There, in the dim shaft of light thrown from the barely open door, he could see a table. A glint of copper told him that the basin of herbal solution stood on the tabletop. He opened the door wider and paused a momentstill no sound from within the sickbay. Good! Placing one footpaw carefully in front of the other, Veil made his way slowly to the table. With a deep sigh of relief, he let his paws sink into the dark, cool herbal mixture; now he was safe.
“Give em a good scrub, old ladnothin worse than guilty paws. Wot, wot!
Veil went stiff with shock!
Before he could make any movement, the door banged wide open and the sick bay was flooded with light. Abbess Meriam, Skipperjo, and Redfarl strode in, lanterns held high. Jodd was already in the room, sitting on a bed with a pillow plumped up behind his long ears. He winked at Veil. “Caught red-pawed, Id say, laddie buck!
Veils paws were indeed red, as deep a red as Sister Withes paws had been at breakfast last morning. The herbal mixture was red too, a dark, purple-tinged crimson. Sister Withe entered the sick bay and, brushing past Veil, she dipped a paw in the mixture and licked it.
“Beetroot juice, not very herbal, but it dyes red, as youve just found out. Poisoner!
Veil snarled, and launched himself at her, teeth bared. Jodd moved like a blur; one swift hard kick from his long footpaw connected with the ferrets chin, knocking him spark out. They moved aside as Bella shuffled into the sick bay and glanced at tile prone figure on the floor.
“So, the trick worked, she said. “Our culprit fell into your trap, Jodd. Well done!
The squirrelhare made an elegant leg. “All done by brains and beauty, marm. Wherell we put this foul felon until youre ready tdeal with him, eh?
Abbess Meriam took a key from her rope belt. “Bral Hog-morton, our Cellarkeeper, has cleared out one of his store-caves. Lock him in there for tonight.
Meriam escorted Bella back to her room, and the silver badger plumped down wearily into her armchair. “It seems we made a wrong decision all those seasons ago, Meriam. The ferretbabe grew up bad.
The Abbess glided over to sit on the edge of Myrtles bed. “So he did, but we tried our best. Its Bryony I feel sorry for. She reared Veil, and no matter what he does, she still has very deep affection for him. We should never have let her raise him; he will break her heart.
Bella nodded sadly. “What could we have done, friend? Neither you nor I would have refused to take a helpless babe into this Abbey. I think we both saw him as Bryony did, a pretty little thing, like all small creatures. Though I remember my father, Boar the Fighter, used to say, When rocks have crumbled to dust, vermin will still remain vermin. “
Meriam sat with Bella until the ancient badger fell asleep. Before she left the room, the Abbess picked up a faded scrap of parchment from where it poked out beneath the rush floor-mat. She stared at it.
Give him a name and leave him awhile, Veil may live to be evil and vile, Though I hope my prediction will fail, And evil so vile will not live in Veil.
Even as the servers laid breakfast places early next morning the news was out, starting as a whisper and growing like a grassfire until it was common gossip throughout Redwall Abbey.
“The poisoner has been caught in a trapit was Veil!
Abbess Meriam saw no point in discussing the dreadful affair; she would speak of it when the time was right. Meanwhile, she sat calm and pensive at the table, her mood affecting the many Redwallers until breakfast in Great Hall became a hushed and somber meal. Many looked toward Bryonys empty place. They nudged one another and shook their heads sympathetically; the good mousemaid would be feeling very sad this day.
When the meal was finished, the Abbess rose to make a short speech.
“Please go about your work as normal and try not to gossip loo much about last nights events. This afternoon when tea is finished, I would like you all gathered on the lawn in front of the gatehouse. To lighten the mood, Meriam smiled one of her rare smiles. “It is a beautiful morning outside, and Im sure everybeast has something to do. Come, cheer up now. Redwallers, and lets not have any creature injured in the rush for the door!
Grinning sheepishly, the diners rose and ambled slowly out.
30?
Togget, Jodd, and Barlom had put together a plate of food and a beaker of dandelion fizz. They placed them on a cloth-covered tray, with a posy of summer flowers arranged in a small jug. Bryony was sitting beneath her favorite apple tree in the orchard, head bowed. She looked up as her molefriend placed the tray in front of her.
“Coom on, missie, he said, “eat ee up an smoil, lookit that gurt long face, eell ave et rainen afore long, hurr!
The mousemaid let out a long shuddering sigh. “Oh, why, oh, why did he do it? How could he? To try to poison ... Oh, I cant bear to think of it. He must have known that hed be caught sooner or later.
The squirrelhare waggled his ears playfully. “Sooner, the way I planned it, jolly good ruse, wot!
Jodd was silenced by a glare from Barlom. The kindly mouse pushed the tray forward encouragingly, saying, “Eat something, pretty one. You wont solve anything by starving yourself. Come on, just a morsel.
Tears sprang to Bryonys eyes as she grasped the Recorders paw. “Im sure Veil didnt mean to do it, Barlom. What will they do to him?
Barlom dabbed at her tears with a spotted kerchief. “Bryony, dont waste your grief on Veil, he will only break your heart. You have a life of your own to live. Whatever punishment he receives will be according to the rules of our Abbey. There is nothing you can do to change that.
Veil hammered and banged at the thick, elm-planked door of the storecave, his voice hoarse from shouting.
“Let me out of here, dyou hear me? Open this door!
Clenching his beetroot-stained paws, he battered the door afreshYoure only a bunch of stupid mice, you aint got no right to keep me locked up; get this door open. Now! Flinging himself down on a straw pallet, he sobbed.
Skipperjo had taken charge of the storecave keys, and now the brawny otter unlocked the door, following Friar Bunfold inside as he delivered the prisoners lunch. At the sight of the food, Veil stopped weeping; he threw himself at the tray and began tearing ravenously at his meal. The Friar turned his head away in distaste as the young ferret slopped and gurgled, half-chewed food and hastily swigged drink spilling from his open mouth.
Veils eyes narrowed, and he glared hatred at his captors. “Well, whatre you two thickeads gawpin at, eh?
Skipperjo shook a warning paw at Veil. “Mind yore manners, ferret, or Ill mind em for ye!
Veil bared his needlelike teeth at the otter. “Whatll you do, streamdog? Knock me out like that big daft rabbit pal of yours did last night? Well, go ahead, everybeast in this Abbey wants to beat me up, or pull me ears off.
He switched his wrath to Bunfold. “Oh aye, I wont forget you, fatbelly. Found your precious blue jar, did you, eh? After blamin me for pinchin it. Everybeast in this lousy place hates me; I never had a chance from the first day I was brought here as a babe! He went back to eating, snuffling, and weeping around mouthfuls of food.
“I know that Bryony put the pot back secretly, Friar Bun-fold squeaked sternly, “but I didnt say anything for fear of getting her in trouble.
Veil began chuckling through his tears; it was not a pleasant sound. His eyes shifted cunningly around the storecave. Skipperjo moved to block the half-open door as the ferret held up his crimson-stained paws, laughing. “Heeheehee! Nearly got you, Friar Fatbelly, didnt I? Pity silly old Myrtle never drank enough to finish her off. Oh, but dont worry, Ill get you all before Im finished. Heehee! Veil the red-pawed poisoner, eh! Well, next time it wont be just poison Ill use, itll be a noose, a rock, a dagger, anything I can lay my blood-colored paws on. Heeheehee!