Brian Jacques - The Rogue Crew

Old Drogbuk took the stalks from Uggo and munched on them avidly. “Huh, yore a picknickerty sort fer a Guosim warrior. Nowt wrong wid ramsons, they’re good for ye—’ere, try some.”

Everybeast moved further down the bank, distancing themselves from Uggo and Drogbuk.

Mowlag and Jiboree clung to the stern, following their captain’s directions.

“Hold the rudder in place. Up a bit, now a touch port. That’s it—keep it still now, right there.”

He confiscated the spear that a nearby ferret was holding. Hefting the weapon, Razzid admired it. “Ain’t often ye see a full metal spear. ’Tis a nice piece.”

The ferret gazed anxiously at his prized spear. “Aye, Cap’n, ’tis solid bronze. Belonged to me ole father.”

With a final remark, the Wearat turned his back on the ferret: “It’ll make a good rudder pin.”

He leaned over the stern, tapping both Mowlag and Jiboree on the head with the bronze spearbutt. “Dolts, I told ye to hold the rudder steady. Now lift up a bit. Right, press inward. . . . There!”

He slotted the spear haft neatly into place.

“Shekra, try the tiller, wave it back’n’forth.”

The vixen obeyed dutifully. Razzid smiled.

“Good as new. Better, in fact—bronze don’t rust in water! Git aboard, you two, an’ get the sails rigged. We can’t lie about here forever!”

Having unsuccessfully tried to halt Greenshroud ’s progress, Swiffo sat on the margin of the watermeadow with Posy and the small band of Guosim. The resourceful shrews had put together a makeshift snack from whatever they could forage from the locality. Uggo and Drogbuk were temporarily banned from the company, owing to the fact they were still munching on the malodorous ramsons. Posy was nibbling on some mushrooms and young dandelion buds. When she noticed that the shrew Chieftain was not wearing his famed Dandy Clogs, she commented on this.

“What happened to your nice shoes, Dandy?”

The Log a Log answered tersely, “They weren’t shoes, missy. They was proper Dandy Clogs, the sort champion dancers wears. I don’t know wot ’appened to ’em for certain, an’ I ain’t too bothered about it. Wot grieves me is the loss of so many of my mates.” His jaw tightened, and his voice shook as he spoke. “All them good Guosim warriors, ambushed, murdered, by those vermin scum. Well, I’ll even the score, I tell ye. We won’t rest ’til we can dance on their graves, every last mother’s son o’ the cowardly butchers!”

Uggo came wandering along the bank with some information. “Could see the green ship from where me’n the old un was. Looks like she’s movin’ off agin. Thought ye should know.”

Jumping upright, Dandy scattered food left and right. He seized a Guosim rapier he had found. “Movin’ off, is it? I’ll show ’em there’s noplace they can go without me on their tails. Come on, mates!”

“Hah, do ye think that’s the right way t’go about it, me bold bucko? Ye’ll end up chasin’ yore own tails!”

Drogbuk had ambled up. He stood shaking his head at Dandy. “T’aint the way I’d do it.”

The Guosim Log a Log brushed by Drogbuk, almost knocking him over. “Out o’ me way, ole rattlespikes!”

Swiffo held up his paw, halting the shrews. “Wait, let’s see wot the old un would do. Go on, mate, speak yore piece!”

One of the shrews, Banktail, muttered scornfully, “Huh, I wouldn’t pay no ’eed t’that ole grogsnout.”

Drogbuk drew himself up, eyeing Banktail haughtily. “Now, you lissen t’me, young blabbermouth. I’m a diff’rent’og now. Aye, I’ve sworn never to drink grog ever agin. So I’m thinkin’ clearer now, an’ I thinks I’ve got a lot more seasons’ wisdom about me than anybeast ’ere.”

Dandy swished his rapier impatiently. “Well, out with it, Granpa, let’s ’ear some o’ this wisdom.”

The ancient hedgehog gestured toward the vermin ship. “That’ll reach the River Moss long afore you do, ’cos it don’t’ave t’go round the long way, skirtin’ this watermeadow like us. Besides, if’n ye do catch it up, wot are ye goin’ t’do, eh?”

Dandy swiped at the grass with his blade. “We’re goin’ t’slay ’em, that’s wot!”

Drogbuk chuckled drily. “Brave words, friend, but the vermin outnumber ye about a score to one. Oh, I’ll grant ye could pick one or two off, like I’ve seen ye do. But these are corsairs’n’searats. They ain’t led by a stoopid beast. If’n the mood took yon Wearat, he’d track ye down an’ finish ye one by one.”

Dobble, the Guosim scout, called impatiently, “You ain’t told us yore plan yet, old un!”

Drogbuk snapped back at him, “Then give me a blinkin’ chance, fatmouth! Lissen now, we know the vermin are goin’ to try an’ conquer Redwall. So, if’n we can get there afore ’em, we can warn those Redwallers an’ be ready for the foebeasts when they arrive.”

Swiffo could not help cutting in eagerly. “He’s right, y’know! In a stone fortress, backed up by the Redwall beasts, we’d stand a much better chance o’ winnin’ agin the vermin. Wot d’ye say, Dandy?”

The Log a Log sighed. “Maybe so, but how are we goin’ t’get to Redwall faster than them? I ain’t even sure o’ the way widout a logboat, an’ they’ve got a ship on wheels.”

Drogbuk winked craftily. “Ahah, but I knows the way to that Abbey, I’ve been there a few times in my seasons. I knows a shortcut, too, if’n yore willin’ t’take the chance—”

Uggo interrupted. “W’ot’s so chancey about a shortcut?”

The old hedgehog shrugged. “Nothin’ if’n ye ain’t scared o’ snakes, toads an’ lizards—aye, an’ a band o’ foxes.”

Swiffo placed a paw about Drogbuk’s shoulders, exclaiming airily, “Hah, is that all? Then lead on, ole matey!”

The very mention of snakes caused the Guosim to hesitate, for the simple reason that most shrews fear nothing more than serpents.

Dandy shook a paw in Drogbuk’s face. “An’ yore certain that it’s a shortcut that’ll get us to Redwall faster than the vermin crew?”

A few spikes rattled onto the bankside as Drogbuk nodded. “Sure, fer certain, an’ that certain sure!”

Posy set an example by putting her best paw forward. “Well, that’s good enough for me, sir. I’m game to try!”

Swiffo grinned at the apprehensive Guosim shrews. “I’ope yore not goin’ t’be shown up by a liddle ’ogmaid!”

Dandy trembled as if fit to burst as he roared at his warriors, “Nobeast shows up a Guosim—we’re with ye. Up off yore tails, you lot. Let’s march!”

They set off with Posy and Uggo either side of Drogbuk in the lead.

Uggo smiled as he whispered to his pretty friend, “Well said, Posy. That moved ’em!”

Posy answered unsmilingly, “I hope I haven’t moved us into something that’ll see us as snakefood!”

23

Jum Gurdy wandered amongst the injured Guosim on the streambank, looking for new arrivals. The old squirrel Rekaby and his band of Fortunate Freepaws were doing a fine job treating wounded shrews. Foober the squirrelmaid knew what Jum was looking for. She shook her head sympathetically at him.

“Yore liddle ’ogfriends ain’t showed up, Mister Gurdy. I think we’ve seen the last of the beasts wanderin’ in now.”

Redwall’s big old Cellardog heaved a weary sigh. “Thankee, miss. I was tryin’ not t’give up hope of seein’ Posy an’ Uggo, but it looks like they ain’t about to turn up’ere. Where could those young uns ’ave got to?”

Foober noticed that the infant hog was no longer with Jum. She reproached him mildly. “Wot ’appened to baby Wiggles? Weren’t ye in charge of ’er?”