Redwall: Book Two: Chapters 13–23

Really, it’s thanks to Sister Germaine for keeping such fastidious records, young mouse.

His concentration broken, he stepped awkwardly upon a joist and tripped heavily into the thick dust.

Swinging the bird forwards, Matthias pushed her through the narrow aperture, squeezing through after her with great difficulty.

Killconey the ferret extolled the virtues of his weasel friend, Scragg, who had met his death at the foot of the big elm tree.

Darkclaw sided with them while trying to placate the others, attempting to keep a foot in either camp, should it come to a vote.

Take these miserable turncoats out of my sight.

When they were sufficiently recovered to start again, Matthias tried the sandstone center rib of the window. It was carved into a profusion of curlicues and niches which made the climb considerably easier.

Matthias undid the twine that pinioned the sparrow’s wings, and Warbeak flapped her wings experimentally.

“Maybe a silly bunch of rats could put one over on Sela. Huh, she was old and had lost a lot of her guile. Not like me! They hadn’t reckoned with a smart intelligent young fox like I am. I’ll show them! Revenge will be mine! They’ll see what it’s like to be up against an expert in espionage.”

He gazed around at the homely little room.

They cowered before him as he shouted out a new edict. “Foolworms! Stop! King say no killee mouse! We have Sparra word of my sister’s eggchick.”

Matthias bowed deferentially to her. “Thank you, Dunwing. You are a very brave sparrow. You put yourself and Warbeak in great peril, saving me as you did.”

Only in moments of urgency would Dunwing remind him of his vow, knowing that Bull Sparra was a dangerous despot.

The sparrows showed no kindness or civility to one another, often fighting savagely among themselves on the slightest pretext.

One wrong word might spell death for Dunwing and Warbeak. He must affect ignorance to allay the King’s suspicions.

The captains, hoping to curry favor with Cluny, harangued the hapless runners: “Pick your feet up, you lily-livered scum! Come on, lift that ram properly, you idle devils.”

Cluny goggled in thunderstruck silence at the audacious Basil, who merely scowled in mock censure.

Cluny goggled in thunderstruck silence at the audacious Basil, who merely scowled in mock censure.

Basil leaped to his feet and hobbled gamely in front of Cluny, shielding Jess.

A small green spiky chestnut still in its husk bounced off the vociferous ferret’s head.

Instantly his followers scrambled into the bushes as their Chief ripped the tapestry into shreds, his mighty claws rending and tearing as he roared madly: “It’s a fake, a copy, worthless trash. Aaaaaarrgh!”

“I fear that Cluny tore up one of your oldest and most venerable dishrags. Alas, Redwall will never see it wipe another plate!”

Nevertheless, the eaves and the roof cracks magnified the sighing and moaning of the vagrant wind, driving the young mouse back to snuggle up once more as he had often done in his own bed in the dormitory.

The rope went taut and he came to a sudden halt, the boisterous wind buffeted him about like a feather.

Dunwing leaned back, trying to dig her claws in somewhere to check the inexorable slide.

He waited with bated breath as it came nearer.

Friar Hugo’s cry galvanized the fox into action.

Before he left he wanted to fondle his treasures once more, to reassure himself that they were an auspicious start to his new venture.

Blue-gold tinged with pink, each dewdrop turned into a scintillating jewel, spiders’ webs became glittering filigree, birdsong rang out as if there had never been a day as fresh and beautiful as this one.

Blue-gold tinged with pink, each dewdrop turned into a scintillating jewel, spiders’ webs became glittering filigree, birdsong rang out as if there had never been a day as fresh and beautiful as this one.

The Warlord leaped down from his rostrum and seized the trembling miscreant, booting him forward into plain view of the army.

It was going to be a long march to Redwall, burdened as they were with the battering ram and all the paraphernalia of destruction.

In the stygian gloom he saw the late rose. It was bathed in a pale blue light. What was it doing here in this dark netherworld?

“But it would be churlish to begrudge Basil’s requests. After all, he did recapture our tapestry from Cluny. It was a very daring deed.”

“You forgot the October nutbrown ale, sir.”
“Good Lord, so I did! Er, just four flagons, thank you, my good mouse.”

He had made steady progress through the woods. Nothing untoward had occurred.

The defenders had the advantage. This soon became clear when a platoon of otters on the ramparts unloosed a rattling fusillade of heavy pebbles.

“Not a very well organized initial sortie for the invincible horde. Our chaps took the wind out of their sails, what?”

Cheesethief came hurrying up, urging on the contingent of battering-ram carriers.

When the last vestiges of twilight were gone, Constance called the captains together.