Part 28 (1/2)

Winifred nodded with satisfaction. ”Good shot! Let him go and tell old Irontrousers about that!”

”If we are making plans, has any creature got a suggestion?” the Abbot asked, keeping his voice low.

”Hourr, oi'ave. If n you can't cross Gurt'all or goo out Abbey, whoi doant me'n moi moles runnel out?”

There was no doubting Foremole's logic, as Constance was first to agree.

”Splendid idea. There's no telling what we could do if we could tunnel out without Ironbeak knowing. However, I was thinking of what he said last night. If he means to conquer Redwall, he must attack us down here sooner or later. It will become fairly obvious to him that we have lots of food to keep us going, so in the event of not being able to starve us out, he'll attack Cavern Hole. I think we should barricade the stairs to keep them out.”

286.

There was unanimous agreement for the tunnel and the barricade, and the busy Redwallers set about their tasks with a will.

Out on the sunbaked wastelands, Matthias and his followers were slowed down from a brisk march to a shambling gait. Basil Stag Hare crossed his ears loosely over his head in an attempt to provide himself with some shade.

”Whew! CPyou know, I'll never look a hot scone in the face again, knowin' if s come out of a jolly old oven as hot as mis place.”

Cheek tenderly pawed his dry nose. ”Huh, quick march and follow me, lads. We should have travelled by night instead of listenin' to you, flopears.”

Basil brushed at his drooping whiskers. ”I'd give you a swift kick if I had the energy, young feller.” .

A broad black shadow fell across Matthias, but he carried on, enjoying the shade without thinking where it had come from.

”Get down!”

The warrior mouse was thrown flat as Jess tackled him from behind. As he hit the dust, Matthias felt a rus.h.i.+ng breeze pa.s.s over him. He turned over and looked up.

Two great buzzards circled overhead, wheeling and soaring as they waited for a chance to catch any creature off guard.

Log-a-Log fitted a stone to his sling as he sighed wearily, ”Heat, thirst, desert, big birds. What next?”

The slings had little effect on the buzzards, as the great dark birds would see the stone coming and fly out of range with ease.

Oriando called a halt to the slinging. ”Stop, stop! You're only wasting energy. Lef s ignore mem. Well, not exactly ignore them, if you know what I mean, but keep an eye on them. Matthias, you take the front of the column, I'll take the rear. If they get too close we might get the chance of a sword or axe strike, and thaf 11 put paid to them.”

287.

As if sensing what was going on below, the two buzzards grouped and attacked the center of the band. They dived so speedily no creature had a chance to do anything. There was a scream, and the two great hunting birds rose into the air with a wriggling shrew pinioned between them. From out of the-blue they were joined by a third big bird, who soared down with wings outstretched.

”Look, there's three of them now.” ”Thaf s no buzzard, ifs attacking them!” b.u.t.ting into the buzzards like a battering ram, the strange bird drove them downwards, causing them to drop the shrew, who b.u.mped to earth in a cloud of dust. Clawing and biting, the other bird, who was stockier and shorter than the buzzards, battered away with wing and talon, screeching loudly until it drove them off. Circling to make sure it had driven the predators away, the bird dived and landed next to Orlando. It was Sir Harry the Muse.

”Pray accept my apologies, sir, My conscience was bothering me, So I had to take to the air. And now I am back, as you see.”

Matthias ran to greet the poetic owl. ”Well timed, Sir Harry. Thank you for your help!” The owl blinked at the sun.

”I'd sooner fly 'neath the moon.

I dread the hot afternoon, The heaf s infernal and owls are nocturnal.

I hope the sun sets soon.”

The shrew who had been caught by the buzzards was not badly injured. He opened his pouch and offered the owl half a shrewcake which he had been saving. Sir Harry accepted it gravely, bowed politely, then devoured it in a most undignified manner.

”Mmmff, 'sgood, scrumff, 'slovely!”

288.

The poetic owl waddled along beside Matthias as the warrior mouse explained their position. ' ”I'm afraid we're very low on supplies. We could only manage to feed you with the same amount as we are rationed to. Don't tell me you really suffered from conscience pangs, Sir Harry. You must have another reason for flying all this way to be with us.”

”I'd call that a very smart guess. In fact, you've called my bluff. My reason, I must confess, Is not for food and stuff. I get tired of being alone, Can I come along with you? I've heard you talk of your home. Could I live at Redwall too?”

”Humph! Pesky bird would scoff us out of the blinkin' Abbey!” Basil snorted huffily.

Matthias glared reprovingly at the hare. ”Basil! Courtesy and good manners cost us nothing.”

The old hare blinked grumpily and unfolded his ears. ”Oh well, in for an acorn, in for an oak. I s'pose it'd be all right for him to live at our Redwall. Huh, save me gettin' all the jolly blame any time a mouthful of food goes missin', wot?”

Sir Harry did a hop and a skip.

”I knew you'd see things my way. If s settled then, it's done. And if food goes missing I'll say, 'Blame me, sir, I'm the one.'”

”Don't worry, I will, old chap,” Basil muttered under his breath.

Orlando reared up, shading his eyes with a big paw.

”I see a black shadow. Maybe that is the black line on the map. We should make it sometime about sunset.”

Matthias pulled the map out. ”Hmm yes, a sort of broad black band. I wonder what it is.”

289.

Basil was stil! muttering to himself, ”Huh, soon find out, I s'pose. If if s anyttun' to eat, I'll bet that owl gets there first. Hmph, poetry indeed!”

Orlando's estimate was correct. It was just as the sun began dipping beyond the western horizon that they stood on the edge of the great gorge. They gazed awestruck at the ma.s.sive fissure splitting the land asunder. Orlando and Matthias peered over the edge. ”By the fur and claw! Look at that!” ”How are we going to cross a gap that wide?” Sir Harry sat back on his tail feathers.

”Tho' I'm the most poetic of birds. Right now I'm lost for words!”

Log-a-Log whirled his sling and shot a stone down into the abyss. There was neither sound nor echo came back.

Orlando quoted the lines of the poem from memory: ”Shrink not from the barren land Look below from where you stand, This is where a stone may fall and make no sound at all.”

Jabez shook his head in wonderment. ”So this is what a broad black band on a map looks like.”

290.

37.