Brian Jacques - [Redwall 03] - Mattimeo

still impassive as he pointed to a small group making their way through the foothills.

“Look, fox, shrews. Do you know them?”

Slagar peered hard at the group. They were just arriving at the rope ladders. Momentarily they recoiled

with horror at the sight of Wedgeback’s corpse. Cupping his paws round his muzzle, Slagar called down to

them. “Who are you and what do you want?”

The answer came floating faintly up on the warm afternoon air. “I am Skan and these are my followers.

I have information for Slagar.”

“I am Slagar,” the fox called back down. “Bring your friends up here, Skan. Use the rope ladders.”

While the shrews made their way up the cliff face, Slagar held a silent conference with his band. They

nodded at his plan. The masked fox laughed quietly.

Skan and his followers were panting with exertion as they pulled themselves on to the plateau. At a signal

from Slagar, the slavers pulled the rope ladders up.

While his followers sat about on the clifftop regaining their breath, Skan spoke to Slagar.

“Whew! What a time we’ve had. We ran all the way, following your trail through the woods. We

haven’t stopped or eaten a thing today. Listen, there’s a whole army coming after you: Log-a-Log and his

shrews. They rescued Matthias and those others from the cave, dug ’em out….”

Slagar was surprised. “What? You mean to tell me those Redwall creatures are still alive?”

Skan wiped sweat from his brow. “Phew! Oh yes, very much so. In fact, they’ve joined up with the

Guosim, that’s the shrews you know, and together they’ve vowed to track you and your band down and

slay the lot of you.”

The fox stroked his silken mask pensively. “Hmmm, well, that’s nothing new. There’s lots of creatures

would like to slay me. By the teeth of hell! I thought I’d buried those Redwallers for good. But why should

you dash all the way here to tell me this?”

“Because I want my revenge on Log-a-Log and his stupid Guosim, and you can help me.”

“Oh, I see,” Slager nodded. “You and your friends have broken away from the shrews due to some sort

of bad blood, is that it?

Skan narrowed his eyes. “Something like that, but that’s my worry, not yours. The thing is now for us

to join together and defeat them. Together we can be a strong force.”

Slagar helped Skan up and put a friendly paw about his shoulders.

“What a good idea, Skan. However, I have no need to fight with anybeast following us. See, the ladders

have been pulled up. There’s no way we can be attacked, we’re completely safe up here.”

Skan looked angry and puzzled. “But what about me and my followers?”

Slagar chuckled. “Well, you can climb down and fight them yourself if you wish, or you can stay up

here with us.”

The shrew was crestfallen. “I thought you’d want to fight them and be rid of them. I suppose we’ll have

to stay here and join up with your band. We’re too few to face them alone.”

Slagar signalled to his crew and they began forming a semicircle around the shrews, who were standing

with their backs to the cliff edge. The slavers were heavily armed. “Right, it’s a deal then, Skan,” Slagar

said. “We’ll let you join up with us. Not with my band, of course, but with my slave line.”

The fox suddenly grasped Skan in a headlock, relieving him of his short sword, which he held at the

shrew’s neck. “Surrender your weapons,” Slagar snarled at the shrews, “or he dies and you lot go over the

edge!”

“You traitor, you scum! We came here to warn you,” Skan spluttered.

“So you did,” Slagar laughed scornfully. “You were prepared to sell your own kind out. Let me tell you,

Skan, when it comes to double-dealing, there’s nobeast better at it than Slagar the Cruel. Chain ’em up!”

Weeping with frustration, the shrews were disarmed and chained to the slave line.

Reaching across, Auma pinned Skan to the ground with a hefty paw at his throat.

“Give me the right answers, turncoat, or you’re dead. My father is Orlando the Axe, that mouse’s father

is Matthias of Redwall, the squirrel has a mother named Jess and the young hedgehog there, his father’s

name is Jabez. Are they alive and well?”

Skan gurgled and spluttered until Auma released him.

“Yes, yes, they’re alive, and an old hare named Basil and a young otter too, though I didn’t get his

name.”

Mattimeo and his friends laughed with delight and relief. Auma gave Skan a mighty pat on the head

that completely stunned him.

“Haha, they’re alive. Oh, I do feel better now!”

Chapter 28

The evening bells tolled out across the countryside at Redwall. It was a windless summer twilight; not a leaf

stirred on branch or bough, the earth and grass were still warm from the hot afternoon. The Abbey dwellers

ceased their daily tasks and went indoors for the evening meal. Mole cooks had baked a traditional

tater’n’turnip’n’beetroot deeper’n’ever pie. There was fresh fruit and cream, mint wafers and cider. A

garland of yellow flowers graced the table center in honour of the season.

None of them knew that murder had been done that day.

When the sun was at its zenith, General Ironbeak and his raiders had flown up as high as they could,

hovering on the high thermals far above Redwall, then they quietly plummeted down. Four by four they

came, each bird entering under the high eaves from a different point. The General led the secret attack,

swiftly and silently dealing death to the few old sparrows and late nestlings who were unable to fly. The

dreadful deed was accomplished with quiet efficiency; Ironbeak and his birds were seasoned warriors.

Mangiz perched in the crossbeams next to his General while the rooks searched through the pitifully empty

sparrow nests. One cackled harshly. Ironbeak swooped down and felled him with a savage peck.

“Silence! The great redstone house is not yet ours. I do not want those creatures below to know we are

here. Quickbill and his brothers will bring in food soon, when night falls. Until then you must all be still

and make no noise.”

He flew back to perch with Mangiz, but the crow seemed somewhat disturbed. Ironbeak noticed his

seer was not his usual self.

“What is it, my Mangiz? Are you having more visions?” he asked.

“No, the strange thing is that my vision is clouded. The eye within my mind has been blurred since we

came here today. Whatever I try to see becomes difficult. It is an earthcrawler, a mouse dressed strangely; he

carries a sword and seems to bar all my visions.”

Ironbeak closed his eyes. “Do not worry, Mangiz. Maybe it is a good omen.”

Mangiz clacked his beak doubtfully. “We will see, my General.”

Come on. Oops a daisy! Up the stairs to bed with you, little Rollo.”

Mrs. Churchmouse chased after baby Rollo, but he ducked beneath the table and began singing.

“I wrestle a fish upon a dish,

Cut off his ’ead while he’s in bed,

an’ take a rat an’ make him dead,

for goooooood ooooooold cideeeeeeerrrrrrr!”

Sister May and Cornflower helped Mrs. Churchmouse. They scrambled under the table and chased

Rollo out into her waiting paws.

“Gotcha, you little monster. Now off to bed with you.”

“No no, dowannago! Dowannagorrabed!”

“Please, Rollo, be a good fellow. Tell you what, if I come up with Cornflower and Sister May and we

sing songs, then will you go?”

Rollo chuckled until his little fat body shook. “Yep, yep. Singa singa song f’ Rollo.”