Brian Jacques - Redwall #07 - Mariel of Redwall

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mercream pudding, "Burr, baint no more pudden, zur. Oi snaffled 'ee last o' it. Snurr!"

Buxton and Willyum mole immediately left off eating huge portions of steaming Bernard Bread and dug into either side of Grubb's plate, eating furiously as the baby mole's sleepy head drooped nearer the pudding.

"Ho, save the choild, 'urry up an scoff quick now, lest the hinfant be drownded in yon pudden. Hurr hurr!"

Tarquin joined them indignantly. "I say, you chaps, chew each mouthful twenty times and leave this to me. Bally unthinkable, poor little blighter bein' drowned in a plate of pudden. Do not worry, young sire, help is at spoon. I'll save you. Gromff!"

Storm tried to stop spluttering Gabe Quill's giggly buttercup 'n' honey cordial across the table. She shook with unbridled laughter at the antics of Tarquin and the two moles rescuing the dozing Grubb. The mouse-maid had never been so happy in any of the life she could rememberthe food, the delicious drinks, the food, the kind Abbey creatures, the food, the good friends about her, and, of course . . . the food. Never had she tasted such marvelous things. Alternating between Bernard Bread, blackcurrant pie, summer salad, cheese 'n' nut flan, mintcream cakes and honey-glazed preserved fruits, she held her own with the best trencherbeasts.

Dandin was showing off slightly for her benefit, tossing redcurrants up and catching them in his mouth. He was quite good at it.

"Here, watch this, Storm. Betcher can't catch redcurrants like me."

"Haha! Who can't? I'll show you. Watch!"

Unfortunately the giggly cordial had got the better of her. Storm tossed a redcurrant high and missed it completely. It bounced off Foremole's head and lodged in the ear of Treerose, who was feeling tired and sulky.

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"Whahaah! I've gone deaf in one ear. She threw something at me!"

Foremole flicked the offending redcurrant out onto the grass. Taking up a great spoonful of otter's hotroot soup, he held Treerose's nose and poured it down her open mouth.

"Yurr, missie, 'ee doant eat vittles boi stickin' 'em in 'ee earlugs. Daown thy mouth et should be a-goen, loik this, liddle missus."

Treerose was not heard to complain again that night. She was too busy pouring cold water down her throat to kill off the taste of the otter hotroot soup, which it was said could thaw out an icy river in midwinter.

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Most of the eating was now over, and speeches began. Abbot Bernard thanked the Friar for supervising the wonderful feast, also the helpers, layers of table, Gabe Quill for the excellence of the drinks and all present for attending. In response various creatures stood up to thank the Abbot, toast Redwall and congratulate their hosts. Rufe Brush called for some dancing but was silenced by an oat scone; dancing and jigging was out of the question after having eaten so much. So the singing began. Never being backward at coming forward, Tarquin was up on his paws, chewing the last of a celery surprise as he tuned his harolina. Finishing the food, he launched into the song of the long patrols.

"Oh, it's hard and dry, when the sun is high

And dust is in your throat,

When the rain pours down, near fit to drown,

And soaks right through your coat.

But the hares of the long patrol, my lads,

Stouthearts they walk with me,

Over hill and plain, and back again,

By the shores of the wide blue sea.

Through mud and mire to a warm campfire,

I'll trek with you, old friend,

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O'er lea and dale, in a roaring gale,

Right to our journey's end.

Yes, the hares of the long patrol, my lads,

Love friendship more than gold.

We'll share good days, and tread long ways,

Good comrades brave and bold."

Drubber mole banged his tankard upon the table amid the applause. "Gurr! That'n be a gurt ballad, bringen tears to moi eyes, it do."

Then it was Willyum mole's turn to get up and sing the mole song. He did it solemnly in the correct mole manner and was cheered loudly, though this time it did bring Drubber to tears. He wept unashamedly.

"Burrhoohurr! B'aint nothen loik music to soften a hanimal's 'eart."

Dandin was called upon. He rose and performed a newly written tribute to Abbot Bernard, accompanied by Tarquin on the harolina.

"Long may you rule, Father Abbot,

Long may you reign over all

The woodlands of Mossflower

And the Abbey of Redwall.

When I was a young mouse I learnt at the knee

Of the Father of Redwall,

The lessons for you and the lessons for me

From the Father of us all.

In those good Dibbun days, I learnt many kind

ways,

To be honest, strong and true, And wherever I go, I'll remember always, That I learned them, sir, from you. Long may you rule, Father Abbot, Over all of these creatures and me, And may we all say in our own simple way, Have a happy Jubilee."

Every creature present insisted on singing the song

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again, with Tarquin calling out the words from a scroll. It was a huge success, though Drubber broke down completely and had to be comforted by Danty and Buxton.

"Yurr now, doant 'ee take on so, Drub, owd lad. Et be on'y a song."

"Hurr aye, doant be a-sobben naow. Take moi 'anker-chiefy."

Several more singers were called on to perform. Durry Quill sang the comic song "Why Can't Hedgehogs Fly?" The otter twins Bagg and Runn recited the epic poem, "Otter Bill and the Shaking Shrimp." This led to more demand for poems, and Saxtus was finally coaxed up to recite the poem he had memorized in the gatehouse. Nervously Saxtus stood up, clasping and unclasping his paws as he began falteringly.

"The wind's icy breath o'er the land of death

Tells a tale of the yet to come.

'Cross the heaving waves which mark ships' graves

Lies an island known to some,

Where seas pound loud and rocks stand proud

And blood flows free as water,

To the far northwest, which knows no rest,

Came a father and his daughter.

The mind was numb, and the heart struck dumb,

When the night seas took the child,

Hurled to her fate, by a son of Hellgate,

The dark one called The Wild.

You whom they seek, though you do not speak,

The legend is yet to be born;

One day you will sing over stones that are red,

In the misty summer dawn."

In the silence that followed before the applause, Storm Gullwhacker gave vent to a hoarse strangled sob, which echoed amid the startled revelers.

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12

A light morning sea mist hung over the waters around Terramort Isle. The last four ships of Gabool's fleet were returning. They silently nosed into the cove, sails hanging slack, oars shipped as the oily swell carried them noiselessly into harbor. The King of Searats knew they had returned; he had watched them break the night horizon, hours before the mist started to descend. Now Gabool would need all his cunning and slyness if he were to win his Captains over completely. Saltar had never been a popular Captain, neither had his brother Bludrigg; but the fact remained, they were both Captains and he had slain them. Naturally the other four shipmasters, Orgeye, Hookfin, Flogga and Garrtail, would feel their positions threatenedthey would need reassuring. Once they were happy with Gabool's continuing rule, their crews would follow them into the very fangs of Hellgates. The Warlord knew all this and set his plans accordingly.

The morning remained gray and uncertain as hordes of searats marched past the rock portals into Fort Blade-girt. Gabool watched them from the banqueting hall window, voicing his thoughts aloud. "Look at 'em, the rakin's an' scrapin's of the earth, scum from the wharves, taverns an' cellars, their mothers were bilge-

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rats an' their fathers were barrelsloppers. Murderers, thieves, pillagers, all of 'em. Haharr, they'd steal the very fires of hell to keep 'em warm of a winter night and singe the Dark One's whiskers. Vermin after me own black heart. Haharrhahaharr!"