against a backdrop of Mossflower woodlands. From bell tower to high roof ridge, it was the symbol of safety, comfort,
and achievement to all the Redwallers who called it home.
Sister Viola Bankvole had never adopted the simple habit worn by most Abbey creatures. She favored flounces and
ruffles, supported by more petticoats than enough. She made her way out of the Abbey’s main door, holding up a
lantern and tutting fussily as playful night breezes tugged at her cloak and bonnet. Brazen and slow, RedwalFs twin
bells boomed out sonorously, calling everybeast to table for the evening meal.
Abbess Tansy and her party were at the north wall gable, completing an exhaustive inspection of the entire outer
walls.
Foremole Diggum patted the stones fondly. “Burr! Thank ee, season’n’fates, thurr b’aint nuthen wrong with ee rest
of’n our walls, marm, boi ’okey thurr b’aint!”
Arven held up his lantern, watching Abbess Tansy’s face anxiously. “He’s right, Tansy. The east, north, and west
walls, including the gatehouse, stairs, ramparts, and main gates, are all sound as the day they were built!”
The Abbess rubbed a paw across her tired eyes. “So they are, but that’s little comfort when the whole south wall
could topple at a moment’s notice.”
Viola came bustling up, bonnet ribbons streaming out behind her. “Mother Abbess! There’s a full evening meal
waiting inside that cannot start without your presence! My word, just look at yourselves, dusty paws, thorns and teazels
sticking to your clothing, what a sight! Craklyn, I thought you were supposed to be helping with the Dibbuns’ bedtime.
Goodness knows what time those babes will get up to the dormitory tonight when they haven’t even been fed yet! Oh,
and another thing ...”
Arven’s voice cut strongly across the bankvole’s tirade: “Enough! That will do, Sister Viola!”
Tansy took advantage of Viola’s huffy silence to say, “Thank you, Sister, we will be in to dine shortly. Meanwhile,
would you be good enough to take my chair and order the meal to start in my absence? But do not send the Dibbuns to
bed. I have something to say for all Redwallers to hear.”
Viola seemed to swell up with die importance of her mission. Nothing she could think of pleased her more than
taking the Abbess’s place, albeit only for a short time. The bankvole swept off back to the Abbey, cloak aswirt with
the wind.
Craklyn watched her go as they made their way toward the Abbey pond to wash. “Hmph! That bankvole,
sometimes I think a swift kick in the bustle would do her the world of good.”
Tansy stifled a smile as she reproved her friend. “Sister Viola is a good and dutiful creature, and she can’t help
being a bit overzealous at times. Mayhap we could all take a little lesson from her devotion to detail.”
The bustle and chatter of good company was always a keynote to Redwall dining. Great Hall was packed with
Redwallers, eating and conversing across well-laden tables. Golden and brown crusts of batch loaves, nut-bread, and
oatfarl shone in the candlelight; tureens of steaming barley and beet soup, filled with corn dumplings, were placed at
intervals, between hot cheese and mushroom flans and fresh spring salads. Flagons of spiced fruit cordial and
dandelion tea vied for place with pear and chestnut turnovers, apple and cream puddings, and two huge wild cherry
and almond cakes. Many of the elders sat Dibbuns on their laps, sharing their plates with the Abbeybabes. The young
ones were jubilant at the chance to stay up late.
Arven and the moles came to the table in Tansy’s wake. The good Abbess signaled Viola to stay where she was, in
the big chair at the head of the table. Shoving Sloey the mouse-babe and Gubbio the Dibbun mole playfully apart,
Tansy placed herself between them on the low bench, saying, “Move aside there, you two great fatties, let a poorbeast
in!”
Sloey looked up from her soup as she moved to make room. “Big fatty y’self, marm. Wot you be late for?”
Gubbio spoke for his Abbess as he munched a large slice of cake. “Apportant bizness, oi surpose.”
Tansy ladled soup for herself, winking at the molebabe. “Aye, mate, apportant bizness it was!”
The meal continued in no great hurry, a low buzz of conversation accompanying it. Time was never a factor when
victuals were being taken at Redwall. When Tansy judged the moment was right, she stood up and nodded to Viola.
The bankvole rang a small pawbell which was on the table near where she sat. Talk died away and Dibbuns were
shushed as Tansy addressed her creatures.
“My friends, listen carefully. As your Mother Abbess I have something to tell you. Now there is no cause for
alarm, but Foremole Diggum, Arven, Craklyn, some other good moles, and myself have inspected the structure of our
Abbey’s outer wall is today. For some reason as yet unknown to us, the south wall is in a dangerous state.”
Shad, a big otter who occupied the gatehouse as Keeper, was immediately up on his paws. “What’s t’be done,
marm?”
Tansy gestured to Diggum, and the Foremole answered for her: “Hurr, furstly us’n’s needs to foind out whoi ee be
unsafe, on’y then’ll us be able to fixen ee wall.”
With Tansy’s permission, Arven was next to speak. “There’s no need for anybeast to worry, but we must set a few
sensible rules for the safety of all. From tomorrow we will fence off an area isolatin’ the entire south wall. Please do
not hang about near it. Carry on with your chores and pleasures as normal, and see that none of our little ’uns try to
play in (he area, because it will be dangerous for a while. Lots of stone and rubble are bound to be lying about when
the wall is demolished.”
An incredulous murmur arose ’round Great Hall.
“They’re going to knock down the south wall, demolish it!”
Shad the Gatekeeper thwacked the table with his thick tail, silencing the talkers. “Hearken t’me! Wot’s all the
bother about? Stands t’sense that a wobbly wall ’as t’be knocked down afore y’can build it back right. You ’card
Abbess Tansy, there ain’t no cause to worry!”
Pellit, a fat dormouse kitchen helper, shook his head knowingly. “Huh, just wait until the first vermin comin’ up
the path spots the wall knocked down. That’ll be the time to start wor-ryin’!”
A loud hubbub broke out as a result of the dormouse’s observation, and argument and dispute took over until Great
Hall was in uproar. Many of the Abbeybabes, upset by the noise, began wailing with fright.
Without warning, Viola Bankvole leapt up onto the table. Seizing a big empty earthenware basin, she raised it high
and sent it crashing to the floorstones. The noise of it smashing to fragments caused a momentary silence. That was
enough for Viola; she was in, her voice ringing out sternly: “Silence! Be quiet, I say! Have you no manners at all? You
there, Brother Sedum, and you, Pellit, take these babes off to bed right now! The rest of you, stop behaving like a pack
of wild vermin. Shame on you! Arven, you are Abbey Warrior, tell these silly creatures of your plans!”
Arven had made no plans at all, but he took the center floor and made them up boldly as he went along, his voice
ringing with confidence to reassure the listeners.
“My plans, yes—1 was just coming to that before all the shouting started. Foremole Diggum and his moles will
take care of the demolition and rebuilding, together with any of you he chooses to assist him. The work will be carried
out in shifts, so that the job will be completed as soon as possible. Meanwhile I’m sure our friend Shad will contact the