pawring. But I ain't as green as I'm gra.s.s lookin'there's got t'be more to it than that, mates! So let's not git too 'asty. We goes along wid everything make 'em think they're in charge, even that bossy Cap'n Riftun. Now, when we're comin' back from Mossflower, we gets rid of 'im an' that score o' Ratguards 'e brought with 'im, accidental-like.”

Tazzin sn.i.g.g.e.red and licked at her knifeblade.

”Heeheehee, I likes the sound o' that, Cap'n darlin'. Could I be the one who makes Riftun 'ave an accident?”

Plugg nodded. ”Aye, when the time comes, but not afore then. When we reaches Riftgard, we delivers Kurda an' Bladd back to their daddy, old Agarnu. Of course, Agarnu gives us our reward then, twice the booty we brought back. Now, 'ere's the nice part. We slays Kurda, Bladd an' Agarnu, all three of 'em. We takes the reward an' wotever they brought back, be it crowns or pawrings or a good haul o' treasure. Simple! We ends up wid the kingdom o' Riftgard, a lot o' booty, a throne fer me to sit on, an' all those liddle slaves to build us a big fleet o' s.h.i.+ps. You lot can all be cap'ns!”

Slitfang grinned in admiration as he poured another drink. ”Yore a Freebooter born, Cap'n, the slyest beast as ever walked a deck. I drink to ye!”

Plugg pointed his dagger toward the weasel. ”Aye, an' you'll be the sorriest beast ever walked a deck, if'n you keeps 'elpin' yoreself to my grog. Now, that's the plan. 'Ave youse all got it in yore thick 'eads?”

Grubbage looked indignant. ”Why 'ave we gotta take to our sickbeds, Cap'n?”

Plugg came from behind his table. Wordlessly he faced the deaf rat to the cabin door, pressing on the back of his head until he bent over. Taking a pace back, the Captain swung his seabooted footpaw and delivered a powerful kick to his bosun's bottom. Grubbage shot forward, whooping. At that moment the cabin door opened and he careered out.

Princess Kurda acted as if nothing odd had happened, as she strode in, sabre in paw, to face Plugg. ”Vy you can't make dis s.h.i.+p go faster? You be free days out an' ve don't seem to be goink much far.”

The silver fox regarded her sourly. ”That's 'cos the s.h.i.+p'll only go as fast as the winds carry 'er, dearie. Or ain't ye ever been t'sea afore?”

Kurda did not like Plugg. She pointed the sabre at him. ”I must catchen up mit der slaves who steal my boat. You vill make dis s.h.i.+p go faster. Dis is my vish an' my order!”

The Freebooter captain, ignoring the sabrepoint, grinned. ”Ho right, ye 'igh royalness, I kin see yore used ter givin' orders. But I'm only an ordinary s.h.i.+p's cap'n, ye see. Why don't ye go up on deck? Go on, missy. Wave yore sword round an' give orders t'the wind an' waves. Yore a princess. The sea'n'weather'll 'ave to listen to you, ain't that right, mates? Haharrharrharr!”

Laughter froze on the crew's lips as Kurda, with a murderous glint turning her eyes from pink to ruby, levelled the sabre blade a hairsbreadth from Plugg's eye and hissed, ”You are insolent, fox. Dis could make you lose de head, yarr?”

The Freebooter continued grinning, as he reached beneath the table and brought his big double-edged battle-axe into view. ”That there's a pretty liddle sword ye've got, darlin'. We've all seen ye flouris.h.i.+n' it round, real fancy-like. Now, git it outta me face afore I show ye wot a Freebooter cap'n can do with a proper weapon!”

The grin had gone from the fox's face, and his eyes were narrowed, icy slits, matching Kurda's stare.

Bladd blundered into the cabin, breaking the tension as he complained aloud, ”De bed in my cabin, it is too hard! I vant a nice soft von!”

Plugg's grin returned. He brushed past Kurda, knocking her sabre aside, and threw a paw around Bladd's shoulders.

”Ahoy there, Slitfang, git a nice soft mattress for me s.h.i.+pmate, the Prince 'ere. Wot are ye thinkin' of, eh? Let-tin' a royal ferret like 'im sleep on an 'ard bed?”

Slitfang was chuckling as he bowed mockingly to Bladd. ''Ho dearie me, wot a shame. You come wid old Slitty, yer royal princeness. We'll soon get ye a decent bunk!”

Kurda sheathed her sabre and stormed out of the cabin, followed by Slitfang and Bladd, who were chatting away like lifelong companions.