Brian Jacques - Redwall #05 - The Legend of Luke

To appease his touchy cook, Luke sided with Cardo. "Agreed! From now on everybeast washes their own dishes. We'll take turns with the pots'n'pans. I'll do first duty!"

A splatter of heavy drops pattering on the bulkheads announced the arrival of rain. Vurg opened the cabin door and slid his plate and beaker out onto the deck. "I vote that the rain washes our dishes tonight, buckoes!"

Soon, raindrops could be heard pinging merrily off the crew's dishes scattered across the deck. Through the open door Luke watched a distant lightning flash, and he heard the far-off rumble of thunder.

"Looks like we're in for heavy weather, mates. Best batten down an' lay up in this channel 'til it's over."

Rain continued into the late evening, but the crew were snug and dry in the cabin, glad of the respite from sailing. Cardo sat apart from the rest, his face gloomy.

Vurg tweaked the cook's ear. "C'mon, wot's up now, y'great misery guts?"

Cardo shrugged. "Don't know, Vurg, just got a bad feelin' an' I can't explain it. Somethin' seems wrong."

Denno nudged Vurg, pulling a wry face at the unhappy cook. "Oh dearie me, just like the ole farm mouse, nothin's right."

Coll winked at him. "Which farm mouse was that, matey?"

Denno began tapping a beat on the tabletop.

"There was an ole farm mouse, lived in an ole

farmhouse,

Who always thought of a reason,

To rant an' complain, again an' again,

Whatever the weather or season.

If rain came down, he'd scowl an' frown,

Shake a paw at the sky an' say,

'Rains like these are good for the peas,

But they ain't much use for me hay!'

Then if wind came along, he'd change his song,

Cryin' out 'Oh woe lackaday,

'Tis all I need, a wind indeed,

To blow all me apples away!'

He'd gnash his teeth about shaded wheat,

At the sign of a cloud in the skies,

An' the very sight o' cloudless sunlight,

Would bring tears to both his eyes.

He'd simmer'n'boil, as he pawed the soil,

An' got himself worried an' fussed,

'Lookit that sunlight, 'tis far too bright,

'Twill turn all me soil to dust!'

Oh botheration trouble an' toil,

Life don't get peaceful or calmer,

If I'd gone to sea, a sailor I'd be,

Instead of an ole mouse farmer."

The crew were all laughing heartily when Cardo said, "What's so funny? We were all farmers once."

The laughter died on their lips. Luke patted Cardo. "Aye, yore right there, mate. Farmers we were, fightin' the weather an' seasons to put food on the table. We didn't have much, but we were happy with our wives an' families until Vilu Daskar an' his red ship showed up. Now we're seamice, rovers, fightin' evil an' ill fortune. Though I tell you this: one day, when 'tis all over, we'll return home an' pick up the threads of our old lives again."

Outside the elements increased their fury. Thunder reverberated overhead, rain lashed the heaving seas and flaming webs of chain lightning threatened to rip the darkened skies with their ferocity. The crew of the Sayna,without guard or watch on the galeswept decks, allowed sleep to close their weary eyes.

Most of the night the storm prevailed. Three hours before dawn a strong warm wind blew up from the south. Driving the tempest before it like a rumbling cattle herd, it hurtled on northward. Peace and calm was restored to the seas in its wake. Humidity returned, bringing with it a dense foggy bank, which hung over the Twin Islands and their channel like a pall.

The Goreleechput out to sea, then Vilu Daskar ordered her turned about, a league out, to face the channel. An hour before dawn he gave the command.

"Bullflay, tell your drummer to beat out full speed. Don't spare the whips. I want this ship to run up that channel as if hellhounds were chasing it. Stand ready, my scurvy Sea Rogues, there's slaves to be taken!"

Chapter 29

Vurg woke with a raging thirst. He got up quietly, so as not to disturb his sleeping crewmates, and picked his way through the darkened cabin to the door. It was foggy on deck, silent and damp. Vurg padded to the galley, dipped a ladle into the water barrel and drank deeply. A second measure of water he tipped over his head to waken himself properly. He was about to start lighting the galley fire from last night's glowing embers, so that Cardo would have a good fire to cook breakfast, when he heard the sounds.

It was like a steady drumbeat and a deep swishing noise which grew louder by the moment. The noises seemed to be coming from somewhere farther up the channel. Vurg made his way to the forepeak. Leaning out, he strained his eyes against the blanket of milky white mist. The sounds increased in volume, and the Saynabegan to bob gently up and down on some kind of swell. That was when the world turned red!

Towering over him like an immense leviathan, the Goreleechcame thundering down upon the ship Sayna.Vurg was flung high into the air and landed hard on a rock in the shallows, swallowed by the merciful blackness of unconsciousness. A horrendous rending of ship's timbers rent the air as the Goreleechplowed into the Sayna,ripping the entire starboard side out from stem to stern. Masts fell before the wicked iron spike on the red ship's prow, snapping off like dried twigs. Vilu Daskar roared with evil joy at the sound of screaming crewbeasts in shock.

Half stunned, Luke splashed about in the water. He grabbed a floating object for support. It was Cardo. The dead cook's eyes stared unseeingly into his until Cardo sank slowly beneath the channel. Luke came to life then. Bellowing like a creature possessed, he seized a rope trailing from the red ship's side and began hauling himself, paw over paw, up the Goreleech'smassive hull. Soaked, bruised and weaponless, the Warrior climbed with the speed of fury, grappling his way over carved galleries, swarming over the heavy seawet mats of rope fenders.

Vilu Daskar was just turning to shout further orders to his vermin crew when Luke came storming over the gallery rail. He was upon the pirate stoat like a wolf, grabbing him around the neck. Both beasts crashed to the deck, Luke's eyes filled with bloodlight as he throttled his mortal enemy. Vilu Daskar could do nothing against the Warrior's furious strength. He saw crewbeasts dashing to his aid and managed a panicked gurgle. Akkla swung a belaying pin, once, twice, thrice, to the back of Luke's unprotected skull. Another two crashing blows laid the Warrior mouse low, and Vilu slipped from his faltering grasp. Vermin crewbeasts rushed the stoat captain to his cabin, where he lay on a table, making a croaking sound as they forced warmed wine between his lips. He reeled off the table, nursing his neck with a silken cloth.

"Dirr . . .we . . . sinkam?"

Bullflay stared at Akkla. "Wot did 'e say?"

The ferret turned to Vilu. "Don't try to talk, sire, yore throat's damaged. Aye, we sunk 'er all right. Crew's just draggin' aboard any mice that are still livin'."

Still clutching the silken cloth about his neck, Daskar staggered out on deck. Bullflay waddled ahead of him, drawing a cutlass and straddling the limp form of Luke. "This's the one who strangled yer, lord. Let's see if'n I kin take off 'is 'ead wid one swipe!"

Vilu kicked the slavemaster, sending him sprawling. "Gggghaaa, I wan' 'im alive. Hhhhraaaggghh!"

The pirate stoat tottered unsteadily back to his cabin. When the door slammed, Fleabitt whispered to Grigg, "Talks awful funny, don't 'e?"

"So would you if'n you'd been near throttled ter death," Grigg whispered back. "Better not let 'im 'ear y'say that 'e talks funny, or you won't 'ave a tongue t'talk wid at all, matey!"