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

The front ranks of Wave Brethren attempting to scale the walls were met by vicious thrusts from the Monitors' lances. Sitting on the woodpile, Ublaz nursed his paw, staunching the blood with his cloak hem. He beckoned the largest Monitor over.

“ Zurgat, you must keep them at bay. If they breach the wall you and your Monitors are deadbeasts."

The big lizard slithered her tongue in and out, nodding. "Yarr, Lord. Zearatz and corzairs have no pity on Monitorz. They will not enter here while we guard theze wallz."

Ublaz patted her scaly hide as he lied encouragingly. "We willdefeat them. Lask Frildur is due back within the next day or so, with his Monitors and a full vermin crew that I can bring under my will. We'll soon chase that rabble into the sea."

By nightfall the Wave Brethren had retreated from the walls and set up camps a short distance away, Rasconza's plan being to lay siege to the palace. Searats and corsairs, sharing a healthy fear of the great flesh-eating lizards, were only too willing to go along with the fox's scheme. Better to harass and starve Ublaz and his Monitors out than face them head-on in battle.

Inside the palace, Ublaz stood at his throne room window, staring out to sea as he tried to gather his thoughts. At least the wavescum had only one seaworthy ship; the rest were without rudders and tillers, and two were without proper masts. He did not have to worry about an attack from the sea, as long as he could hold on to the timber needed for repairs. Below him the jetty lay deserted; it presented no problem at present.

Suddenly, the Emperor's keen eyes picked up a dark object to the east. He watched it getting closer, realization dawning on him. Waveworm!It was Lask Frildur and the Monitors, with Romsca and her crew, bringing back the Abbot of Redwall as hostage. Unknowingly Ublaz had been telling the truth to Zurgat when he had spoken to her earlier.

His mad eyes lit up as he formulated a plan. Wavewormwould soon be at the jetty. He would go and meet the ship, and once he had Lask, Romsca, and the rest back inside his palace, he could defeat Rasconza's rabble.

Gritting his teeth, Ublaz stared at the approaching vessel. He had fought against odds before and won. The pine marten convinced himself that his present troubles were due to the treachery and stupidity of others. This time he alone would control events. He, Ruler of all Oceans and Lord of Sampetra, the Emperor Ublaz! If he trusted only himself and no otherbeast, victory over his enemies was a certainty!

Abbot Durral was sick and exhausted. He had spent long days clearing the ship of dead lizard and vermin carcasses, consigning each one to the depths of the sea in silence. Weakened by lack of food, ill with loneliness and despair, the old mouse crouched in a darkened cabin. Shivering and semiconscious, the lone passenger aboard a vessel taking him he knew not where, he did not even feel the keel grinding onto seawashed sand and gravel as Wavewormran unchecked, missing the jetty and nosing to a halt on the shores of Sampetra.

Swathed in a dark silken cloak, Ublaz slid out of the main gates like a furtive cloud shadow, stealing by deserted taverns across the waterfront. He could not understand why Wavewormhad not berthed properly alongside the jetty. It lay in the shallows, with neither anchor nor picket line to hold it. Ublaz waded out, hoping to catch the crew asleep at their posts.

The first thing Ublaz noticed as he climbed aboard Wavewormwas the total absence of noise, not even the snoring of crew-beasts. Making his way to the for'ard cabins he found one with the door hanging crazily by a hinge, its center panel shattered and bloodstained. It was empty. Dashing through the accommodations the pine marten flung open doors, staring around in disbelief. Empty, all empty!

Making his way aft the first thing he noticed was the tiller, lashed in position. Then he saw the dark stains on rail and deck planking, which told their own grim tale. Death had visited the Waveworm.

In a stern cabin he found a fire brazier and, stretching his paws inside, Ublaz felt a slight warmth. Within the last day or so, somebeast had managed to get a small fire going there. He checked a pan nearby, wrinkling his nose at the cold, rancid water.

Then a thin, cracked voice called from the shadow of a bunk. "We'll need more blackberries if we're to make a pie that big, Friar Higgle. Where's Teasel? She'll know where to get some..."

Stealing silently across to the bunk, Ublaz lifted aside the tattered blanket. The Emperor of Sampetra found himselt looking at the prone, shivering figure of Redwall's Father Abbot.

Chapter 45

The logboat that had once been part of the craft Freebeastwas in as good a shape as skilled paws could make it. Provisioned fully by the good otters of Ruddaring Island, it was ready to face the seas again. Martin and his crew once more lay flat, pulling themselves on the thick hawser through the fantastic grotto-like tunnel with its shell-crusted ceiling and luminous blue light. When the vital wave arrived, they gave a final heave. Hot sunlit daylight streamed in from outside as the tunnel mouth yawned wide. Like a cork, the logboat bobbed out onto the open main. Wallyum Rudderwake, his sturdy son Inbar and several other otters had followed, and now they hung lightly on the boat's sides.

The otter leader had a wooden whistle slung about his neck. He shook seawater from it and blew the whistle several times.

"What'n the name o' goodness is he blowin' that thing for?" Clecky whispered to Martin. "I can't hear a bally sound from it, chap's got a broken whistle I'd say, wot?"

"Maybe you can't hear the whistle, but the sealfolk can," Martin explained to the bemused hare. "Wallyum told me they would stay in these waters roundabout until he had spoken with them about us."

Clecky chose a large ripe peach from the supplies. Juice dribbled down his chin as he chomped into it. "Funny business if y'ask me, old scout. Tunnels through mountains, whistles y'can't hear an' whatnot..."

Grath nudged him sharply. “Well we never asked you, so be quiet and wait!"

Wallyum sounded the whistle again. This time a dark rounded head broke the waves a short distance south. The seal barked once, dived and was gone. The friends sat in the logboat waiting, the otters occasionally swimming away to circle round slowly.

It was over an hour before anything happened. Suddenly, the waters around the logboat broke with a great whoosh,and seal-folk appeared everywhere, smacking their flippers and rolling about between the waves. Hawm, the massive king bull seal, broke the surface directly in front of the otter leader.

"Feryooday, Waaaaaaaaylumm!"

The Chieftain of Holt Rudderwake clapped his paws together. “Manyahooday, Haaaaaaaaaaaaawm!''

"My father is saying that he hopes the king lives long," Inbar murmured to Grath.

Then Hawm and Wallyum went into a long animated discussion. Martin watched them carefully, though he understood almost nothing of what they were saying. However, now and again he heard his own name mentioned as Ma'tan and he figured that the word "Sarmpat" meant Sampetra. The logboat crew sat patiently until the discussion was over, then Wallyum held out a paw to his son.

"Help me aboard the boat, I would speak with our friend Martin." Inbar vaulted aboard the logboat and with Grath's help lifted the old otter clear of the water and swung him aboard.

The mouse warrior listened intently as Wallyum counseled him. "Hawm says that he knows the isle of Sampetra. It is southwest of here. Nobeast reads the ocean, its tides and currents, like the king of the sealfolk; he will get you there with all speed. But he says that it is a place of great danger and he will not risk the lives of his tribe by staying there long. Once at that island you will be alone with your crew; be on your guard at all times because it is a place of great evil. Tread carefully and may fates and fortunes aid you and your five companions, Martin of Redwall."