Part 24 (1/2)

Orlando lost his temper. He took the battleaxe by its head and made a mighty sweep at Cheek with the long handle.

Darkness had practically fallen, and the young otter 249.

did not see the axe handle craning. It struck him a blow and pushed him off into the water with a loud splash. ”Yah gerroff, you great stripedo-”

Splas.h.!.+

Cheek could not deny his birthright; he was an otter through and through. As skillfully as any fish, he cut through the water surrounding the rah, appearing alongside Basil.

The hare looked at him suspiciously. ”You're chewing, young Master Cheek. Where are you hidin' the food?”

Cheek smacked his lips, 'little fishes. The river's swarmin' with 'em, mere must be millions. Taste lovely, though. I'd have got into the water sooner if I'd known 1 wasn't eoin' to be afraid and all mis food was here.”

With mat, he disappeared beneath the surface and began filling his stomach with the finny delicacies. Cheek was biting back.

On sh.o.r.e Stonefleck rapped out orders to one of his Captains. ”Light some flaming arrows. Shoot at the raft. Hurry, or they'll paddle it out of our reach. Tell the others to get the ferry going. See if we can get doser. The rest of you, keep firing.”

The rat Captain looked quesnoningly at Stonefleck. ”But surely they'll be eaten by the fishes?”

Stonefleck fired off an arrow before replying, ”If s the otter. I forgot about that one. He'll eat those fish like a pig at acorns.”

”But there's far too many fish for him to eat. Chief. The water's alive with 'em/' the Captain argued.

”Fool! Once those fish sense there's an otter in the water, they'll stay away from that area. Then those creatures will be able to paddle the raft out into the mainstream current. I want to finish it here tonight, not in the morning a night's march down the bank. Now get about your business.”

Matthias heaved a sigh of relief. ”Whew! At least those fish aren't biting so much.”

250.

Cheek popped up beside him. ”Yum, yum. You've got me to thank for that!”

Orlando ducked him back under with a big blunt paw.

”Stop gabbing and keep scoffing. You to thank indeed! You mean you've got my axe handle to thank. And don't think you won't taste it if you don't keep those fishes away, young otter.”

The night sky was cut by the light of a flaming arrow which shot through the dark to bury itself in the side of the raft.

Jess put it out by squirting a mouthful of water at it. ”Fire arrows, Matthias/' she remarked. ”Look, I can see by the light of their fire that they're launching a raft.”

Matthias redoubled his efforts, ”Hurry, everybeast, kick out as hard as you can,”

Cheek gripped a trailing rope in his teeth and swam strongly with it. The raft doubled its speed. Arrows zinged all around them as the rats leant over the rails of their own ferry raft.

”Keep down, keep pulling, keep paddling,” Orlando yelled. ”They're coming after us.”

As he shouted, a shrew next to him let go and floated away, transfixed by an arrow.

Stonefleck was on the ferry raft, firing arrow after arrow.

”Don't let them get away,” he exhorted his army. ”Get the poles. Come on, get pus.h.i.+ng with those poles. Fire! Keep after them!”

With superior numbers and long poles, the rat ferry drew closer to the raft. Stonefleck waved to the sh.o.r.e.

”No more fire arrows,” he ordered. ”You might hit us. We've got them now!”

Log-a-Log spat into the water.

”Did you hear that, Guosim. Kick now. Kick for your lives!”

The woodlander's raft pulled away fractionally, but Stonefleck urged his rats to greater efforts with their long poles.

251.

The two vessels were separated only by a thin margin of river. Stonefleck and a few chosen rats stood outside the rails of the ferry, preparing to jump from one craft to the other. The light of victory gleamed in Stonefleck's normally impa.s.sive eyes.

Matthias pulled himself up and saw what was happening.

”It looks as if they're going to board us/' he said gloomily.

Orlando heaved himself from the water and stood dripping on the deck of the raft, waving his battleaxe.

”Come on, rats, lefs see what you've got inside your heads!” he taunted.

An arrow from the rat ferry struck Orlando in his paw. He pulled it out contemptuously. Snapping it easily, he flung it at Stonefleck.

”You'll have to do better than that to stop me, ratface!” he called.

Suddenly the raft sped off downriver on the rus.h.i.+ng current. The rat ferry stopped stock-still, throwing Stonefleck and several others into the water.

Hurriedly, the rats dragged their leader and the others back aboard.

Stonefleck tw.a.n.ged his wet bowstring and spat water. ”Why didn't somebeast untie the ferry towropes? Pull us back to sh.o.r.e. We'll have to follow along the bank.”

A ragged cheer arose from the shrews' raft as the friends disappeared into the night on die rus.h.i.+ng water.

That evening, a group sat around the table in Cavern Hole discussing General Ironbeak's ultimatum. The reaction was angry and indignant. ”Who does he think he is? Redwall isn't conquered mat easy.”

”We beat them once, we can do it again.” ”Aye, but this time Ironbeak has the hostages.” ''He'll kill them if we don't surrender.” ”Hurr, he'm a crafty owd burdbag, thafn.”

252.

The Abbot rapped the table. ”Silence, please. We have no time to sit about arguing. What I need is some sensible suggestions. Let us review the position. The raven has the hostages, and no matter how we try to buy time or debate, he'll kill them eventually, make no mistake about that. I tried to bluff him today, possibly I succeeded, but it won't last. Listen, even if it meant the loss of just one life, I would have to surrender the Abbey, We cannot have three deaths on our heads; it is against all our principles.”

Winifred the Otter thumped the table with her tail. ”Play the villain at his own game, then. Whaf s the name for it? Er, subterfuge, that*s it. We'll use subterfuge.”

Every creature sat up bright and attentive. When there was no response to Winifred's suggestion, they slumped back.

”We'm gotter be a-thinken 'ard, ra.s.slin' wi' uz brains,” Foremole urged.

More silence followed.