Part 18 (1/2)
Treading carefully, he moved off in the direction of Log a Log's call. Pointing to broken nettles and ferns, the shrew Chieftain nodded northward.
”Two beasts, runnin' hard. Storm never made these tracks!”
Skipper inspected some blurred dents in the ground. ”Rain's ruined these prints, but I'd guess they was made sometime yesterday, by the water that's collected in 'em. Let's foller an' see who's makin' the pawprints.”
Broken shrubbery, disturbed loam, scratched earth and torn-off leaves were simple to see. No storm could have left such a clear, narrow pattern.
Now that the drizzle had stopped, sunrays cast a mottle of light and shade over the still waters of a peaceful stream, drifting through the woodlands. Pale blue smoke twined lazily upward from a small fire on the bank. The remains of four ruddfish lay amid some half-eaten pears in the smouldering ashes. The two stoats, Burgogg and Wicky, sprawled on the bank, footpaws dabbling in the shallows as they picked their teeth with the ruddfish bones. Bur- gogg smiled contentedly and belched.
Wicky flicked a fishbone at him. ”Beggin' yore pardon!” Burgogg shot him a quizzical glance. ”Why, what've yer done?”
Wicky shook his head at the other's ignorance. ”That's wot yer supposed t'say after doin' that. 'Aven't yew got no manners at all?”
Burgogg belched again. ”No, enny'ow, who needs manners? I never begged n.o.beast's pardon in me life. Let 'em go an' pardon theirselves!” He giggled. ”I think we should stay 'ere ferever. Those daft fishes 'ave been swimmin' right up to us since we been on this spot. Plenty o' pears, too. Old Kligger liked a pear, y'know, very partial to pears 'e was. Yowch!”
Wicky swished a willow withe back for another stroke. ”Wot've 1 told yer, eh? Shut yer gob about Kligger, d'yew 'ear me, shutt.i.t! One more word about Kligg”
Skipper's sling was around Wicky's neck like a strangling noose. Log a Log bounded lightly down onto the bank and put the tip of his rapier against Burgogg's nose. The helpless stoat wailed miserably.
”We wasn't trackin' n.o.beast! We was goin' to break camp an' keep goin' north, wasn't we, Wicky?”
Trying to ease the sling around his neck, Wicky gasped, ”Burgogg's right, we wasn't doin' 'arm to anybeast, sir. You ain't got no reason ter slay us!”
Skipper loosened the noose a touch and growled, ”Two things can save yore lives, vermin. One, where's yore mate gone to? There was three of ye. An' two, wot were ye run-nin' from? Speak, or die!”
He tightened the sling again. Wicky yelled in a hoa.r.s.e voice, ”Awright, awright, I'll tell yer if'n yew let me breathe!”
Skipper slacked the sling off. ”Now talk.,.. Fast!” Wicky ma.s.saged his neck and began talking, his voice a low whisper. His eyes darted from side to side, as if watching for some terrible thing to come bounding out of the woodlands at him.
”It was after yew let us go yisterday. We staggered along fast as we could wid our paws bound t'gether. When we couldn't run no more, we found a quiet liddle spot to sit an' bite through the ropes wid our teeth. Ole Kligger went off, foragin' fer vittles, an' I found a couple o' cloaks an' some lantings. I tell ye, though, there was an awful smell round that glade, a frightenin' smell. It was like . . . like death an' rottin' things, but sickly sweet. . . .” Wicky hugged himself and shuddered.
Skipper prodded him, ”Go on, vermin, spit it out!”
Burgogg blurted out as if he could not control himself. ”Wicky wuz goin' ter give Kligger a cloak an' a lanting. Then we 'eard the pore beast screamin'. I've 'eard lots o' creatures scream afore, but none like that, sir. None! So we dashed round ter see wot trouble our mate was in. It was worse'n a nightmare, I tell ye! There was this big fat ole oak tree, see, wid a liddle door in it, an' the door was open, an', an' . . . ugghh, it was 'orrible!” Hugging himself, he closed his eyes and mouth tightly. It was obvious that he would not talk further.
Log a Log gave Skipper a quick wink. Leaning across, he unwound the sling from Wicky's throat and patted him sympathetically. ”Come on now, me old mate. We want to let you two go, but ye must tell us first. What did you see inside that tree door? Wot 'appened to yore pore s.h.i.+pmate?”
Wicky sat wide-eyed, staring straight ahead, as if he could see the sight clearly in front of him. ”It was a three-'eaded dragon, hissin' an' makin' noises like it was fightin' wid itself. The middle 'ead 'ad ahold of Kligger, an' the two 'eads either side was tuggin' an' rippin' at 'im! That smell, the screams, I'll 'ear them fer the rest o' me days, sir!”
Wicky broke down, sobbing and weeping. Skipper grabbed the stoat and shook him like a rag, roaring at him, ”A dragon, are ye mad? Wot did it look like?”
The stoat managed to gasp out between clattering teeth, ”It wuz all coils'n'scales, with three 'eads, sir. But the middle 'ead was the worst. Bigger'n the other two, with four eyes, two black an' two green. It 'ad big golden 'orns on its 'ead. I take me oath it did!”
Burgogg wailed out in panic, ”Wicky's right, sir, that's just 'ow it looked. Oh please let us go, sir, don't ask us t'go back there an' take ye to the spot!”
Skipper stood up, winding the sling around his paw. ”Ye've no need to. Come on, Log, I know where the place is!”
Log a Log kicked the two stoats upright. ”Put that fire out an' run for yore lives!”
Wicky and Burgogg kicked earth over the smouldering fire.
”Thankee, sir, we're goin', thankee kindly!” ”Aye, we don't wanna see Mossflower agin, ever. Thankee!”
Noon was running to long shadows as Skipper and Log a Log approached the glade where the cloaks and lanterns lay. Both drew their swords and crept silently forward. Suddenly the sunlit afternoon woodlands had become a place laden with menace.
Log a Log's nose twitched, and the shrew blenched. ”Good grief, d'ye smell that?”
Skipper did. Then he heard the gra.s.s rustling, slowly at first, then speeding up and becoming faster as it got closer to them.
Log a Log grabbed his friend's paw and dashed off, away from the hidden terror, all his instincts telling him not to stop, but to run. Throwing caution to the winds, he shouted at Skipper, ”Quick, mate, or we're deadbeasts! Run for it!”
The otter ran then, but as he did he chanced a swift backward glance and saw what was hunting them. The sight lent wings to his flight. Seizing Log a Log, he bounded forward, pulling the shrew along so fast that at times his footpaws lost contact with the ground.
Long after the danger had pa.s.sed and the hunter had quit pursuing them, they were still running, out onto the path and down toward the ancient Abbey reflecting the first evening light from its warm-hued sandstone bulk. Toward Redwall, home and safety to all who dwelt therein.
2 3 3.
That night, after the Dibbuns had gone up to their beds, all able-bodied Redwallers gathered in Cavern Hole to hear Skipper speak. Grave-faced, the big otter faced his audience. He pointed a paw dramatically, ”Out there in Mossflower Woods is a great danger. Ye can believe me 'cos I saw it for meself this very very day. I know we smiled a bit when Hddle Ruggum said that 'e saw a monster serpent an' a white ghost, but I believes 'e was tellin' the truth, after wot I saw with me own two eyes.” day. I know we smiled a bit when Hddle Ruggum said that 'e saw a monster serpent an' a white ghost, but I believes 'e was tellin' the truth, after wot I saw with me own two eyes.”
As he paused, Memm called out, ”Then tell us, what did you jolly well see?”
Urged on by Log a Log's nod, Skipper told them. ”Three of the biggest adders I ever 'opes t'see, but all twisted together like one beast. The biggest was the middle one, an' I knows this is 'ard to believe, but it was wearin' a great golden crown with two big black jetstones set in the front. At first glance it looked like it had four eyes. Never seen anythin' like it in me life, an' 'ope I never do again, mates. 'Twas somethin' you wouldn't expect t'see, even in a bad dream!”
In the s.h.i.+nned silence that followed Skipper's words, Malbun held up the heavy gold pawring, with its two jetstones glimmering in the lantern lights.
”Did the crown on the serpent's head look anything like this?”
The otter nodded. ”Aye, save that the crown was many times bigger, an' the stones were, too. But it matches the crown, sh.o.r.e enough, marm.”
The Abbot shook his head in awe. ”It sounds very scary!”
Log a Log was glad that their incredulous story was getting home. He glanced around at the Redwallers' fearful faces. ”Oh, 'tis scary all right. We know that it ate one o' those stoats who attacked Malbun an' ole Crikulus. The other two told me'n'Skipper that the vermin's screams was like nothin' they'd ever 'card. I never ran from any-beast in me life, an' neither 'as Skipper, ye all know that. But this thing, the smell, the speed it came after us! Make no mistake, 'tis a great an' terrifyin' evil!”
Seeing that the Abbot wanted to take the floor, Log a Log and Skipper stood to one side. Apodemus raised a warning paw. ”Now you have all heard, so I am going to issue the strictest orders. n.o.beast is to leave the Abbey!”
He stared pointedly at Malbun and Crikulus before continuing. ”Skipper will organise a wallguard. You must all take your turn at watching from the battlements. But more important, keep a sharp eye on the grounds inside. I do not want to hear that Dibbuns have been trying to get out by the wallgates, or any other possible exit. Memm, will you and Sister Vernal take a headcount of the Abbeybabes twice daily?”
The Harenurse saluted. ”Yes sah, double roll call, got it!”
After the meeting dispersed, Abbot Apodemus took a stroll around the orchard, in company with Log a Log, Skipper, Crikulus and Malbun. The otter Chieftain felt it was his duty to voice an opinion.
”Father Abbot, you gave good counsel back there. We'll all be safe, long as we stays inside an' keeps watch. But there is danger out there, sir, an' we won't make it go away by 'idin' from it. Somethin' needs t'be done.”
Apodemus spread his paws expressively, ”Aye, but what?”