Part 41 (2/2)
”Matthias, Orlando. Get out of there!” they called.
The steps shuddered violently. Jess peered into the gloom. ”There's somebeast coming. Make way, Sam!”
Uttle Vitch the rat scampered out as if demons were biting his tail. ”Yaagh! My whole cell began moving and the door fell off. Help me!”
Mattimeo grabbed him by the neck. ”My father and Orlando, did you see them?”
”No, no, I just ran. If s falling in down there. Can't you hear it!”
Basil Stag Hare flung himself upon Auma and dragged her back as she tried to get to the steps.
”Father, my father's in there!” she protested.
A deep rumbling boom exploded from the bowels of the cavem. Trees started to sway crazily and the earth bucked like a tablecloth being shaken free of crumbs.
Mattimeo took hold of Auma's paw, and they lay flat on the ground. ”We don't leave here until our fathers are out!” the mouse declared.
Basil buried his face against the trembling ground. ”Well spoken, young un. I second that proposal.”
There followed a terrific bang.
The entire copse fell, creating a huge valley. From the hole in the ground where the steps started, a whoos.h.i.+ng gust of air, white with limestone dust, flew high into the sky like a geyser.
Two round objects shot out like b.a.l.l.s from the mouth of a cannon. Matthias landed high in the branches of an elm. Orlando tut the top of a rowan and came cras.h.i.+ng to earth in a cloud of twigs and leaves. The axe and the sword stood quivering in the bole of a young beech.
Then the earth stood still.
Basil got slowly to his paws and guffawed. ”Haw, haw, haw! Mattimeo, there's a flyin' white mouse up a tree over there. Looks a bit like your dad's ghost, wot?”
Mattimeo could hardly believe his eyes.
Jabez Stump tapped Auma. ”Your old pa looks like a lump of white dough ready for the oven, I reckon, missie. Hu-huh-huh!”
423.
Jube patted his spikes to make sure they were all there. ”Whew! That big hatchet nearly scalped me!”
Orlando rose, dusting himself off in a dignified manner. ”Be careful how you talk of that weapon, young un. If s a battleaxe, not a hatchet.”
Jess Squirrel and Sam went haring up the beech trunk.
”Stay where you are. Warrior. We'll get you down, but only if you promise to do no more bird imitations.”
Matthias smiled at Sam's impudent remark.
”I promise. Just get me down.”
That same joyous day, the remnants of General Iron-beak's force were led out on rope leads to the top of the north battlements.
Ambrose Spike and baby Rollo followed them up the north wall steps to the ramparts, the infant bankvole waddling along comically in a pa.s.sable impression of the bird's gait.
A light, warm breeze stirred the Abbof s robe as he and Constance lined the prisoners up. The inhabitants of Redwall stood about on the broad wall top, glaring at the subdued line of rooks and the two magpies, who blinked in the strong sunlight, huddling nervously together at the sight of Stryk Redkite as she watched them from the wall threshold above the gatehouse.
”Is that all of them, Ambrose?”
”Aye, 'tis. Father Abbot.”
”Good. Mrs. Churchmouse, Cornflower, would you put the collars on them, please?”
The two mice emptied iron collars from a sack. Ambrose Spike had made the collars from iron barrel hoops. They were circular and left open in the middle, and slipped easily around the birds' necks.
Ragwing the rook dipped his head cheekily, and the iron collar slipped off and clanged upon the wattstones.
Winifred replaced the collar and whacked the rook with her rudderlike tail.
”Do as you're told, featherbag, or I'll give you something yourwon't forget in a hurry,” the otter warned.
424.
The Abbot folded his paws into his habit sleeves.
”You birds, listen to me! We have not slain you or treated you badly, but this does not mean we are soft. Your leader and his crow are dead; the siege of Redwall is over. I have granted you the gift of life. You will be spared, but you must go back to your northlands and never return here again. This is my decision. I will not slay or enslave you, as your General would have done to us. However, you will take with you a token to remind you of your visit to our Abbey. The collars will allow you to fly, not too high, though. They will also prove an enc.u.mbrance. Forget your warlike ways; from now on, survival will be your main object.”
The Abbot nodded to Constance.
The mighty female badger took the collar of the first rook between her paws. With a small grunt of exertion she bent it so that the open ends of the iron closed about the bird's neck. The collar was now firmly in place, not too tight, but not loose enough to get off.
From bird to bird she went, bending the iron neck rings into place until the operation was completed. The rooks and the magpies pecked at the collars and cawed angrily.
Sister May lifted her paw high. ”Now, you villains, when I drop my paw the bells will ring and you will fly northwards as fast as you can. When the bells have rung three times, my friend Stryk Redkite will be right behind you, and you know what will happen to anybird who tries to stop or fly off in a different direction. So good riddance, birds, I would advise you to fly pretty fast.”
Sister May dropped her paw.
Bong.' Boom!
The Methuselah and the Matthias bells tolled out across Mossflower. General Ironbeak's depleted fighters flew off as fast as the burden of the iron neck collars would allow.
Bong! Boom!
The Abbey creatures watched them winging low over 425.
the treetops, flying north across the summer green fastness of the woodlands.
Bong.' Boom!
The great red kite took off from the west wall threshold with the graceful soaring motion of a natural hunter.
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