Brian Jacques - Redwall #20 - Eulalia!

The two stoats, Dogleg and Patchy, parcelled the carcass of Codj up in a length of sailcloth. They bound it with the chain which Gorath had been locked to. Six crewbeasts bore the bundle to the rail, where they balanced it. Firty

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stepped forward at a nod from his captain, and dirged the eulogy he had hurriedly put together about Codj.

"Parcelled up in sail an' chain, we won't see young Codj again,

'e's goin' down where der fishes play, one shove'll send 'im on 'is way, while all 'is good ole shipmates wail, fer one pore fox widout a tail!"

Vizka gave the bundle its required shove, sending it overboard. The golden fox wiped water from his eye, which some of the crew mistook for a tear, but it was only caused by a splash as Codj hit the river. A shout came from the bank foliage.

"Ahoy, Cap'n, we found ye a tracker!"

Bilger and his mates scrambled aboard, dragging with them a creature who was not having the happiest of days. It was the watervole. Bilger sent him sprawling with a well-aimed kick. "Dis ole hairy mouse knows der way to dat Abbey place, Cap'n, an' 'e sez dat stripe'ound an' de 'edgepig robbed 'is brekkist jus' afore dawn."

The prisoner attempted to rise, but Vizka booted him flat again. "Wot's ya name, 'airy mouse?"

The watervole snapped abruptly, "I'm a vole!"

Vizka allowed him to stand upright. "Well, if'n ye wants ter stay alive, vole, ye'd best tell me where Redwall Abbey is."

The captive indicated with a sullen nod. "Upriver to the ford, an' south down the road, as far as I know."

Vizka tweaked his captive's snout until tears poured from the vole's eyes. "Yer a feisty ole crab, ain't ya? Well, let me tell ye, I'm der cap'n o' dis ship, so ye'd best show me some respeck, or yer'll be a dead 'airy mouse!"

Still tweaking his victim's snout, Vizka gave orders. "Weigh anchor an' get under way, we'll pole 'er upriver

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t'der ford. Dogleg, give dis 'un a paddle an' put 'im ta work. Fasten 'im on a lead, we don't want 'im slippin' away. Hah, we might need an 'airy mouse when we gits ter Redwall."

By midnoon of that hot, summer day, Bludgullet had progressed well. The vole stared at the entrance hole to his dwelling as they sailed past it. He silently cursed the bad fortune which had thrown him into the paws of Vizka Longtooth and his Sea Raiders. His reverie did not last long, though. A sharp tug on the tethering rope tied around his neck dragged him back to reality. Bilger was shouting at him.

"Keep movin', get dat paddle a-pushin', move yer wobbly ole bottom or I'll move it for ya!"

The watervole spat on his blistered paws, glaring at his taskmaster, as he punted deep with the long paddle.

Soft evening shades were draping over the land as Orkwil and Gorath waded across the River Moss, where it forded the path. Orkwil pointed south. "If we push on, I reckon we might get to the Abbey sometime after supper."

Gorath began plodding wearily down the path. "Do you think there'll be any supper left over?"

Orkwil matched his big friend's flagging pace. "There's always food to be had at Redwall, mate, anytime of the night or day, you'll see."

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12

It was fully dawn when the trio slowed their headlong dash through the woodlands. Luglug beckoned to a strata of sandstone ledges, dotted with bushes and shrubbery. He drew his rapier.

"That place looks like snake land t'me, go careful now. Serpents like these shaded places, with lots o' nooks an' crannies, an' ledges where they can sun themselves."

Maudie whispered to Asio as they crept forward, "Looks jolly silent an' sinister t'me. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the neighbourhood was crawlin' with flippin' snakes, bet there're adders, too, wot!"

The owl scoffed. "Snakes are nowt but snakes, lass. Adders, subtractors, they're all a load o' sneaky worms t'me. Ah've never been fond o' the slippery things."

Maudie froze, fixing her eye on a movement, about halfway up the ledges, by a slender rowan tree. "Luglug, I think I've found our snake. See it, up there, coiled around that rowan root. There's the babe, too!" They ducked behind an old spruce, peering out to get a better assessment of the situation.

Asio blinked. "How's the liddle tyke, my eyes ain't too good from this distance. Is the babby hurt, d'ye think?"

The shrew chieftain shaded his eyes, staring hard. "I

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think I saw him move. Aye, he moved again, see? So, baby Dupper ain't been bitten yet, or he'd be stiff as a board. That's an adder, though, I'm sure!"

Maudie kept her eyes on the ledge. "How d'you know, by the thing's markins?"

Log a Log Luglug wrinkled his snout. "Can't make out any markins, it's in the shade. I can smell it from here, though, that's an adder!"

The owl was skeptical of Luglug's judgement. "Nay, lad, all snakes smell the same, it could be a slow worm for all thou knows!"

However, Luglug was adamant. "That's an adder, I tell ye!"

Maudie treated them both to a severe wiggle of her ears. "Will you chaps stop squabblin' an' help me to figure out how we're goin' to rescue little wot'sisface. There's no way we can sneak up on that slimy rotter, he'd see us comin' from up there on the ledge. By the time we crossed the flat area and climbed those rocks, the blighter could've done away with the poor mite, an' scoffed him t'boot. So, let's stop bickerin' about snake smells, an' face up to the confounded problem!"

Luglug shook his head. "Pity we never brought a bow an' arrows along."

Maudie stamped her footpaw, but quietly. "Really! I'm lookin' for solutions, sah, not wishful blinkin' thinkin'! Asio, any ideas rollin' about in that feathered bonce of yours, wot?"

The owl blinked his huge, yellow eyes. "Aye, lass, ah'll back off a touch, then fly up high in t'sky, then zoom in an' give yon worm ecky thump, just like ah would wi' a lizard!" Before Maudie or Luglug could protest, or agree, Asio shuffled rapidly backward and was lost to view.

The shrew chieftain blew a sigh of frustration. "It's no good talkin' to that stubborn ole fool. Come on, miz, we'll start advancin' careful like, so we can give him some help, if'n he does wot he's goin' t'do!"

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Nipping quietly from tree to bush, the pair stole forward, with Maudie keeping an eye on the snake and its prey, as Luglug watched the sky for signs of the owl. They reached the base of the ledges. Maudie stared upward.

"This is goin' t'be the tricky part, old chap, wot. No sooner do we start scalin' these ledges than that villain will spot us, we'll stick out like toads on a thimble!"

Without warning, a tremendous din rang out from above: Asio's hooting and screeching, mingled with little Dupper's wails, and the vicious hissing of the snake.

Maudie began bounding up the ledges. "Come on, mate, Asio's arrived. Blood'n'vinegar! Eulaliaaaa!"

The sandstone was weathered, soft and rounded, with no real pawholds, but Maudie and Luglug scrabbled up it as if their lives depended on it. They arrived on the scene in the midst of the hubbub. The owl was gripping the reptile's body in his talons as they attacked one another, beak for fang, in a furor of coils and feathers. The shrew-babe was howling lustily, trying to crawl away from the conflict.

Maudie leapt in. Snatching the infant up, she hurried him out of harm's way. Luglug circled the fight with his rapier at the ready, trying to get a good thrust at the snake. It came a moment later, when the snake lunged, open-mouthed, for a strike at Asio. The shrew chieftain thrust the blade right down its throat, dodging to one side as its tail thrashed furiously. The owl held it tight in his talons until he was sure the snake was dead. Luglug retrieved his blade from the reptile's mouth, saluting the owl with it.

"Got the brute, just as it was goin' to strike ye!"