The Bellmaker - Jacques, Brian - Redwall 07 - The Bellmaker

Wiping her mouth on a kerchief, Hon Rosie muttered, “Thats about all the blinkin stuff is any good for!

The ship was well stocked and in excellent repair. Joseph discovered a good cache of cutlasses, knives, spears, and archery equipment in her arms locker. A hot meal of biscuits and shrimp soup was dished out to the crew; they relieved each other in turns so they could all eat. Finnbarr Sat under a stern awning with Joseph and Log-a-Log. The shrew was curious to know what course they were taking. Finnbarr licked a paw and tested the wind saying, “Were runnin southwest as I ordered, mate.

Joseph watched the first streaks of dawn over to the cast. “Southwest? I thought we were supposed to be “heading south. The sea otter drank soup from the bowl, smacking his lips. “So we will, Bellmaker. Take my affydavit for it, mate, well be runnin due south the moment we strike Roaringburn.

Joseph and Log-a-Log repeated the name simultaneously. “Roaringburn?

“Aye, Roaringburn. Finnbarr chuckled as he stretched out to take a nap. “Its a currentnarrow, deep an very swift, only ever runs one way, south. Mind, itll take some findin, but the moment we hit it, well shift like the wind!

The shrew Bandle poked his head around the awning. “Then wed best find it quick; the Shalloos hard on our paws an bearin down on us fast!

They dashed out from under the cover and, sure enough, there was the Shalloo with every scrap of canvas piled on, double crewed and coming after them like a hungry, windblown hawk.

Dawn also found Capn SHpp wandering the shoreline in a daze, completely unsure of how he had ever gotten back to land. Stumbling back to his position of the previous night, he found the ashes of his fire. He crouched in the wind-tossed sand and blew on a glowing ember, adding sticks and dry grass to it until a small fire flickered. Miserably he perched by it, drying off and waiting for the sun to get up. Cursing and muttering the most dreadful oaths to himself, he scanned the stretch of beach left by the ebbing waves of the outgoing tide. The corpses of six drowned crewrats who had been his ships watch lay still, washed up with the jetsam of the previous nights encounter.

Shivering and damp, Slipp stood up, turning his back to warm it by the fire. Then he saw it.

Blaggut, boatswain of the Pearl Queen, was seated in a shrewboat paddling into shore. Slipp leaped up and down, waving to attract the others attention.

“Ahoy there, Blaggut! Matey, its me, yer good ole Capn!

Blaggut heard and acknowledged with a wave of his paddle. Leaping out into the shallows, he dragged the boat ashore and beached it, smiling and waving joyfully. “Capn, Capn Slipp, matey,tis yerself!

Laughing happily he ran toward Slipp, paws outstretched. “Ho, Capn, ydont know ow god it does me eart tsee yore face, an a fire too! Theres a stroke o luck. Im froze to the marrow an starvin.

When they met, instead of embracing his boatswain, Slipp leapt upon him and began punching and kicking him. “Boatswain, eh? Had of the watch? Keepin me vessel safe from invaders, was you! You ... you ... useless, gutless, brainless, spineless jellyfish!

Blaggut pranced about on the sand trying to avoid Slipp, who punctuated each word with a hard kick to the boatswains rear.

“Leave a ship with you, lardbottom! I wouldnt leave you in charge of a tadpoles tail! Ill wager you was full o grog an snorin when those ship robbers came aboard! Brainless, bumblin, bulb-nosed buffoon! Slipp had Blaggut tight by the ear and his seaboot squelched every time he booted the boatswains bottom. Blaggut howled.

“Owowowow, Capn! Mercy, spare me! There was undreds of em. I was wide awake an at me post, I swear it. Ouchooch! They ganged up on me! Ow, stoppit please! I fought like a madbeast! Aagh that urts! But they overwhelmed me. Honest, ouch! I remembers shoutin, “Elp, Im bein whelmed over!

Slipp flung the blubbering boatswain facedown in the sand. “Whats that thing yore paddlin about in, dogs-bottom?

Blaggut kept alternately covering his head and his rear with both paws, in case the Captain felt like kicking again. “Its a sorta liddle boat, Capn. I was paddlin up an down searchin for youcross me eart I was. I found a big stream back yonder with fresh drinkin water, nicensweet tis. Dyou want me to show it ye? You can drink yore fill!

Slipp drew his cutlass and whacked the boatswains back, hard. “Up on yore paws, bubblebrains. Take me to it.

Blaggut paddled the tide line with Slipp lying back in the boat, giving him the occasional cutlass prod. “Cmon, put yore back into it! Wheres this stream, or does it just run through yore empty ead?

Blaggut paddled harder. “Yowch! There it is up ahead, Capn. See the sun glintin on it? Good n sweet, just like I said.

The morning sun warmed Slipps back as he bent and lapped streamwater. Blaggut brightened up.

“Youll like it ere, Capn. Theres dunes an probly fruit growin nearby. I can fish for us, an well live ere snug as two bugs in a rug. Ill ... Yaagh! Slipp gave the boatswain a smack that sent him sprawling into the stream.

“Froghead! Get in that boat an start paddlin upstream. It must lead somewheres, maybe theres good pickins up there. Come on, bulgebelly, stir yer stumps. By noon Blaggut had paddled the shrewboat into the fringes of Mossflower Wood.

11

Dandin was first to regain his senses. He wished fervently : that he had nothis entire body was a mass of pain. The last thing he recalled was the three of them being dragged along the ground all the way to Castle Floret. Kicked, buffeted, bumped, and scratched, until they lost consciousness. Somewhere in the background he heard voices.

“Sourgall, look, one of ems comin around.

“Cmon Fillch, wed better go an report back.

As the voices died away in the distance, Dandin sat up, trying to ignore his discomfort. One of his eyes was swollen shut; through the other he took stock of his surroundings, Mariel and Meldrum lay on either side of him, still senseless. All of their footpaws had been bound together by a thick rope. They were in a prison cell, its floor strewn th dry rushes and old straw. Four stout stone walls sur-inded them; there was one high, barred window and a wily timbered door, with iron studding and a small yhole grille. Sunlight flooded in from the wide-barred window, lighting up the grimness of their dungeon.

Mariel stirred, her voice a hoarse croak. “Water!

Dandin winced as, cradling her head on his lap, he scoured the cell with his one good eye. “Sorry, theres not a drop in the place. Are you all right?

“Im thirsty-thats how I know Im still alive. Howre you?

“Still here, I suppose. Meldrum looks very still.

The old hare lay prostrate with both eyes shut. He began muttering half to himself. “Want a full military burial, lots of fuss1 medals, sad music, an tears, thatll do. Hmm, at the foot of a good oak tree, nice an shady. They can carve somethin fittin on it, too. Now, me effects, let me see. I leave a nice mess jacket to Thurdale, hope he wears it with pride. About me rod V line, young Foghill gets that, blighters always had his eye on it anyway ... The Field Marshals finely attuned ears waggled. “Theres somebeast comin. Steady in the ranks than. Lie doggo, make em think were still out.

Locks squealed and bolts clanked as they were withdrawn, and the door creaked open. Nagru and Silvamord swept in, flanked by a dozen rats. One of them stirred Meldrum with his footpaw.

“This is the beast who slew Captain Bragglin. We had the two mice cornered when he butted in. There were four, no, five othersfour young hares and a hedgepig.

Nagru shoved the rat aside contemptuously saying, “And they vanquished a full patrol of you!

“You should talk, said Silvamord, her voice heavy with scorn. “These three between them slew your wonderful Dirgecallers and more than a score of hordebeasts. Tell us about that again!