Part 13 (1/2)
Throwing themselves flat facing three directions, the long patrol started instinctively pus.h.i.+ng the sand around them into a barrier. The croaking of countless natterjacks filled the dunes.
”Dig your slings and stones out, too many for lances,” Clary called to his companions. ”By the left! This is all we need, that villain Oykamon and his slimy mob attackin' us when we're out on a mission. By the right, center and by the cringe, I'll show 'em!”
Hon Rosie slung a flat pebble at a toad charging over the hill. It connected with a splat, knocking the toad out like a light. ”Whoohahahahoohah!” she whooped. ”That bagged the blighter. I'm pretty fair at slingin'. I'll 145.
get that big fat rogue, you watch. Whoohahahahoohah! Good shot, Rosie!”
Thyme waggled a paw in his ear between launching off missiles. ”Stone me, Rosie. You could scare 'em all off with that pesky laughin' of yours.”
”Whoohahahaoohah! You are a card, Thyme, no mistake. Watch that feller to your left! Oh, never mind, I'll lay him out. Howzat, middle an' stump!”
Clary got two toads with one of his special bouncing shots. ”Corks! I say, there must be squillions of the reptiles. We're goin' to run out of stones before they run out of soldiers, I suspect.”
Thyme banged the heads of two venturesome toads who had climbed the barricade, and they both fell back senseless.
”One thing you can say about big chief Oykamon - he keeps his word. He said he'd be back with a full complement. We're on a sticky wicket, Clary old lad. Any ideas?”
Colonel Clary glanced up at the sky before launching off another stone. ”Funny you should say that, Thyme. Matter of fact, I've come up with a pretty good wheeze, actually. It'll soon be evenin'. Now the minute it starts gettin' darkish, keep your eyes peeled for a sight of the old arch baddie himself, Oykamon. Rosie, you're the best shot-choose yourself a jolly good big pebble. I want him knocked out cold. That'll upset the lads of the sandhills, and they'll prob'ly crowd round to see if he's dead. Then we'll make a run for it, go straight for the sea, just about paw-deep, and keep goin' north. Toads aren't too fussy on salt water, so they'll give up following us if we sprint fast enough. How's your throwin' paw, Rosie old gel?”
”Top-hole. Don't fret, Clary. I'll put the old bandit asleep until this time next season. Now let's see, which is m' biggest stone? Oh, this one's rather pretty, nice little sticky-out bits. Whoohahahahoohah!”
Luck was on the side of the long patrol that evening, 146.
and Clary's plan ran true to form. Illuminated by two lanterns, Oykamon appeared atop a nearby dune, his bulging throat pulsating in and out as he bellowed.
”Krroikl! You were warned, longears. Now you will die knowing the power and might of Oykamon. Krrrikk!”
Hon Rosie popped up, twirling the large rock in her slingshot. ”Shall I bowl him a googly, Clary?”
”Certainly, Rosie old gel. Shut the fat blighter up.”
The rock flew straight and hard, whacking Oykamon with a force that sent him head over webs. Clary and Thyme's slings took the lantern holders out. Immediately, the dunes and sh.o.r.e became a ma.s.s of natterjacks. Croaking and clicking with dismay, they hopped speedily over to their fallen leader. The hares of the long patrol were up and gone with a turn of speed that would have left a hunting hawk flabbergasted.
They splashed along the sh.o.r.eline in the failing light, a red bronze sun turning the wavelets to liquid gold as they skimmed and bounced.
”Excellent shot, Rosie. An absolute bull's-eye, wot!”
”Rather. He did a full double backflip when that rock beezed him.”
”Oh, d'you think so? Thanks awfully, chaps. Whoohahahahoohah!”
Dandin spread his paws wide. ”Back off. This bird means business!”
Mariel sprang forward. The heron struck, and she dodged sideways, narrowly getting clear of the huge pointed beak, which left a deep dent in the path.
”Mariel get back, he'll kill you,” Dandin yelled.
The heron hopped in on spindly legs, flapping his wide wings and screeching, ”Irrrraktaan will spearrrrr your hearrrrrt! Irrrrraktaan knows no fearrrr!”
Mariel rolled over and over, keeping a fraction ahead of the murderous stabbing beak. A movement caught Iraktaan's quick eye, and he glanced to one side. There 147.
was Durry Quill, rolling past him in a tight ball. The heron struck at the hedgehog, but his beakpoint encountered a hard spike and bounced back with a pinging noise.
The moment's breathing s.p.a.ce was all Mariel needed. She whirled Gullwhacker and struck Iraktaan across the legs, right on the narrow knee joints. The knotted rope wrapped round the heron's legs several times. He tried to move but crashed to the ground. Immediately, Tar-quin was there. He sat across the middle of Iraktaan's neck. Before the great bird could start flapping its wings, Dandin pa.s.sed the remainder of the rope across them and stood on the rope's end. Durry Quill tugged and chewed at some bindweed, snapping several lengths off.
'”Ere, tie that burd up wi' some o' this.”
Tarquin grabbed a strand and wound it round and round the clacking beak. Dandin took the rest and hobbled Iraktaan's legs securely, pa.s.sing it through the joint of one wing and knotting it off. Breathing heavily, they stood up. Mariel disengaged Gullwhacker from the heron's legs and whirled it close to the bird's head.
”Be still! Be still, I say, or I'll scramble your silly brains!”
The heron's eyes rolled madly, but he lay still, feathers in disarray, hissing and blowing through his fearsome beak. Dandin unsheathed the sword of Martin and placed the point at Iraktaan's crop.
”When we are gone, you will be able to free yourself. But hear what I say, Iraktaan. Follow us, and I will slay you with this sword. It has taken more lives than there are feathers on your body. I am Dandin the Sword Carrier, and you can believe my word. We wish only to cross the ford in peace. Stay where you are, wait until we are gone, then loose yourself.”
Iraktaan wriggled a bit and made stifled noises but they ignored him. The ford appeared neither too wide or deep, but with ma.s.ses of long trailing weeds waving 148.
beneath the surface. Tarquin took a few paces back as if he were going to rush at it with a hop, leap and jump. ”Wish me luck, chaps. Here goes!”
Dandin stood barring his path. ”Wait, Tarquin. Remember the old saying, look before you leap?”
”Of course, old lad. Well, I've bally well looked, and now I'm goin' to jolly well leap ...”
”Oh no you're not!”
”I say, Dandin, you've become rather bossy since you started wearin' that blinkin' sword. 'My name is Dandin the Sword Carrier,' eh? Righto, give me one good reason why I shouldn't leap, and I shan't.”
Dandin recited the words of the poem which he had memorized.
”This trail brings death with every pace; Beware of dangers lurking there, Sticklegs of the feathered race And fins that in the ford do stir.
Well, as you can see, we've already met the sticklegs- Iraktaan took care of that. Our next hazard is fins that in the ford do stir. Let's try out an idea before we attempt crossing.”
Together they went to the water's edge. Dandin took a crust of bread from his knapsack and tossed it into the ford. It drifted on the surface of the water. They stood watching the bread. Like a small golden-crusted boat, it moved slowly downstream on the calm river.
Durrey did not seem too impressed. ”My old nun-cle'd say that there's a waste o' good food.”
Quick as a lightning flash, a mighty silver black-banded body whooshed out of the weeds. There was an explosion of water, a gleam of needlelike teeth, a huge splash, and the ford returned to its former calm.
Durry Quill grabbed hold of Mariel's sleeve tightly. ”Sufferin' spikes, what were that?”
Tarquin sat down in the dust looking decidedly shaky. ”Pike, old lad. An absolute whopper. A fish like 149.
that'd rip you up as soon as look at you. Dandin, I'm never backward in comin' forward-you were right.”
Dandin was pacing the ford edge. ”Look, there's more than one, much more.”
Peering carefully into the reeds, they were able to make out at least eight of the long, sleek bodies. Nose-on to the current, they backed water, fully grown, hook-jawed and totally dangerous.
Mariel sat down with Tarquin. ”Time for thinking caps. Glad you came with me, after all!”