Part 4 (1/2)

”Grrogg! I will collect many more toads, we will be as many as the sands of the sh.o.r.e, then you will all die. Krrrrik!”

49.

Hon Rosie had an earsplitting laugh; every creature present winced as she launched into it.

”Whooyahahahah! 'Fraid we'll be long gone by then, you old frogwalloper. Sorry we can't stop around and be slain, wot! Duty calls.”

Oykamon spat bad-temperedly. ”Krroik! Go then. Death awaits you if you return to this place!”

The other toads shuffled forward aggressively, shaking their tridents.

Colonel Clary strode decisively forward. He twirled his lancetip, disarming the leading toad with a flick. Clary's eyes grew hard.

”Right, pay attention, you slimy rabble! We are the long patrol from Lord Rawnblade of Salamandastron. n.o.beast stops us-we range where we please and when, carrying out orders. If you take one more step forward, we will use our lancetips, not the blunt ends. Then you will really see death visit this spot. Back off now, marshsp.a.w.n. You there, leader chappie, tell all ranks to retreat, or you'll be the first to have your gizzard decorated by lancepoint.”

Oykamon croaked out some sullen orders, and the toads retreated hastily.

Hon Rosie turned to Storm. ”I say, can you walk on that bally hoof?”

Storm tested her injured footpaw. ”I'll be all right. Where are we going?”

”Somewhere you can get proper fodder 'n' drink, old gel. You don't want to be hangin' about this thumpin' great wasteland twiddlin' your paws.”

Brigadier Thyme inspected the paw. ”Hmm. Not much wrong with that fetlock, young mouse.”

The three hares carried satchels across their backs. Hon Rosie took hers off.

”Righto, first-aider Rosie to the rescue, wot? Whoohahahahah! I can't resist bandaging things, jolly good at it. Now, some hart's tongue fern, staghorn clubmoss, dab of salt and bind the blinkin' lot up with 50.

a few strands of maidenhair fern. There! I'll bet you could trip a mouse mazurka with that little lot on. Try it.”

Storm tested the footpaw. It felt very comfortable and easy. ”Thank you, Rosie. It feels as good as new.”

Colonel Clary had been pacing restlessly up and down. He s.h.i.+elded his eyes and took some bearings from the sun.

”Good egg, ladies. Got all the latest in shrubbery foot fas.h.i.+ons sorted out now? Top-hole, then we can get going. Actually I was thinking of heading nor'east into the woodland fringes. We could have lunch there and visit old Pakatugg. What d'you say, Thyme?”

”Hmmm, yes, why ever not. Best idea under present circs, wot!”

It took some time for Storm to fall in with the hares' mode of speech. They seemed to treat everything in a very casual offpaw sort of way, but they were usually correct in their judgments.

By early noon they had left the flatlands. Behind them the gritty expanses mottled with spa.r.s.e vegetation s.h.i.+mmered in the summer heat, with the dunes a hazy half-mirage in the distance. More dunes stood out ahead, paw-sinking s.h.i.+fting sand dunes that were difficult to surmount. Topping one such sandhill, they found themselves facing a fringe of pine-clad woodland, dark green and shady, a haven from the glare of the midday sun.

Brigadier Thyme marked out a vast hornbeam and led them to it. He held up a cautionary paw.

”Keep mum, chaps. Old Pakatugg's close-I can feel it in m' whiskers.”

A pointed dart whistled past Thyme's ear, burying itself in the hornbeam. From somewhere close by a gruff angry voice rang out.

”You're a-trespa.s.sin' on Pakatugg's land. Who be yer?”

”Clary, Thyme and Rosie, the long patrol of the foot 'n' fur Rangers,” Colonel Clary answered. ”Oh, and we've got a young thingummy with us. ... A mouse-gel.”

Though Storm tried to see who it was, she could make out no sign of a living creature, ”Thingummy mousegel,” the gruff voice answered. ”What sorta thingummy? Anyhow, how do I know you're you? What's the pa.s.sword?”

Clary snorted impatiently. ”Oh, come out, you old buffoon, you know it's us. Listen, I'll even give you the bally pa.s.sword. Takatugg Treefleet, we bring you good things to eat.' There, now come out, you old barkwal-loper.”

Storm had to bite her lip so as not to laugh at the odd creature who dropped down from a nearby spruce.

Pakatugg Treefleet was a fat old squirrel. He carried a long hollow blowpipe and a pouch of darts. Sticking out of his ears, wound about his tail and paws and covering all his body were leafy twigs. He resembled a small moving bush with eyes.

”Huh, landotters, what've you brought Paka for lunch?” Pakatugg growled fiercely through the two teeth remaining in his mouth.

Brigadier Thyme sniffed. ”We're not landotters, we're hares, and if your manners don't improve, laddie, you won't be dining on oatscones and mountain cheese, followed by berry 'n' barley bake.”

Pakatugg nearly tore the knapsack from Thyme's back. ”Oatscones, mount'n cheese, where?”

”Hoho, not so fast, laddie buck. Take us to your hide-out first. We want to put the old nosebag on in comfort, y'know.”

Pakatugg led them into the woodland to a small gurgling stream. Lilacs, wildrose, shrubs and trees overhung the spot, turning it into a shady green grotto, and the rocky outcrop which edged the stream was covered in soft moss. Gratefully they sat down. The old squirrel went to fetch them water.

”Real son of the land, old Pakatugg,” Colonel Clary whispered to Storm. ”No harm in the blighter as long as you feed him and obey his silly little rules. The chap's an absolute fanatic on secrecy, pa.s.swords, blindfolds, secret signs-the bally lot. We'll see if he can get you to Red wall.”

Storm echoed the strange word. ”Redwall, what's that?”

”Oh, it's a jolly place-you'd love it, all the best mice live there. Hush, here comes Pakatugg.”

The odd squirrel set a steaming kettle and five beakers out.

”Rosebay willow'erb tea. Put the kettle on when I saw you comin' a while back. Now, out wi' the grub, landotters.”

Digging in their packs, the trio turned out the promised repast, together with some extra delicacies they had brought along. Storm could not recall when she had tasted a meal so delicious. The hares sipped gratefully at the fragrant rosebay willowherb tea, nibbling at this and that. Pakatugg, however, launched himself upon the food, as did the hungry Storm. They practically ended up fighting over candied apple rings. The old squirrel glared at her.

”Yer a tough 'un, mouselet. By my brush y'are.”

”Whoohawhawhawhah!” Hon Rosie gurgled as she poured more tea. ”I'll say she is. We caught her tryin' to battle with a full toad army, single pawed. Storm Gullwhacker's not short of grit, by a long chalk. By the by, Storm old sport, where d'you come from?”

Storm stuffed the apple ring into her mouth. ”Mmmmfff, that's good! Where'm I from? Don't know really, don't know where I was bound either before I met you. Can't remember my name. Called myself Storm 'cos I was thrown ash.o.r.e by the storm. Came from the sea, I s'pose, me and Gullwhacker here.”

53.

Pakatugg chewed on an oatscone and stared hard at the young mouse. ”Y'mean you ain't got no name, no home, you can't remember nothin'?”

Clary coughed politely, struck by a sudden idea. ”Ahem! Sad, isn't it? That's why we brought her here. We thought you might be able to take her to Redwall. They'd probably find out who she is jolly soon-good at riddles an' mysteries, those Abbey thingummies.”

Pakatugg stood up, dusting his paws off. ”Whohoa! Don't get ahead of yer tail there, landotter. You ain't landin' me with no mousegel as can't remember which season it be.”

Storm jumped up indignantly. ”Who said I want to be left anywhere with anyone? I've got some say in this, you know. Besides, who needs a squirrel that can't make up his mind whether he's a beast or a tree ...”

Hon Rosie pulled Storm down beside her. ”Steady on, old gel. We know you're the bravest of the brave, and all that rot, but you're in a strange land now, among strange creatures; this is dangerous territory. We're only trying to get you back to your own bally kind. I mean, what better for one than to be with one's own creatures, eh?”