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

Martin bowed, clapping his paws gently at the seal king. "Gittarra, Haaaaaaawm! Manyahooday!"

Blinking his dark round eyes, the seal king snuffled gently. "Manyahooday, Haaaaaaaaawm Ma'tan!"

There was a quick flurry of water and the sealfolk disappeared into the night-darkened seas.

Standing on the hilltop overlooking the cove, Martin issued instructions to his crew.

"There's still a few hours left until dawn; we'd better take a look around. I think we've landed on the east side of this island, so we'll meet back here at noon. Inbar, Grath, you take Viola with you, travel northwest and see what you can find. Clecky, Plogg, Welko, come with me, we'll travel southwest. I've no need to tell you all to be careful, travel silent and stay low. Make your way back here by following the coastline. That way we'll have covered most of the island between us. Any questions?"

"Ahem, er, what time's food at, old scout?"

Martin shook his head in bewilderment at the irrepressible hare. “Clecky, stop thinking of how to keep your stomach full and give a little thought to keeping your skin in one piece."

The hare saluted smartly, dipping both ears. "Forget jolly old turn, keep skin in one piece. Gotcha, sah!"

They split off into two groups and set off across the island.

Ublaz Mad Eyes was worried. His hopes of getting reinforcements on Waveworm's return were dashed. All his force consisted of now was less than threescore Monitors, since random sniping from the Wave Brethren had accounted for several lizards who had been slain by arrows and spears. The time for talking was gonethere would be no further communication with Rasconza, no more double-dealing. It was war to the finish, and now Ublaz was under siege, a virtual prisoner in his own palace.

Ublaz strode across his throne room to the corner where he had chained the Abbot and watched him. Durral tugged feebly at the manacled chain that hung from a ring in the wall. He was lying on a bed of rushes, a bowl of water and a piece of dried fish nearby. Still delirious, the old mouse rambled on, half conscious and unaware of both his surroundings and the pine marten who stood over him.

"Wullger, will you help me and Brother Dormal? All this fruit has to be gathered in before winter, and it's frosty already, I can feel the cold. Let go of my footpaw, little one, we must harvest all that good fruit from our orchard before it perishes." He continued tugging at the chain that held his footpaw.

Ublaz turned callously away, and went to lean on the window sill.

"Less than threescore lizards and a crazy old mouse," he muttered to himself, "one ship and not a searat under my command. Oh, Rasconza, fox, give me time to think and I will dance upon your grave!"

Striding regally over to a burnished metal mirror plate set in the wall, Ublaz stared at his reflection. The strange eyes narrowed and widened alternately as his voice rose shrilly.

"I am Lord of the Oceans, Emperor of Sampetra, I, Ublaz! If I had the Tears of all Oceans now, they would be set in my crown, all six of them, wondrous rose-colored pearls! I would don my green silk mantle, or maybe the black one with gold trim. Then I would walk out among those tavern rats, those wavescum! I would stare at them, snare them with my gaze! Then they would bow to me, salute me, because they would know who I am. Ublaz!"

The Emperor's current Monitor General, Zurgat, entered the throne room.

"Mightinezz, they are gathering for another attack on the wallz. Do we uze the balez of fire to throw down on them?"

Ublaz paced up and down in front of the impassive lizard. "Attacking again, eh? No, don't use the fire bales yet. Throw stones down on them, and tell your Monitors to use their long spears."

Zurgat flickered her long dark tongue in and out, her eyes straying to the shackled Abbot. "We cannot hold them off for ever with zpearz and ztonez, Lord. There are too many of them."

Ublaz grabbed the Abbot's water bowl and flung it at Zurgat. "You'll hold them off as long as I say you will!" he shouted, his voice hoarse with rage. "Insolent reptile, without my palace walls to keep you and your lizards safe you would all be fishbait by now. Get out. Out!"

Camped in the foothills at the edge of the sunny plain, Rasconza was completely at ease. A sail canvas afforded him shade, fruit abounded on the island, and fish, like the birds of the air, were plentiful. He sat with his captains, watching the latest assault on the palace rear walls.

Deddgutt the ferret captain dipped his breaker in a cask of seaweed grog, which had been plundered from the deserted taverns lining the harbor. He filled a second beaker for Rasconza. "Wet yer whistle with that, matey, 'tis goin' t'be a long 'ot day."

Sipping the grog, Rasconza winked roguishly at his captains. "Well, we got all the time we like, ain't we, mates?"

Buckla flung away a half-eaten fish, chuckling wickedly. "Aye, an' we don't 'ave nowheres special t'go, do we? Haharrharr!"

Groojaw the stoat captain pointed a rusty cutlass at the high walls in front of them. "Noplace 'ceptin' the palace. Wouldn't ye think ole Mad Eyes'd come out an' welcome us? 'Tain't good manners to h'ignore the guests when ye've got company. Hohoho!"

Laughing heartily, the Wave Brethren commanders watched their fighters harassing the hard-pushed Monitors. Searats and corsairs would strike suddenly, raining arrows, spears and sling-stones on the lizards. When the Monitors grouped at that point to retaliate, the wavescum would drop back, regroup and attack in a different place. Relying only on their long spears and rock rubble to tip down on the foebeast, the great lizards were hard pressed.

Guja the steersrat and a score of others stayed in the middle distance, well out of rock and spear range, and constantly sniped with arrows at the frustrated Monitors. The traitor Sagitar and her Trident-rats kept watch from the low hills to the south side of the walls. They scouted the palace from a vantage point, reporting any undue movement or fresh tactic back to the captains.

Rasconza was a good and wily leader; his strategy was working well. Idly he turned to Deddgutt. "They've 'ad enough fer now, mate," he said, indicating the group who were attacking the wall. "Call 'em off. I'll send another gang at 'em tonight, that'll keep those lizards up on their paws an' stop 'em gettin' any sleep. Once we've taken that back wall they'll retreat inside the palace. That's when the battle will get fierce an' bloody, but they'll be well worn down by then."

Deddgutt saluted and trotted off to carry out the instruction.

Baltur and Gancho drew close to Rasconza's side. "Can we 'ave first crack at the timber piled be'ind the wall, Cap'n? That wood is worth its weight in gold!"

The fox threw his paws about their shoulders. "Harr, don't you fret, messmates, there'll be timber enough fer everybeast. Sagitar sez there's enough wood piled back o' that wall to build three ships."

Baltur's eyes shone longingly. "Never mind buildin' three ships, we'll 'ave enough timber to repair our own vessels, then we'll be a proper fleet agin. Corsairs an' searats, with their own island an' their own fleet!"

Rasconza laughed, hugging both beasts tight. "Haharrharr! I tole yer t'stick with me, mates .. . Ahoy, wot's that? Who's messin' about back there?"

Clecky had stolen up on the camp from behind. Lying on the slope of a sandy dune, he had heard all that went on between the fox and his captains. But the loose sand had shifted, and unable to stop himself, the hare had rolled down the slope and landed against the back of the canvas awning with a bump.

Hearing Rasconza calling, Clecky decided it was not a good place to be. Thinking quickly, the long-legged hare lashed out several times with his strong footpaws, knocking the canvas sunshade down on top of the corsairs. Then he scrambled upright, dug in his paws and took off east, with shouts ringing in his ears as Rasconza and his captains threw aside the fallen awning.