Brian Jacques - [Redwall 03] - Mattimeo

who’d trust them? You need a good loyal weasel like me.”

Slagar patted Threeclaws on the back.

“You took the words right out of my mouth, Threeclaws,” he chuckled. “You’re the weasel for me.

Listen, when all this is over I’ll need a good fellow at my right paw to share a lot of power and riches. Is it a

bargain?”

The weasel shook Slagar heartily by the paw. “A bargain, Chief. Rely on me!”

“I do. Now go and keep a watch on that lot.”

Threeclaws saluted smartly and marched off with his head high.

“Fool!” Slagar sneered beneath the silken hood as he watched the weasel go.

Halftail was slumbering against the bell rock when Slagar stirred him.

The stoat tried to give the impression that he was alert. “Is that you, Chief? I was just lying quiet here,

watching the captives,” he pretended.

“Good, good. I’ve often noticed that you’re the one who stays awake and keeps a check on things,

Halftail.”

“You have? Oh, er, yes, well. Somebeast has to do it, I suppose.”

“I know I can depend on you. I often say to myself, it’ll be all right for me to take a nap, Halftail’s

looking after things. Listen to me, my good friend. I’ll have to take a short trip soon. I’ll leave you in charge

here, but don’t say anything. I want you to watch Threeclaws carefully. He’s been getting a bit big for his

fur lately. I don’t trust him.”

Halftail nodded wisely. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed it too, Chief. Those weasels are all the same, I’ve

never trusted them.”

“That’s because you’re like me, Halftail. You’ve got sense and you’re a natural leader. You stick with

me, friend, and I’ll see that you’re well rewarded. I’ll take care of you.”

Halftail opened his eyes wide. “You mean it, Slagar?”

“Of course I do. Faithful service should always be well rewarded. By the way, have you seen Vitch

about?”

“Yes, he’s over there by those bushes.”

“Right, I’ll go and have a word with him. I may need to take him with me for a day or two. Remember

now, mouth shut, eyes open. I’m counting on you, Halftail.”

“You can trust me, Slagar.”

The Sly One sat down by Vitch beneath the bushes. The young rat drew back slightly, afraid of Slagar.

“Listen carefully, Vitch, I have something to tell you.”

“But Slagar, I haven’t done anything wrong, I’ve been wa—”

“Quiet, Vitch. Keep your voice down. I know you’ve done nothing wrong, in fact you’ve been very

good lately.”

“I have? Oh, I have. I’ve been keeping those Redwallers on their paws, and the others too. I make them

march as fast as they can go.”

“Yes, I know you do,” the masked fox said silkily. “That’s why I’ve got a surprise for you. Now very

shortly I’ll be leaving here and taking the slave line with me, but I must leave the others to wait here until I

return. This is where you come in, Vitch. I want you to come with me to help with our captives. Meanwhile,

tell Scringe and the rest to keep an eye on Threeclaws and Halftail. I think those two are plotting behind

our backs, Vitch. They’re not to be trusted.”

The little rat dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Threeclaws and Halftail, those two bullies,

they’re always pickin’ on me. I thought they were up to something. You leave it to me, I’ll tell Scringe and

Skinpaw and the others to mark them well.”

“You do that. We don’t want them stirring up trouble while we’re away, now do we?”

“Right! The dirty traitors. Er, where are we going, Chief?”

“I can’t say too much right now, Vitch, but I’ll tell you this much. I need a good assistant to give orders

for me. It’s a job for somebeast like yourself, the chance to prove you can handle power.”

Vitch could not help rubbing his paws together with excitement. “I’m the one for the job, Slagar. I’ll

prove it to you.”

“I know you will, Vitch. That’s why I picked you.”

Slagar crept away to resume his watch between the rocks, satisfied that he had laid his plans well. From the

moonlit terraces below the badger and the bell, other eyes watched him through the warm summer night.

Slagar stood quite still, not daring to move a muscle. From out of the surrounding darkness grey rats had

come silently. He was now surrounded by them. There was a vast army of the creatures, each one robed in

black and carrying a short stabbing spear with a broad leaf-shaped blade. There was not a single sound

from any of them. As well as he could, the Cruel One took stock of the situation.

The rats encircled the camp. Eyes glimmered in the bushes, spearblades shone everywhere, around both

the tall rocks and in the narrow defile between. They far outnumbered Stonefleck’s horde, which guarded

the riverbanks. The masked fox had encountered them before when he had passed this way. He remained

unmoving, awaiting a sign.

The creatures in front of him parted as a purple-robed rat came towards Slagar. This one did not carry a

spear; in his paw he held a white bone sceptre surmounted by a mouse skull.

The rat spoke no word.

“You have come for the slaves. I was waiting for you, Nadaz,” Slagar said, his voice sounding hollow

in the silence.

The rat called Nadaz shook his sceptre. The skull rattled against its bone handle, and Slagar fell silent.

Nadaz pointed the sceptre at the fox then swept around to point it at the sleeping captives. Turning

again, he pointed between the twin rocks, indicating the direction they would be taking.

Slagar nodded his understanding.

Dark forms surrounded Mattimeo and those chained to the slave lines. The young mouse came half awake

as he heard Tess give a muffled groan. Silent paws held his head still, and a pad of leaves holding the ashes

of burned grass and herbs was pushed up against his mouth and nostrils. Mattimeo struggled, but the

overpowering scent of the compress was too strong to fight against. Dark mists roiled in front of his eyes as

his body slumped limply against the folds of a black robe.

The senseless forms of the captives were placed on large oblong shields. Eight rats bore each shield.

Vitch was awakened by a shake from Slagar.

“Ssshh, don’t make a sound. Follow me and keep quiet. We’re on our way,” the fox warned.

As Vitch rose, he accidentally stood on Damper’s paw. The weasel awoke with a whimper. Seeing the

captives being carried away, he jumped up.

“Slagar! Where are they … aargh!”

At a sign from Nadaz, one of the rats slew Damper with a swift thrust of his stabbing spear.

Vitch shook with terror as a bag was placed over his head. Slagar whispered to him as his own head

and mask was enveloped, “Don’t panic, they won’t kill us. Just go where they direct you.”

The silent army moved off south between the twin rocks with their unconscious captives and the two

slavers.

The pale moon shone down on the body of Damper. He lay still in death, with his sleeping companions

nearby unaware of what had taken place in the soft summer night.

Chapter 41

The same moon that shone over Mossflower sent silver grey shafts of light through the windows of Great

Hall. Two rooks perched in the upper galleries on sentry duty. Half awake and half dozing, they stared

down at the scene below. Dark shadows softened the corners of the stones, with lighter areas where the

moonlight shone in.

One rook shifted his claws uncomfortably. “ Graah! It is better in the day when the sun shines warm and