The Lutra - Jacques, Brian - Redwall 09 - The Pearls Of Lutra

Forget-me-nots with petals blue,

Sweet Tansy, I'll pick you!"

Arven plucked a buttercup, and made Tansy bend so he could place it behind her ear. Then the little squirrel leapt onto her back and sang raucously the only part of the song he could remember: "Swee' Tansy I pick yoooooooou!"

The hedgehog maid could not stay gloomy in such company. She seized Arven and tickled him soundly. "You little maggot, roaring down my poor ear like that, you've deafened me!"

Arven shrieked with helpless laughter, trying to wriggle free of the tickling paws. "Yeeheehee, lemme go, heeheeheehee. Tansy not tickle me yeeheehee!"

Tansy continued tickling, pretending Arven really had deafened her. "Eh, what's that? Speak up, sir, I can't hear you?"

Trooping into Cavern Hole, they made themselves comfortable. Friar Higgle strode in behind them, swinging a ladle, his face a picture of mock severity.

"Somebeast needin' a pot o' watershrimp'notroot soup?" he said.

Glenner held up her paw hopefully. "Aye, me, sir, I was promised the soup by"

The good Friar cut her short. "Well, I don't know nothin' about any promises, streamdog!"

Higgle watched Glenner's face fall mournfully and smiled. A rap on the table from his ladle brought Teasel in. Pulling a serving trolley up to the table, she indicated the bubbling pot. "A little bird tol' us you might be needin' this."

The soup was so hot and spicy that only Glenner continued to refill her bowl; otters are known to be very partial to water-shrimp and hotroot soup. The rest were well contented to cool their mouths with strawberry cordial and do full justice to a plum and apple crumble, supplemented by a large platter of redcurrant tarts, which Teasel had baked for them.

Tansy brought the scallop shell case out and placed the third pearl in it, alongside the other two that had been found. Auma held the open shell up so that it caught the candlelight, and admired the three rosy orbs.

"The Tears of all Oceans," mused Rollo. "Beautiful, are they not? But without the other three, they are quite useless. If we are to bargain for our Abbot and Viola all six are needed. Though I would give ten times that amount to have our friends back here safe."

Auma closed the shell and fastened its clasp firmly. "Aye, what price treasures when Redwallers are in danger? I dread to think of Martin and our friends out somewhere risking their lives against evil beasts. I wish there was something we could do to help them."

Tansy placed the shell in its bag and fastened the bag to her apron strings. "That's what's making me feel so bad, Auma. There are no more clues to the other three pearls. It would help them if we could find even the tiniest hint to set us on the trail again."

Rollo settled himself wearily upon a wall-ledge. "I think it's time to stop talking and start thinking."

After the activity at the pond and the good food following, heads began to nod and eyelids started drooping in the warmth and quiet of Cavern Hole. First Rollo, followed by Auma and Glenner, then Tansy and the other two young maids Piknim and Craklyn. Little Arven would have drifted into sleep, but his head bumped the table as he leaned forward. Cramming tiny paws into his eyes he rubbed them until he was wide awake.

The two molebabes Diggum and Gurrbowl were snuggled down on a rush mat. Arven woke them and, smiling mischievously, he pushed and pulled the dozy pair up the stairs into Great Hall. Tweaking the molebabes' snouts none too gently, Arven roused them into full alertness. "Cummon!" he whispered fiercely. "Alla big 'uns sleepydozin', we got 'portant work!"

Gurrbowl blinked owlishly and sat on his fat little tail. "Nothin' be as apportant as sleepen to a growen choild!"

Diggum, who had entered heartily into the conspiracy, pulled Gurrbowl upright, wagging a small digging claw at him. "You'm nought but a gurt foozletop mole. Wot ee be wantin' us'ns t'do, zurr h'Arven?"

"We goin' a find the uvver free pearls f'Tansy!"

"Ho urr, gudd idea, whurr do ee think purrls be 'idden?"

"Gah! You a maggit, Gurrb'l, 'ow I knows where pearls be?"

"Burr, you'm doan't knoaw? Then whurr do us'ns start lukkin'?"

Arven thought about this for a moment, narrowing his eyes and whipping his bushy tail back and forth, then suddenly he brightened. "Uppa stairs, where nobeast find us, tha's where!"

Giggling and pulling at one another's tunics, the three Dibbuns clambered up the dormitory steps, pushing and shoving to be first to the top. It was a good game, and what if a search did turn out to be a game? It was all good fun to the three Abbeybabes.

Tansy turned over, pulling her cape around her. Through the foggy haze of sleep's corridor, she recognized the heroic figure looming towards her. It could be none other than Martin the Warrior of ancient times. His smile radiated tranquility; his voice was warm as a far-off bell on summer noontide.

"You are troubled, little one?"

The hedgehog maid sighed deeply in her sleep. “I must find the next clue if I am to continue my search for the pearls, but I don't know where to begin looking."

Martin's lips never appeared to move, though his voice echoed around Tansy's mind. "Find the three babes and you will know ..." The vision faded and Tansy slept peacefully on.

Craklyn was wakened by an odd sound.

"Shhlpp, shhlpp, shhlpp!"

The funny noise continued with monotonous regularity. Craklyn opened her eyes and sat up slowly.

Glenner withdrew her head from the soup pot, licking her whiskers and chin. "Nought like 'otroot soup, matey, tastes just as good cold as it does warm. I'd eat it any time, night or day!"

Gradually the rest of the company awoke. Auma stretched mightily. "Oooooh! What time is it? A fine bunch we are, lying about napping like a pile of Dibbuns!"

The word set a train of thought going in Tansy's mind. "Dibbuns! Where are Diggum, Gurrbowl and Arven?"

She jumped up and began searching Cavern Hole.

Glenner licked the last soup drops from her chin as she watched Tansy. "What's the panic? Dibbuns can't leave the Abbey, they're prob'ly playin' somewheres close by."

The hedgehog maid checked under the table. "I saw Martin the Ancient Warn or in my dreams. He told me to look for the three babes and I would know!"

Auma peered into an empty barrel standing in a corner. "What would you know?" she said.

Tansy strode resolutely for the steps leading to Great Hall. "Where the clue to the next pearl is, of course. Come on, we've got to find those Dibbuns!"

Chapter 24

Rasconza called the two searats Baltur and Gancho to his ship, and the three of them leaned over the stern rail, speaking in low murmurs. The fox looked across the sunlit harbor, up to the palace of Ublaz. He knew the mad-eyed Emperor was probably having them watched.

Rasconza kept his face straight and his voice level. "I don't like it, mates. Ublaz gave in too easy, that's not like 'im. I tell yer, that'n's a dangerous beast."

Baltur glanced sideways at Rasconza. "So, what're yer goin' t'do about it?"

"Well, I ain't 'angin' about in this 'arbor waitin' fer Ublaz t'make 'is move, so 'ere's me plan. I says we sail away from Sampetra tonight on the floodtide, an' once we're shut o' this place we don't come back!"

Gancho drummed a paw nervously on the rail. "But Ublaz will see us if'n we all pulls anchor an' sails at once. It's too risky, 'e'll 'ave laid plans t'stop us!"

The fox shrugged. "That's a chance we'll 'ave t'take, mates. The best bet is to let the crews know secretly, pass the word about quietlike. I'm appointin' both of you cap'ns, you'll get yer own ships. We'll wait until dark, then at my signalslip off, ship by ship. Are yer with me, mates?''

The two searats nodded, fired by their sudden promotions to captaincy. Baltur spoke for them both. "We're with yer, Rasconza, give us our orders!"