Brian Jacques - Redwall #09 - Salamandastron

Pikkle fell upon the food with his usual good appetite.

52

Brian Jacques

"That's what friends are for, wot! Jolly good chaps, these two. What d'you say, Mara m' gel?"

Mara lowered her voice as she munched an apple. "You're right, Pikkle. D'you know, I don't feel as much of a young one as I used to be. Perhaps it's because Klitch treats us as equals and not underlings. Some of the things he said have made me think. All that secrecy about not allowing other creatures inside the mountainmaybe Urthstripe does have something to hide. I'll bet he does have a hidden treasure. Not that I'm bothered about it; he can keep his moldy old treasure for all I care."

They missed the knowing wink that passed from Klitch to

Goffa.

The weasel tossed the haversack across to Mara. "Here, have some cheese. Help yourself, friend!"

The muted boom of the great Joseph Bell signaled the twilight hour over Redwall Abbey. Blackbirds, song thrushes and the last larks descending warbled their final melodies to the closing day. Abbess Vale was about to knock on the gatehouse door when Faith Spinney swung it silently open.

The hedgehog lady placed a paw to her mouth. "Hush, little Durable is sleeping here tonight. I've just put him down in the spare bed. Let's take a stroll round the orchard. We can talk in peace there."

Latching the door carefully, Faith sighed in relief. "My spikes! I don't know which is the worser, grown hedgehogs or baby dormice. My old Tudd an' Dumble been a-playing' togetheryou should've seen 'em both larkin' an' sportin' about. They're a right couple o' pawfuls an' no mistake! Played themselves to a stan'still they did. My Tudd fell fast asleep in the rockin' chair an' Dumble curled up on the floor. They's both sleepin* now, bless 'em!"

The grass beneath them was still warm from the summer sun as they strolled paw in paw toward the pond. The Abbess sniffed the air, peering at the sky.

' The weather should be fine tomorrow for our Nameday, Faith. How are the preparations going?"

53

54

Brian Jacques

Soiamandastron

55

"Everythin' is done to a turn, Vale. Don't you fret yourself. My Tudd's been helpin' Burrley mole bring up the finest of drinks from the cellarsstrawberry cordial, new cider, dandelion an' burdock, damson wine an' the finest barrel of October ale tasted in ten seasons. Tudd V Burrley should know, they been a-tastin' it enough today. Now I don't mind sayin', young Samkim an' Arula have been a regular pair o' good-beasts, helpin' Friar Bellows out wi' the bakin' an' cookin' like they were bom in a kitchen."

The Abbess raised her eyebrows. "It's nice to hear a creature with a good word to say for those two. I take it you've forgiven them for the bow and arrow incident?"

"Bless their 'earts, yes." Faith chuckled. "Young uns are only young once, more's the pity. They're both nice liddle wags, so they are. They don't mean a body any real harm."

Abbess Vale watched the trout flap its tail on the surface, setting up ripples over the still pondwater. "What's your opinion of those two stoats? Can we trust them to behave properly?"

"Oh, you mean Dingeye an' Thura. They'm just a silly ol' pair o' stoats. I wouldn't worry about 'em, Vale."

The Abbess steered her friend around the pond edge. "I hope you're right, Faith."

A lantern was lit in the first-floor dormitory. Brother Holly-berry, Sister Nasturtium and Thrugann the otter sat together on the side of a bed. Grouped around them on the floor the young ones sat, wrapped in their blankets, eating thick slices of new Abbeybread spread with cornflower butter and elderberry jam and sipping from beakers of hot dandelion cordial. Samkim and Arula had brought the two stoats with them.

"Gwaw! This jam's luvverly," Thura commented. "I could eat ten o' these, easily!"

Arula held up a paw. "Thurr be a-storytellen, 'ushed naow."

Thura took a sip of hot cordial and scorched his tongue. "Yowch! That's 'ot, mucker. Wot's a-story-tellen?"

Dingeye flicked him on the end of his nose. "Shut up,

bottlebrain. It's a story. I like stories."

Brother Hollyberry leaned forward, scanning the eager young faces as he drew out his voice in a deep whisper. "Whooooo waaaants a storeeeeeeee?"

The young ones giggled and hugged each other excitedly. They elongated their voices as they chanted back, "Weeee waaaant a storeeeeee pleeeeeeease!"

The old Infirmary keeper took a sip of his drink and started.

"Old travelers tell, at the midnight bell, When the nightdark covers all, Mid the falling snow, when the cold winds blow, Of the ghost that walks Redwall..."

A baby mole emitted a gruff squeak and hid trembling beneath his blanket. "Burrhoo, oi be gurtly afeared o' goast-ers!"

A small fat otter joined him. "I'm afeared too. 'Old on ter me, matey. They won't get us'ns!"

When silence had been restored, Hollyberry continued:

"Yes, the ghost that haunts the stairways goes slowly

on his beat,

Moaning low in the moonlight's glow. 'Give me young ones to eat!' "

Several young mice squealed and dived beneath the bed, and Thura's beaker rattled nervously against his teeth as he tried to drink some cordial. "I'm g-g-g-glad I ain't a young un, mucker!"

Dingeye whacked him soundly on the head. "Belt up an' lissen frogsbum!"

The storyteller continued his grisly tale.

"Then one night as the lightning was flashing And the thunder was crashing out, boomz\ The beastly phantom came a-haunting Into this very room.

56 Brian Jacques

When up stood a young one, pale as the ghost.

And to the spirit said, 'How dare you moan round here at night

And wake me from my bed!'

The ghost sprang at him with a cry: 'Whoohoo I'll eat you whole!'

The pale mouse laughed as he replied, 'You'll need a great big bowl!

For I am Martin the Warrior,

The spirit of Redwall,

Whilst I protect this Abbey,

You'll eat nobeast at all!' "

The mice beneath the bed raised a cheer at the name of their hero. "Hooray! Good old Martin. What did he do, Brother?"

Hollyberry stood, drawing a long ladle from his habit sleeve.

"Then Martin drew his trusty sword And chopped that ghost apart. He sliced his nose, he carved his ears, He whacked its legs and head, He chopped its claws, he hacked its jaws, Then to the ghost he said: 'Be sure to brush up all your bits, Goodnight, I'm off to bed!' "

Applause and relieved laughter greeted the fitting end of the ghost of Redwall. Creatures were settling down to await the next story when Thrugann mischievously tossed a crust of jam-smeared bread into Dingeye's lap and whooped, "Oo dear, look out, it's the ghost's tail. Oohoo!"

The panic-stricken stoat bowled Thura and Arula tip over tail as he leapt up, startled. It was some time before the laughter subsided and order was restored. Dingeye brushed the floor with his paws, laughing nervously as he searched.

Saiamandastron

57

"Haha, that weren't no ghost's tail at all, haha, it was a trick."

Thura had scoffed the crust. He clipped Dingeye's ears smartly. "Of course it was the ghost's tail, noddle'ead. It's vanished, ain't it? On'y a real ghost tail could vanish!"

Dingeye stared at the empty floor and shuddered. "Never shoulda come t' this Redhall place, mucker!"

Suddenly Sister Nasturtium's clear voice cut across them. She was staring at the wall and reciting:

"When night meets day, stand clear away, Beware the Abbey then. Stay close beside the rampart wall, Await the moment when The flame of storm will strike my blade To aid the badger Lord, And bring back to Redwall one day A guardian and a sword."

In the hush that followed, Brother Hollyberry shook the sleeve of Nasturtium, who was sitting staring, as if in a trance. "Sister, what is it? Are you all right?"