Brian Jacques - The Rogue Crew

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

BOOK ONE - A Small Glutton’s Dream

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

BOOK TWO - Enter the Rogue Crew!

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

BOOK THREE - All Forward to Redwall!

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

EPILOGUE

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

Redwall

Mossflower

Mattimeo

Mariel of Redwall

Salamandastron

Martin the Warrior

The Bellmaker

Outcast of Redwall

Pearls of Lutra

The Long Patrol

Marlfox

The Legend of Luke

Lord Brocktree

Taggerung

Triss

Loamhedge

Rakkety Tam

High Rhulain

Eulalia!

Doomwyte

The Sable Quean

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman

The Angel’s Command

Voyage of Slaves

The Great Redwall Feast

A Redwall Winter’s Tale

The Tale of Urso Brunov

Urso Brunov and the White Emperor

Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales

The Ribbajack

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Text copyright © 2011 by The Redwall Abbey Company, Ltd. Illustrations copyright © 2011 by Sean Rubin.

All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form

without permission in writing from the publisher, Philomel Books, a division of Penguin

Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014. Philomel Books, Reg.

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Text set in Palatino.

The illustrations are rendered in graphite on bristol board.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jacques, Brian. The Rogue Crew / Brian Jacques ; illustrated by Sean Rubin.

p. cm. Summary: The murderous and evil Razzid Wearat and his crew of vermin

are on a mission to seize Redwall Abbey for themselves, and Abbot Thibb and his

Redwallers must defend their home with the help of the hares of the Long Patrol and the

Rogue Crew of sea otters. [1. Animals—Fiction. 2. Fantasy.] I. Rubin, Sean, 1986- ill.

II. Title. PZ7. J15317Ro 2011 [Fic]—dc22 2010013330

eISBN : 978-1-101-51486-3

http://us.penguingroup.com

For Jimmy Jacques,

a great pal who is also

an outstanding brother.

MOSSFLOWER COUNTRY AND THE HIGH NORTH COAST DURING THE EVENTS OF THE ROGUE CREW

The Land of Dreams, that mystical realm,

where the oddest of visions appear,

come wander through scenes of joyful peace,

or stampede through nightmares of fear.

Dare we open those secret doors,

down dusty paths of mind,

in long-forgotten corners,

what memories we’ll find.

Who rules o’er the Kingdom of Night,

where all is not what it seems?

’Tis I, the Weaver of Tales,

for I am the Dreamer of Dreams!

BOOK ONE

A Small Glutton’s Dream

1

The face of a Wearat is a sight to instill fear and loathing in any creature. Two narrow eyes, crimson, with small green pupils, a huge, squat head sparsely coated with hair, save for the stiff mane at the back. A short, broad muzzle, with a sheen like polished leather, beneath which yellowed fangs jut in all directions. Truly a beast that should never have been born, an obscure hybrid that cannot be categorised with anybeast.

Some were of the opinion a Wearat was part weasel, part water rat. Nobeast knew. One thing was beyond doubt, however. A Wearat was the embodiment of nightmare, with a vicious nature that knew no bounds. It revelled in blood and death.

One such rare savage was Razzid Wearat, the most barbarous of all seagoing vermin. From his fortress on the Isle of Irgash in the warm southern seas, he emerged like a hurricane of destruction. His ship was the Greenshroud , a long, swift galley. From sailtops to hull, the entire vessel was green. It carried a single bank of oars, twoscore port and starboard. Aft of its square-sailed mainmast were two lateen sails, tall billowing triangles. The mainsail bore the Mark of the Wearat, a trident head, with two evil eyes between the forked prongs. Greenshroud was crewed by vermin corsairs spurred on by the promise of plunder.

The season that Razzid struck coasts and settlements both sides of Mossflower Country became known as the Winter of Slaughter. The speed with which Razzid raided helpless creatures was swift and ruthless. He left in his wake the flames of desolation and death, smouldering ruins which made his name a byword for terror.