The vole stared disbelievingly at Longtooth. "But nobeast'll hear me, they'll all be well abed by now."
Vizka patted his back reassuringly. "Yew let me worry about dat, fatmouse, jus' do as yer told. Go on, an' shout out loud'n'clear now, y'hear?"
The vole scratched his thick fur. "An' then I'm free t'go?"
The golden fox nodded amiably. "Aye, free as a burd. Now yew go an' deliver der message, we'll wait right 'ere." He drew his two crewbeasts into the woodland fringe, watching the vole walk off toward the wall.
Bilger sniggered, sensing his captain's intentions. "Jus' testin' der ground, eh, Cap'n?"
Jungo looked puzzled. "Testin' der ground, wot's dat?"
Vizka cuffed his ear lightly. "Pay attention an' watch dose walls."
Orkwil was first to spot the movement on the path below. He cautioned his friends, "There's somebeast down there, can't make out who 'tis in this dark, but I'll wager that 'un's a vermin!"
Skipper peered down at the strange figure. "Stay where ye are, don't come any further!"
The vole stood still as he carried out Vizka's order to the letter. "Ahoy in there, I'm a pore, starvin' seabeast, let me in so me an' my mates can get some vittles!"
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Orkwil recognised the vole by the tone of his voice. However, before he could do anything, Benjo Tipps flung an oakwood burl, which he used as a barrel stopper. It hit the vole squarely between both ears, felling him. Orkwil gasped at the speed with which the Cellarhog had acted. "Mister Tipps, that wasn't a sea vermin. He's a vole who lives up near the ford!"
Benjo chuckled grimly. "Then why didn't he say so? Looked like a vermin, said he was a seabeast, an' if'n I ain't mistaken, he was carryin' a weapon. Wot d'ye say, Skip?"
Skipper Rorc nodded. "That's a loaded sling he was totin', ye did the right thing, mate. It could've been a trap, no use standin' round an' chattin' with vermin. Strike now an' talk later, that's wot I always do! Now then, young Prink, can ye see any more o' the villains out there?"
Orkwil stared hard, but there was no sign of movement. "No, Skip, there's nobeast about that I can see. D'you think Mister Tipps has slain the vole, he looks awful still just lyin' there."
Benjo patted Orkwil's headspikes. "Don't worry, young 'un, he ain't dead, but he'll have a headache that'll last a day or two when he wakes. If the coast is clear enough after dawn we'll fetch him inside."
"Er, fetch who inside, may I ask?" Friar Chondrus emerged onto the walltop, Granspike Niblo was with him. They brought food for the wall sentries.
Foremole Burff ladled himself a bowl of mushroom soup. "Et wurr summ voler, dressed oop loike ee vermint. Hurrhurr, ole Benjo bringed 'im daown with one shot!"
Orkwil and his friends tucked into fresh, crusty bread, cheese and hot soup, each feeling rather pleased at their night's work thus far.
Vizka Longtooth and his two crewbeasts retreated stealthily back to the ditch. Dropping down into the dried ditchbed, the golden fox left his crew sleeping, but
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wakened the weasel Magger, whom he had come to rely on as his second in command.
Magger noticed the absence of the vole. "Where's der 'airymouse, Cap'n?"
Vizka put aside his mace and chain. "Oh, dat one, we left 'im lyin' around someplace, but de 'airymouse taught me a lesson tonight. Dat Redwall place, it ain't no Abbey fulla soft woodlanders. Gettin' in dere ain't gonna be easy."
Magger replied hopefully, "We've fought battles afore, Cap'n, an' we ain't never lost. Yew kin do it if'n anybeast can, nobeast stands agin Vizka Longtooth an' wins!"
The golden fox leaned back against the ditchside. "So ye say, but I ain't never fought no stripe'ound."
Magger looked questioningly at his captain. "De stripe'ound, 'ow d'yer know 'e's in dere?"
Vizka explained. "Dat 'edgepig was up on der wall, I 'eard 'is voice, dat's 'ow I knows our Rock'ead's in de Abbey, dey escaped t'gether didn't they?"
Bilger, who was half-asleep, opened one eye. "Does dat mean ya ain't gonna try an' take Redwall, Cap'n?"
Vizka picked up his mace and chain, his eyes and his long fangs gleaming in the darkness. "I nearly slayed dat stripe'ound last time I 'it 'im wid this. I'll finish der job next time, you see. Afore dis season's out I'll be cap'n o' Redwall, plannin' an' brains, dat's all it takes!"
On the walltops, Granspike Niblo was clearing away the supper bowls. She smiled fondly at Orkwil. "I'm glad to see ye back 'ome an' behavin' yoreself, Orkwil. You did a good job here t'night, defendin' our Abbey an' sendin' those vermin packin'."
The young hedgehog passed her his empty bowl, shaking his head. "We knocked one ole vole senseless, Gran, that's all. The vermin are still out there, I think Redwall has some hard days ahead. By the way, how's my friend Gorath comin' along, is he better yet?"
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The old Beekeeper shook her head. "He's gettin' better, but that big feller isn't fit yet, not by a long straw. Pore beast's been through a dreadful time, if'n ye ask me."
Foremole Burff chuckled. "Aye, marm, but you'm wait'll ee badgerbeast bee's well agin. Hurrhurr, then ee'll see summ sparks a-flyin', boi okey ee will!"
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16
Maudie felt she was in the middle of a nightmare in broad daylight. As the logboats soared out over the waterfall they were enveloped in a milky fog of spray, tinged through by a broad spectrum of rainbow colours. The haremaid had released her hold of the logboat, as had the Guosim crews. All about them the air was filled with the roar of cascading waters. It was the strangest of sensations, plunging downward amid all the noise and colour, seeing others falling alongside her, some still holding their paddles. Maudie even had time to think about what had happened to the coracle, and its cargo of shrewbabes. Would the logboats land on top of them? Those poor babies, it didn't bear contemplating.... Splaaaash! Kabooooom!
The Guosim crews hit the water. Maudie was immersed in a world of swirling blue, green and white, with the dull boom of the waterfall echoing in her skull. She was whirling about, like a leaf in a hurricane, water filling her mouth, nostrils and vision. Her body was swept sideways, as she felt herself thrust upward, paws flailing in all directions, toward the surface.
"Whoa, matey, gotcha, up ye come now, bucko!" A huge, fat otter had her by both ears, in a viselike grip.
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The pain of being hauled out by her ears was momentary Maudie felt herself flung up onto a mossy bank, as though she were a bundle of washing. In swift succession, several Guosim were slung onto the bank beside her. Luglug was one of them, he sprawled alongside the haremaid, both coughing and spitting out water and weed fronds. The big otter banged his rudder down on their backs, helping them to expel the debris from their lungs. He pointed to Maudie, laughing as he bellowed out to an equally big female otter, "Hohoho! Lookit this 'un, Kachooch, did ye ever see a shrew with a set o' lugs like that?"
Maudie managed to gasp indignantly, "I say, d'you mind, I'm a blinkin' hare, not a shrew!"
The big female, Kachooch, helped Maudie upright, winking cheerfully at her. "Take no heed o' Barbowla, me deary, he's only joshin'."
Luglug gave the big male's rudder a hearty tug. "Barbowla Boulderdog, you ole gullywhumper, wot are you doin' in these waters? I thought you was livin' on the East River Moss."
Barbowla hauled another shrew from the water and casually tossed him ashore. "Log a Log Luglug, ye whiskery ole knot'ead, don't ye know any better'n tryin' to paddle logboats o'er the ripples? Good job me'n the family was here t'pull yore acorns out o' the soup."
Luglug retrieved his paddle and inspected it for damage. "Didn't have much choice, mate, we was on the run from Kurdly an' his Brownrats. Did ye manage to rescue our liddle 'uns, they was swept away ahead of us."