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

Tansy threw up her paws in despair. "I've searched the Abbey three times, so have Piknim and Craklyn and lots of others. Trouble is, there's so many places three Dibbuns could hide. Ooh, that Arven, if I get my paws on him ..."

Wullger gave a dry chuckle. "Aye, that'n's the ringleader all right. No use gettin' yerself upset, missie, they'll show up soon as they're 'ungry enough. It's my guess they found somewheres snug an' fell asleep, all three of 'em, the rogues!"

Auma nodded her agreement with the gatekeeper. "Wullger's right. Tansy. They're obviously someplace in the Abbey. After they've had a night's sleep, they'll turn up tomorrow for breakfast, you'll see."

A look of horror registered on Tansy's face. "Mother Auma, you're not going to bed, are you?"

The badger shook her head vehemently. "What? Me going to bed while three of my little Dibbuns are missing? I should say not, missie! I haven't had a full night's sleep since Abbot Durral and Viola left. I'll sit on some sacks in the kitchens, dozing with one eye open, mayhap they'll creep in for a stolen snack. I'll be waiting for those villains if they do and I'll make them sorry for the upset they've caused around here, believe me I will!"

Wandering indoors, Tansy made her way to Great Hall. As she passed the tapestry of the ancient warrior, she remembered the dream she'd had when Martin told her that the fourth .clue was where the three babes were hidden. She shook her head worriedly. She was so anxious about the missing Dibbuns that she'd almost forgotten about the pearls. Piknim and Craklyn were still searching fruitlessly around the big room's darker corners.

Rollo was half dozing in the Abbot's chair. He sat up straight as Tansy entered, and asked, "Still no sign of the rogues, eh?"

The hedgehog maid perched wearily on the arm of the chair. "No. I've just searched around the pond again. What are we going to do, Rollo?"

The old Recorder's eyes twinkled slightly. "The only thing we can do, Tansy. Stop thinking like responsible creatures and start thinking like naughty Dibbuns. Imagine you were Arven, Diggum or Gurrbowl, where would you hide if you didn't want anybeast to find you?"

Piknim and Craklyn strolled over to join the conversation.

"Down the cellars maybe?"

"No, little ones would be afraid down there in the dark."

"What about up in the dormitories?"

"But that's the first place we looked, they weren't there."

A sudden thought struck Tansy. "I know we've already looked once in the attics above the dormitories, but perhaps we should take another trip up there. Hardly anybeast has been in the attics since Fermald passed away."

Arven sat miserably with the two molebabes inside a cupboard in Fermald's attic. A lantern light glowed in the enclosed space. Gurrbowl yawned, fighting against sleep.

"Oi wants t'go daown, oi'm gurtly 'ungered an' toired, hurr!"

Arven had found Fermald's old fishing rod in the cupboard, and now he waggled it in the mole's direction. "No no, can't go down, Gurrb'l, not now. Lookit us'ns, we all filfy an' dusty. Wait'll inna mornen, an' I catch tha' bigga fish out the pond an' we cook 'im an' eat 'im all up!"

Diggum inspected her dusty smock sadly. "Bo urr, lackaday, ee badgermum'll 'ave summat t'say when 'er sees oi!"

Arven stuck out his stomach and pulled his little chin in as he did his impression of Auma. "Jus' looka you, straight inna baff, you mucky maggits, great seasings! Where you 'ave been? Straight inna bed an' no suppers, tha' teaches you naughty Dibbins t'be more good inna foocher!"

The molebabes laughed at the tiny squirrel's antics. Then Gurrbowl did his imitation of Sister Cicely. "You'm never knowed wurr you'm been, oi give ee gurt bowls o' warm nettil zoop, that'll make ee be'ave thoiselfs!"

Diggum held one paw to her stomach and the other to her mouth. "Bwuuuurk! Tumble stuff ee warm nettil zoop be. Gruuurgh!"

Arven waved the fishing rod. "When 1 big me gonna make Siss Cicely 'ave nettil soop ev'ry day for 'er lunch. Hah! Tha' soon make 'er be sicked!"

The three Abbeybabes' conversation tailed off, and they huddled together in the enclosed cupboard space. Soon their eyelids began drooping as sleep overtook them.

Lanterns glowed flickering and golden as Tansy and her two friends ascended the gloomy spiral staircase up to the attics. It was so hushed and still that they found themselves tip-pawing, speaking to one another in subdued whispers. Piknim stood in a pale moonshaft that shone down through the rock crystal window and gazed around into the dusty darkness. "I'm not so sure the Dibbuns'd come up here, Tansy," she said. "It's almost as spooky as the cellars at night."

The hedgehog maid began casting about with her lantern, peering into corners and recesses. "Maybe you're right, but it's still worth one last good look. Dearie me, imagine living and sleeping up here all alone. How Fermald did that for all those seasons I'll never know."

Craklyn emerged from a small side chamber off the main room. Holding a paw to her mouth for silence she beckoned them to her. A knowing smile lit up the squirrelmaid's face as she whispered, "There's a big old wall cupboard in there. Follow me quietly now, I want you to have a listen and tell me what you hear!"

Tansy put her ear to the cupboard door, and exchanging knowing glances with her companions, she listened. "Sounds like three Dibbuns snoring to me," she said.

The door creaked as Piknim opened it to reveal the three culprits: grimy, dust-covered and deep in sleep, whiskers twitching gently to each squeaky snore. Without further words Tansy and her two helpers picked the Abbeybabes up and carried them down to the sick bay.

Sister Cicely, clad in long nightcap and gown, pursed her lips severely at the sight.

"Bring them in and put them together in my bed. We'll deal with the villains in the morning!"

Two hours after dawn on the first morning of summer season it was already warm. Above the eastern horizon, a new gold sun began climbing to preside over a cloudless vault of powder-blue sky. Columns of steamy mist rose from the dense woodlands, rising to the upper air, accompanied by happy trills of sweet birdsong. Out on the flatlands kingcup and daisy opened delicate petals with silent grace, the first dry rustle of grasshoppers sounded around gorse and furze. It was a good day for anybeast to be alive. Well, almost anybeast.

Clean-smocked, red-eyed and still smelling of verbena soap, Arven, Diggum and Gurrbowl sat penitently on an upturned wheelbarrow in the orchard, their breakfast forgone after several bowls of Cicely's favorite cure-all, warm nettle soup. A sorrier trio of Dibbuns had not graced the Abbey in many a long day. Thoroughly chastened, they sat dangling their footpaws as Auma the badger Mother lectured them soundly, in front of an audience of old and young.

"You could have been suffocated in a closed cupboard with a lantern alight in there, d'you realize that? Everybeast in Redwall was searching for you from twilight until well after dark. But did you think of letting us know before you went off alone? ... No! The trouble, worry and upset you have caused to all is dreadful, it was very naughty of you! Arven, I'm certain you were the ringleader. Have you anything to say for yourself, sir?"

The tiny squirrel pawed soap and water from his ear. "Wot's succafated?''

Diggum shook her head at the squirrel's ignorance. "The wurd be fusticated!"

Gurrbowl interrupted her. "Naw et bain't, ee wurd is custi-fated!"

Friar Higgle Stump waved his ladle at them threateningly. "Suffocated, the word is, suffocated! An' it means that you liddle rogues would've died in yon cupboard 'ad it not been for miss Tansy aner friends findin' you!"

Auma nodded her great head, agreeing with the Friar. "Exactly, you're very lucky to be alive. Missus Teasel, will you take these three creatures off to the kitchens and find them some chores to keep them busy for the day?''