Brian Jacques - Redwall #21 - Doomwyte

They had just emerged from the main door of the Abbey when they heard the big west wallgate slam shut as Corksnout Spikkle came bounding across the lawns, roaring and shouting. “Wahoooow! Get Brother Torilis! Ooooooh, hurry, quick! I’ve just been bitten by a monster serpent! Yawooooh!” The big Cellarhog was totally hysterical; his false nose had moved around on its cord, and was dangling from the back of his head. He was stampeding hither and thither, heedless of any fixed direction.

In his panic, Corksnout thundered over Torilis, not even noticing who he was. “Owowowoooh! The big snake bit me! Oooooh, it hurts! Wahaaah, I’m poisoned t’death!”

Skipper called to Bosie, “Quick, we’ve got to stop him afore he injures himself or any other beast. Get him, mate!”

Halting a large hedgehog of Corksnout’s size was no easy task. However, it was the swift action of the hare and otter which accomplished it.

In a swirl of kilt, tunic and lace ruffs, Bosie threw himself flat in the charging beast’s path, tripping Corksnout. The huge Cellarhog went headlong, scoring a path through grass and herbaceous border. Skipper fell upon the unfortunate, landing upon the big fellow’s head. Corksnout was blowing out mouthfuls of grass, buttercups and daisies as he wailed aloud, “Gerroff me, can’t ye see I’m dyin’? Ouchouch! The sting’n’the pain! Yaaaaaargh!”

Regardless of the bristling spikes, Skipper held on to the runaway bravely. He was joined by Bosie, Dwink, Umfry and Samolus, whilst Aluco hopped around them, hooting alarmingly. Brother Torilis sat down beside Corksnout’s head, speaking calmly.

“Please stop all this howling and yowling, Mister Spikkle. If you’ve been really bitten by a poison snake, then the best thing to do is lie quite still. Dashing about will only make the venom circulate through your body quicker. So be a goodbeast and tell me how you were bitten, and where. Only then can I attend to you, sir!”

Through despairing sobs, the hedgehog managed some self-control as he explained, “I was just droppin’ the slain bird into the ditch, outside the gate. Well, I managed to get him across the path, an’ into the ditch, then I was turnin’ away to come back inside, when bang ! I was struck right on the rear, I was hit so bloomin’ hard that I was shot forward, right through the gateway. The pain was like redhot needles, I’ve never felt ought like it, Brother. I turned around an’ guess wot I saw!”

Bosie shouted, “Tell us, laddie, tell us!”

Corksnout shut his eyes tight, as if trying to blot out the memory of the dreadful sight. “It was a great monster serpent, with ’orrible milky blue eyes, an’ the dead raven hangin’ from its mouth. I slammed the gate fast as I could!”

Brother Torilis nodded sagely, moving down to inspect his patient’s rear end, which had a bald patch, devoid of spikes. He took a closer look, patting the area lightly.

Corksnout cried out piteously, “Eeyowch! That hurts somethin’ fierce. Brother, I beg ye, let a pore ole beast die peaceable, I’ve been through enough torture, let me alone, please!”

Brother Torilis heaved a relieved sigh, then gave his diagnosis promptly. “Mister Spikkle, if, as you say, you had been bitten by a poisonous snake—an adder, in fact—of the size you describe, then you’d already be dead.”

Umfry scratched his head quills. “Then why h’aint ’e, Brother?”

Torilis explained, “One, the snake could not have bitten him if its mouth was full of dead bird. Two, there are no bite wounds to be seen on our worthy Cellarhog. What occurred was that he was butted, with some considerable force. The strike was so powerful that it drove some bottom spikes inward. So, sir, it seems that I’ll have to pull your spikes back out, before they fester in there.”

Tears beaded in Corksnout’s eyes, he wept with gratitude. “Seasons praise on ye, Brother. Oh, I’m goin’ to live. Thank ye, thank ye!”

Torilis smiled, a rare occurrence for Redwall’s Healer and Herbalist. “Don’t thank me, Mister Spikkle, thank the fact that you have a bottom covered in spikes. Skipper Rorgus, Laird Bosie, would you kindly assist him up to the Infirmary, where I can work on him. I’d best take a look at you two also, you’re both going to need some spikes drawn out of you.”

The otter and the hare suddenly became aware that their paws and faces had Corksnout’s spikes protruding from them, which they had not noticed in the heat of the moment. Gingerly, they helped the Cellarhog upright.

Sister Violet praised them glowingly. “Oh, you were so brave and reckless, both of you. Is there anything you need?”

Bosie called over his shoulder, as they lugged Corksnout away, “Aye, marm, Ah’d be grateful if’n ye could fetch me a wee plate o’ somethin’ from the feast, an’ a dram tae wet mah spikey lips!”

Skipper added, “Make that two, Sister, if y’please!”

Samolus enlisted the help of Dwink and Umfry. “Come with me, you two, let’s go up to the west parapet. Best take a peep an’ see if’n we can spot that giant serpent.”

From the threshold of the walltop, above the main gate, they searched the path, the ditch and the flatlands below. There was no sign of either Baliss or the slain Raven Wyte. Abbot Glisam, having heard the reports from Aluco and Sister Violet, joined them. The old dormouse shuddered.

“Forgive me, friends, but snakes, especially adders, are the one creature I cannot abide. Just the name, snake, sends a trembling down my spine.”

Samolus took the Father Abbot’s paw. “Well, there ain’t sign nor scale o’ the villain now, so d’ye wish t’stand here shudderin’, Father Abbot, or go back t’the Dibbuns’ feast?”

Glisam took his friend’s paw. “Let’s go to the feast.”

Lost to view from the Abbey, around a bend further up the ditch, Baliss was trying to consume the dead raven, in some considerable discomfort. The whole of the giant reptile’s head was throbbing with pain. This was due to the spikes of Corksnout Spikkle, of which quite a number were embedded in the snake, owing to the ferocity and force of his strike on the Cellarhog. Baliss had no way of extracting the spikes. Several times the reptile left off his macabre meal, shaking his head violently, and butting at the ditchshide. This only caused the injury to worsen. Hissing savagely, he resumed eating the raven carcass.

Had Baliss not been blind the injury could have been averted, but the scents of raven and hedgehog combined to confuse the snake temporarily, causing what might have been termed self-inflicted wounds. Thus it was that fate had turned the cold, calculating hunter into a rapidly maddening monster, his whole snout and head pierced deep by the spikes of a simple hedgehog.

17

Anybeast could tell, by the scent of the woodlands, ceaseless birdsong and the burgeoning of fruit, berry and flower, Summer had at last arrived, casting its stillwarm spell over Mossflower Country in placid eventide. Bisky and Dubble were exhausted by the time they arrived back at the five-topped oak. With boulders still hobbling them, burdened by the sacks of produce they had gathered, both awaited their captors’ whim.

Tala, mate of Chigid, and mother of Jeg, threw down a rope sling from the upper boughs. “Lazybeasts, don’t stan’ there, load up vikkles!”

Under the watchful eyes of the Painted Ones, the prisoners loaded the slings with the fruits of their foraging. They stood clear as the sacks were hauled up.

Jeg beckoned the guards to remove the hobbles from Bisky and Dubble, leaving them still anchored to each other by the rope halter around their necks. The young Painted One menaced them with his whippy switch.