Brian Jacques - Redwall #20 - Eulalia!

Barbowla chuckled. "Haharr, 'tis only me liddle family an' some shrewmates I brought along, now don't stand up there chewin' soup all night, Rorc, let us in, will ye?"

Skipper adopted a mock serious expression. "Let ye in? Huh, ye'd eat us out o' house'n'home an' the cook'd resign if I let you lot at our vittles!"

Barbowla's wife, Kachooch, steped forward, paws akimbo. "When yore finished playin' games, ye great pud-den, I suggest ye might think of openin' this liddle door down here. We've got a platoon of tired, hungry babes an' prob'ly a horde o' Brownrats on our tails!"

Skipper suddenly became serious. "Quick, Orkwil, open up an' let 'em in! Benjo, run an' fetch the Abbot, tell Marja Dubbidge to sound the alarm bells, we may need defenders on these walls if'n it's Brownrats!"

Orkwil was almost knocked flat as he unbolted the south wicker gate, a gang of shrew and otterbabes thundered by him, all agog to see what Redwall Abbey was like. These were followed by the Guosim, and Barbowla's clan. He enquired of the last one in, the squirrel Rangval, "Is that the lot, sir, any more to come?"

The roguish creature slammed the door, and locked it. "Ah shure, there'll mayhaps be another three shortly, sir, a haremaid an' two more shrews. But I think we'd best keep the ould door bolted until they're sighted, in case the rats make it here first, y'unnerstand."

The Abbey's twin bells, Matthias and Methusaleh, rang

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out the alarm, disturbing the peaceful night. Within an amazingly short time, the walls were being manned by Redwallers, armed with the first things that came to paw. Rakes, spades, hoes, ladles, window poles and a variety of odd implements.

Abbot Daucas accosted a passing shrew. "Where's your Log a Log, Guosim?"

The shrew tugged his snout respectfully. "Luglug stayed be'ind, Father sir, the haremaid, too, they went lookin' fer a liddle 'un who got lost."

Daucas signalled to Friar Chondrus. "Take these guests to Cavern Hole, please. See to it that they get a full supper."

The shrew, who was Osbil, saluted the Abbot with his rapier. "Beggin' yore pardon, Father, but all Guosim who are fightin' fit will be stayin' on yore walltops, in case o' trouble."

The Father Abbot shook his paw warmly "The Guosim have always been our brave allies, thank you. Chondrus, just take the babes, old ones and mothers to supper. But have enough food prepared for everybeast defending the walls."

Abbot Daucas mounted the walltop, where he stood listening to the conversation between Skipper Rorc and his cousin Barbowla.

"I can't say for certain 'ow many Brownrats there are, Rorc, but there's a horde of the scum, an' Gruntan Kurdly's their leader."

"Kurdly eh, that 'un's been makin' a name for hisself round Mossflower fer a few seasons now. Well, let the rascals come, Redwall's ready for 'em, cousin."

Daucas interrupted. "I'm told there's still a haremaid, plus two more shrews to come yet, one of them is Log a Log Luglug. Keep an eye out for them, and be sure to get them safe inside quickly, if they're being pursued by Brownrats."

Skipper made way for a molecrew, who were trundling supplies of rocks, boulders and sling pebbles to the

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southern walltop. The otter chieftain thwacked his rudder against the battlements, shaking his head at the Abbot. "Stripe me colours, Father, it ain't enough that we may have a crew o' seafarin' vermin on our paws, but now we got Gruntan Kurdly an' his gang callin' to visit!"

Abbot Daucus produced a sling from his voluminous sleeve, and began selecting stones. "Ah well, Skip, it never rains but it pours, or so they say. Let them all come, friends to receive a warm welcome, and foes to get a red-hot reception, eh!"

In the woodlands, a good hour's march north of the Abbey, Vizka Longtooth located his crew, having espied the light from their campfires. The weasel Magger, his second in command, made a place for him by the largest fire. "Yew was right, Cap'n, dere's plenny o' vittles fer everybeast round 'ere. Birds, fish, eggs an' fruit. Glurma! Fetch d'Cap'n summ supper, will ye."

The greasy old ratcook presented Vizka with two hazel-wood skewers, laden with food, which she had been tending by her fire. "Been keepin' 'em special for ya, Cap'n, dat 'un's a woodpigeon, an' dis 'un's a bream!"

The golden fox tore into the roasted bird, spitting out fragments of feather as he gazed around. Bludgullet's crew seemed happy enough, those still not gorging themselves were dozing contentedly in the firelight. Vizka was pleasantly surprised, sea-raiding vermin were usually pretty hopeless at providing for themselves on land. He had expected them to be hungry, and sullen with unspoken complaints. He winked at Magger. "Pore ole Codj couldn't 'ave found vittles like dis, was it yore doin', mate?"

Magger showed his yellow, snaggled teeth in a modest grin. "Aye, Cap'n, me'n Glurma did it twixt us."

Glurma presented her captain with a beaker of liquid. "Drink up, 'tis only willowbark tea, but Magger sent Dogleg an' Patchy back to der Bludgullet, dey should be back by midday wid a keg o' grog for ya, Cap'n."

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Vizka nodded his approval. "Hah, t'ings is lookin' up, mates, ya did good!"

As he ate and drank, Magger moved close to Vizka, speaking in a secretive murmur, "So, wot's da plan fer dat Abbey place, Cap'n?"

The golden fox threw a fishbone into the fire. "I been thinkin', would dis lot be any good at diggin'?"

Magger snorted contemptuously. "Sea Raiders diggin'? Ya mus' be jestin', Vizka, my crew's alright at shipboard tasks, or killin', but I don't see 'em as diggers. Why, are ya plannin' on diggin' inta dat Abbey place?"

Alarm bells began ringing in the golden fox's head. Suddenly he was looking at the weasel Magger in a new light, and he did not like what he had just heard. Magger was calling him Vizka now, not Captain. Also, he had referred to Vizka Longtooth's vermin as his crew. Now Magger was setting himself up as a favourite with Vizka's creatures, providing warm fires, and good vittles, even a keg of grog from the ship. Vizka continued eating in silence.

Though he did not know it, Magger had overplayed his cards. One thing a Sea Raider captain had to be constantly aware of was any threat to his authority. Vizka put aside his supper, lying back he half-closed his eyes, murmuring gently, "I'll let ya know me plans in der mornin'."

Magger nodded and turned away. He did not see Vizka smile, that long, toothy, dangerous smile, which always meant death for somebeast.

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22

From their hiding place beneath the dead leaves in the curve of the dry ditchbed, Maudie saw four hulking Brownrats leaving the campfire. She covered little Yik's head, stopping him from bobbing up.

Alongside her, Luglug hissed urgently, "Y'see, I told ye the vermin heard us. Look, they're comin' over here, I'm sure we've been spotted, what are we goin' to do, mate?"

The haremaid instinctively knew their hideout would be discovered. Yik was wriggling to get out of her grasp, and the snake was moving, too. It had begun to come around, and was writhing feebly to rid itself of the halter, with which Maudie had bound its jaws shut. It was a time for rapid action. She swiftly imparted a scratch plan to the Guosim chieftain. "Got to get out of here jolly fast, old lad. Create some sort of diversion, then make a flippin' run for it, wot?"

The four Brownrats were already descending the far side of the ditch.

Luglug stared wide-eyed at Maudie. "Diversion, wot sort o' diversion?"

The haremaid hardly stopped to ponder the question. "We've got two things goin' for us, bucko, the advantage of

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surprise, an' this whoppin' great snake. Time for gossipin' is done, grab that confounded Yik an' follow me...."