Brian Jacques - Redwall #16 - Triss

Friar Gooch straightened his apron decisively. This calls for somethin’

special. You bide here an’ do your message solvin’. I’ll nip off t’the kitchens an’ make us a celebration mid-mornin’ snack!

Mokug and Skipper were at his side in a flash. We’ll come with ye, Friar!

Churk looked up from her charcoal stick and birch-bark writing materials.

Why don’t ye all go. Leave Crikulus with me, we’ll get more done with a bit o’ peace’n’quiet.

Malbun leaped from the third wallstep and performed a small hopskip, quite out of character for one of her seasons and dignity. She led them off, striking up an old Abbey song:

When the sun sinks in the west, Sweet the nightingales do call, There’s noplace I love best, Like the Abbey of Redwall... Redwall!

When the moon does beam in splendour,

See the dew upon the lawn,

Mirror-bright twinkling starlight,

Waiting for the golden dawn.

No foebeast will I fear,

Me and all my good friends here,

Who live within our gates in peace,

For we hold our freedom dear,

And we’ve earned the right to sing,

As long as our Abbey bells may ring ... Redwall!

So let others quake and weep

As a stormy night will fall,

While at ease our Dibbuns sleep,

Safe within our Redwall... Redwall!

It was actually closer to lunch than mid-morning when the party returned from the Abbey kitchens. Pushing a laden trolley, they sang the marching song once more as they returned across the lawn.

Skipper bounded up the steps confidently. Ahoy there, charmin’ niece, did ye solve it all?

Crikulus answered, Oh, we’ve translated the message right enough, but one puzzle always brings another in its wake.

Friar Gooch whipped the cover off the trolley. Will this help t’feed your brains, then?

Churk grinned from ear to ear. Ooh, thank ye, I’m sure it will. Hazelnut wafers, candied chestnut cake, fruit salad with meadowcream, redcurrant cordial an’ hot dandelion an’ mint tea. I can feel my brain clickin’

away at the sight of it. But come ‘n’ see wot we’ve done so far.

Between them, Churk and Crikulus had set it all out on the birchbark parchment, neat and clear:

ABCDEFGHIJKLM

Af

NOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Churk and Crikulus took their friends’ congratulations calmly, like true scholars. Ever practical, the ottermaid sat eating her lunch, but like all true scholars, her mind was still probing.

What’s it all supposed to mean? Tis a very strange rhyme/’

Mokug helped himself to some candied chestnut cake. That’s the way to Brockhall, miss, the secret entrance. Ye could get in by that way without the serpents knowin’.

Malbun shuddered. I wouldn’t go inside that place for anything, knowin’

those dreadful creatures could be lurking in wait for me. Ugh! All those poison fangs an’ evil eyes!

Crikulus agreed with her. Nor me, 1 don’t care what we can add to our archives by going down into Brockhall!

Pouring himself some mint tea, the Abbot observed, One thing is clear, friends. Nobeast will be going down there until the message in the poem is solved. Shall we get down to it? Let us look at the first line: ÔMidday sun shines bright for you.’ Can anybeast explain what that’s supposed to mean?

Skipper pursed his lips thoughtfully. Sounds t’me like the midday sun is shinin’ for wotever beast is searchin’. But midday sun shines on us all, not just the searcher. Huh, it beats me.

But it’s not beaten me. Malbun put aside the hazelnut wafer she was nibbling. I think it means that the search must take place at midday.

The line is telling us exactly what time to go searchingÑnot dawn, or eventide, but midday.

Placing his paw on the second line, the Abbot agreed. I believe you’re right, friend. Tell me, then, what about this: Twixt leaning ash and poison gold’?

Crikulus snorted. Ash doesn’t lean. To me the word ash means a heap of black and grey dust from a fire. Right?

Nay, sir, it prob’ly means some ole ash tree.

Churk turned to Mokug, who had made the remark. That’s good plain thinkin’. You lived a long time in the woodlands, mate, d’ye know of such a tree, a leanin’ ash?

The golden hamster shrugged. I don’t know the names o’ trees, sorry, miss. Some of’em got different-shaped leaves an’ rough or smooth bark.

Big’uns an’ liddle’uns, they’re all the same to Mokug, just trees.

Friar Gooch began loading empty platters onto his trolley. Sure enough,’tis all a riddle. I wouldn’t even know where to begin findin’

out what’poison gold’ means.

Churk volunteered a suggestion. It looks like we’re stuck for answers.

Why don’t ye all go about yore business an’ leave me to try an’ sort it out.

Skipper had something to add. Aye, that’s good advice. I’ll go an’ get Log a Log an’ some o’ those Guosim shrews. We’ll take young Rumbol, too. Mokug, yore comin’ with us, mate. We’ll take a walk north, up the path. Per’aps if’n we point out some trees an’ tell ye their names, y’might recognise wot an ash tree looks like. We’ll stick to the path, just in case those adders are prowlin’ the woods.

33

A small flotilla wound its way upstream: the stolen craft and four shrew logboats. Mimsy and her husband Gulif, who were the unofficial leaders of the shrew party, sat in the prow of the little ship with Triss and Sagax. Scarum, who had become the model of politeness and decorum because of the amounts of food their hosts were feeding him, wandered up, munching on a honey and almond turnover.

Jolly decent types, these chaps. I say, marm, 1 hope we aren’t puttin’

you out of your way by havin’ you lead us to Redwall.

Mimsy peered ahead through the sunny green light created by overhanging trees. Bless ye, no, we was plannin’ on goin’ to the Abbey in the next day or two. I’ve got a feelin’ we should meet up with our Chieftain, Log a Log Groo. Him an’ some Guosim were sailin’ the streams not far from Redwall. They’d be sure to call in an’ visit awhile.

Triss sat back, savouring the pleasant morning on the rippling water with tree foliage as a canopy. This is nice. I could go along like this forever.

Gulif sat down beside her. I knows the feelin’, miss, but the ford that crosses the north path’ll be a-comin’ up soon. Won’t be usin’ the boats no more, thenÑwe’ll stow’em away an’ walk south down the path to Redwall.

The squirrelmaid trailed her paw in the cool streamwa-ter. Pity, I was really getting to enjoy the waterway.

Mimsy spoke up helpfully. Well, p’raps we could tie up just before the ford an’ take lunch there, whilst we wait for the backscouts to catch up.

Scarum interrupted. Beg pardon, marm, but what are backscouts?

Gulif pointed downstream, I sent four of’em to check on those vermin ye said were trailin’ ye. It ain’t good sense to leave things to chance.

Mimsy’s right, we’ll moor up short o’ the ford an’ wait for’em. Don’t suppose they’ll’ave much to report, I took all the twists an’ turns to shake any followers off’n our wake,

It was mid-afternoon by the time they moored the vessels beside a mossy bank. Kroova and Shogg hauled them into a small inlet and hid them beneath shrubbery and boughs.

Sagax watched the Guosim cooks prepare a meal. Is there any way we can lend a paw, marm?

Mimsy gave him a long, studious look. Wot’s up? Ain’t our cookin’ good enough for ye?

Scarum drew the young badger to one side and lectured him. My good chap, keep y’self to y’self, wot. We don’t want to antagonise these good creatures. So mind your manners!

Sagax pulled a meaningful face at Kroova. Listen to the pot calling the kettle black!