Brian Jacques - Redwall #22 - The Sable Quean

59

Drull, marm, tell the Friar we'll need packed lunches for the workers, if'n ye please."

The hogwife fidgeted anxiously with her apron strings. "But nobeast's 'ad brekkist yet, sir."

The Abbess interrupted. "I'm sure the branch trimming is far more important, Drull. Besides, breakfast is already ruined, and it'll take time to clear up the mess, no thanks to this scruffy savage!"

Friar Soogum emerged from his makeshift bedroom. The old water vole shook his head in disbelief. "You mean t'tell me one vermin did all this to my kitchen? Drull, you see to the packed lunches. You, what's your name?"

The young stoat avoided the Friar's icy stare. "Globby."

Soogum rolled up his habit sleeves in a businesslike manner. "Well, listen to me, Globby. You're goin' to clean this kitchen from top t'bottom. What are you goin' t'do?"

Globby saw the Friar pick up the oven paddle and give the air a few experimental whacks.

"Er, leave it t'me, sir. I'll 'ave the ole place shinin' like a new pin afore ye knows it!"

Dawn was streaking the skies with pale light as Dinko dropped into the ditch beside Daclaw and Raddi. His arrival wakened Daclaw, who had been catching a nap. He glared sourly at the young rat.

'Wot are yew doin' 'ere? Yore supposed t'be watchin' the back gate with yer mate."

Dinko told his group leader what had taken place. "Well, it's like this, y'see. When we was round there last night, Globby kept on about the nice vittles wot must be inside. So 'e climbed a big tree, crawled along an 'igh branch an' jumped onto the top of the wall. Said 'e was goin' t'look for stuff to eat. Any'ow, he went in, an' I ain't seen 'ide nor 'air of 'im since, Chief. So I thought I'd better tell ye."

Daclaw paced up and down the ditchbed irately. "Went into Redwall, did 'e? Jelly-brained idjit! Young Globby's

60

dead either way. If'n those inside don't slay 'im, Zwilt the Shade will fer disobeyin' orders. Frogskins an' 'ells teeth, wot am I goin' t'do now, eh?"

Raddi came to his help. "Git the others round 'ere, where we can keep an eye on 'em. We'll carry on watchin' this front gate for a while."

Dinko shrugged. "Wot good'll that do?"

Daclaw cuffed him across the ears before speaking. "Aye, wot good'll that do, eh?"

Raddi explained, "Well, if'n they've slaved Globby, they'll throw 'is carcass out 'ere in this ditch, mebbe. Then we can tell Zwilt wot 'appened. It'll show 'im that at least we was carryin' out orders properly. Don't stand there gawpin', young Dinko. Get the others an' bring 'em round 'ere, go on!"

Granvy unbolted the small east wickergate, peering out at the verdant woodland. "It looks peaceful enough to me."

Skipper strode out ahead of Brother Tollum and some squirrels, all of whom were carrying woodcutting tools. He paced the tree line closest to the wall. Looking up, he noted several long limbs and branches, some of them almost touching the battlements.

"Brother Tollum, start with yonder sycamore, then take that beech next to it. Oh, an' there's an oak further along. Tell yore crew t'chop 'em well back, all those long branches."

The gaunt Bellringer nodded solemnly. "Right y'are, Skip. We'll get right to it!"

The Otter Chieftain made for the east wallsteps, where he met a group of Dibbuns about to go up.

"Ahoy, mateys! Where do ye think yore off to?"

Guffy the molebabe was waving a table fork, which he deemed a very useful implement. "Ho, doan't ee fret about us'n's, zurr. We'm a-goin' up thurr to 'elp out, hurr aye!"

The big otter smiled. "Well, thankee, mates, but you

61

ain't allowed on the walltops until you've growed a bit. I'm afraid 'tis a bit dangerous for Dibbuns. Run off an' play, now, there's good liddle beasts."

Foremole Darbee and his crew were on the ramparts. Though not greatly fond of heights, the moles worked industriously. Tollum's squirrels would tie ropes to the chosen branches, throwing them across to the moles. Tugging hard on the ropes, the molecrew stopped the branches springing and bouncing. It was a lot easier to cut the wood once it was held steady. Whenever one was sawn or chopped through, Skipper would yell, "Ahoy, mates, heave 'er away!"

Some hefty limbs were hauled onto the walltops. They were dropped down to the Abbey lawns, where other Red-wallers would cut them into small lengths, either for Friar Soogum's firewood store or for Cellarmole Gurjee's workshop. Good timber was never wasted.

The Ravager group were crouching in the ditch by the west wall, when Daclaw held up a paw for silence. He listened intently.

"Where's all that noise comin' from?"

"Shall I go an' see, Chief?" Dinko volunteered.

Daclaw ignored him, pointing to a fat weasel. "Slopgut, you go. See wot it is an' report straight back."

Dinko did not like being left out. He was curious. "Wot d'ye think it is, Chief?"

Daclaw stamped on the young rat's tail. "We'll get t'know when Slopgut gits back. Why d'ye think I sent 'im, thick'ead? Now, shut yer trap!"

The work was going well on the east side. Stout branches of sycamore, beech, oak and hornbeam were being sawn into manageable sections by Sister Fumbril and a big hedgehog named Bartij, who besides being the Infirmary Sister's aide, was also Redwall's orchard gardener. To

62

gether they worked a double-pawed logsaw, keeping up a steady rhythm.

Brother Tollum called out to Skipper, "There goes the last branch, Skip, a nice piece o' spruce!"

Darbee Foremole waved to his crew. "Haul 'er in, moi beauties. Ee job bee's well dunn!"

Granvy clapped his paws cheerfully. "Aye, an' just in time, here comes lunch!"

Hogwife Drull and her kitchen helpers hove into view. They were wheeling two trolleys piled high with good things to eat. Abbess Marjoram was with them. Molebabe Guffy and his friend, a squirrel Dibbun called Tassy, took the Abbess by her paws.

"Yurr, marm, cumm an' see all ee wudd we'm chop-pered up furr ee--b'ain't that roight, Tassy?"

Marjoram chuckled. "Is that little Miss Tassy under all that sawdust and woodchips?"

The tiny squirrelmaid piped up, "I been very, very bizzy wivva natchet, chop chop!"

The Abbess dusted bark chips from Tassy's ears. "Then you should be ready for some mushroom and leek soup and vegetable pasties. Then we've got apple and black currant crumble with arrowroot sauce."

Everybeast surged forward at the mention of the treats to come. They were halted by Skipper's shout.

"Sit down where y'are, all of ye, or there'll be no lunch!"

He bowed gallantly to Drull and the Abbess. "Serve away, marms. Feed these savage beasts, if ye please!"

Guffy scowled darkly as he plumped down on the lawn. "Samwidge beast you'm self, zurr!"

Slopgut had watched the tree-lopping exercise. He scurried back and reported to Daclaw.

Furtively the group leader took his Ravagers around to the east wall--the wickergate was open. Bidding the rest to wait in the shrubbery, Daclaw and his mate, Raddi,

63

peeped carefully through the gateway. Raddi watched the Redwallers lunching. She could smell the soup and the other food. The ferret licked her lips.

"I don't blame young Globby wantin' vittles like that. Makes ye wish y'was a woodlander yerself, don't it?"

Daclaw glared at her. "Don't talk like that, mate. If'n Zwilt the Shade hears ye, it's sure death!"

Raddi pulled him back from the gateway suddenly.

"Wot did ye do that for?" Daclaw protested indignantly.

She clamped a paw around his mouth, whispering fiercely, "Didn't ye see? There's two young uns comin' this way. The others haven't noticed 'em. I think they're takin' their vittles out into the woods, mebbe to 'ave a picnic. Lissen, mate, we'll grab the pair of 'em, gag their mouths an' clear out of 'ere fast before they're missed. Are ye ready?"