The Bellmaker Part 11

Gritting his teeth, Meldrum braced long hindpaws against the floor as he worried and tugged the hingepin. "Come out! Out, I say, sir! Gotcha, you rusty blighter!" The door stood free of its hinges, held only by the bolt staple. Meldrum the Magnificent winked at his comrades. "Stage one completed! Stage two, how to proceed with a simple escape. Lissen carefully in the ranks than!"

161.

The rat on guard was rudely awakened by panicked cries from the new prisoners.

"Guard, help, help! Aagh! Look what's in our cell! Help!"

Grumbling to himself, he shouldered his spear and lurched dozily along the corridor. "Wot is it now? Will you three in there give your gobs a rest! Soon as I can, I'm goin' to 'ave yous gagged!" He appeared at the spyhole waving his spear. "Shut that noise up, wot's the matter... ?"

Das.h.i.+ng from the far side of the cell the three prisoners hurled themselves bodily at the door.

Cras.h.!.+

The staple holding the bolt flew from the wall as the door thudded flat into the corridor with the guard beneath it. Reaching under the door, Meldrum retrieved the guard's spear and unfastened the keys from his belt. Marie! twirled her new Gullwhacker.

Dandin motioned them to be silent. "Sshh! Let's wait a moment to see if the noise has alerted anybeast..."

They stood stock-still for a short while. There was no response or indication that anyone had heard. Meldrum stole softly down the corridor, spear poised, to see if rats were on their way. As he pa.s.sed one cell, a hoa.r.s.e voice called him. "Meldrum the Magnificent, is it really you?"

The hare had to look twice through the spyhole before he recognized the cell's occupant. "Seasons of slaughter! King Gael!"

Swiftly unlocking the door, he hauled forth a squirrel, thin to the point of emaciation. Mariel and Dandin hurried forward to help support the frail figure of the Squirrelking.

A raucous cackle issued from the next cell. "Gwaw!

Norra nuff to mayka dinna thirr!"

Dandin peered through the spyhole, but withdrew hastily as the tip of a pointed beak sought his eye. Meldrum drew him to one side and, using the speartmtt, the hare rapped the beak sharply until it withdrew. Standing a cautious distance away, he looked through the spyhole.

Mariel was filled with curiosity. "What is it? What's in there?" she said.

"Kchakchakcha! Glokkpod inna hirr!" "By the ancient ears of me grandsires," said Meldrum, turning to Mariel and Dandin, "it's a shrike!" "What's a shrike?" both mice chorused together. The hare pointed to the cell with his spear. "A maniac killer, that's what a shrike is. Butcher Birds some call 'em! Not as big as some owls, bigger'n most hawks hereabouts, but more dangerous than the lot of 'em! Stab y'to death with that beak an' hang you out on a thombush like some cob o' meat, that's why they're known as Butcher Birds. Very rare, 'stremely dangerous!"

There was a flap on the bottom of the door to allow food to be pushed in. Meldrum held it up to let his friends see the shrike.

Gael sat against the far wall of the corridor breathing heavily.

"He's called Glokkpod," said the Squirrelking. "He flew in there when they were replacing the old bars, and they blocked the window. Poor bird's been living in the dark-they torment it with spears just for ftm."

Mariel and Dandin could see the strange bird. It was indeed a great, red-backed shrike. The mousemaid murmured in a kindly tone to it, "h.e.l.lo there, don't be afraid 163.

of us. I'm Mariel and this is Dandin, Meldrum, and Gael."

Obviously crazed through captivity, the shrike laughed. "Kchakchakcha! I Glokkpod, 'fraida nothin, Glokkpod killa! Watcha me alltime, badbird!"

Dandin looked away from the wild glittering eyes. "Whew! Wouldn't like to meet him on a dark night."

Glokkpod inched closer to the flap. "Wouldan like meet me anytime, mousa!"

Meldrum shoved the shrike back with his spearb.u.t.t, saying, "This is gettin' us nowhere, chaps. We've got to make good our escape an' take poor ol' Gael with us. I say there, Glukkpuddle, or whatever y'call y'self, listen! If you ain't with us, you're against us. 'Fraid I haven't time t' bandy words with you, understand?"

He received a swift reply. "Openna door longears, Glokkpod witcha, killa rats, lotsa rats!"

The hare unlocked the cell and, standing to one side, be shoved the door open with his speartip. Glokkpod hopped out, eyes glittering, beak flicking from side to side. "Glokkpod badbird, killa anybist!"

Mariel whispered to Dandin, "Looks like we've caught a whirlwind by the tail!" Swinging her Gull whacker, she brought it within a hairbreadth of the shrike's eye. "Try killing this bist, and you're a loser!"

Completely unafraid, Glokkpod winked one beady eye at her. "Glokkpod make jokah, kchakchakcha! On'y killa rats!"

"Help! Help! Murder! Escapin' prisoners, rouse the guard!" The rat sentry had crawled out from under the fallen door-he scampered off down the corridor in the opposite direction of the escapers, shrieking full blast.

164.

He was too far away to be caught-Meldrum's spear bounced harmlessly off the wall, and he threw up his paws in disgust.

"Tchah! That's blown it; they'll be on us in force soon. Which way now. We can't go down, they'll be comin' up!"

Mariel shouldered her Gullwhacker. "Like I said yesterday, there's only one way to go. Up!"

The sound of ma.s.ses of hordebeasts das.h.i.+ng toward them clinched the issue. Supporting Gael, the three friends sped along the corridor and up the flight of stairs at the far end. Glokkpod brought up the rear.

It was a stone spiral staircase, and it did not take them long to realize they were in a narrow round tower. The stairs seemed to continue endlessly upward, terminating in a small circular chamber. Sounds of guards pounding their way upward reached them. Dandin shut the door and barred it from the inside. Crossing to a narrow slit window he looked out.

"We're twice as high up as we were before; it makes me dizzy just looking down. We're as high up as anybeast can go in this castle. Let's face it, we've trapped ourselves good and proper this time!"

As he spoke, the first spearblades and axeheads came cras.h.i.+ng through the door.

15.

Late afternoon found Pearl Queen riding dangerously low in the water. Heavy, swelling seas and an overcast sky were causing Finnbarr Galedeep problems. He muttered from between clenched teeth to Joseph as they fought to push the tiller hard over. "We're s.h.i.+ppin' too much water, mate. Got to get 'er out o' this Roarn'burn current an' find land where we can make the Queen s.h.i.+pshape agin!"

A fork of lightning crackled across the western horizon. Joseph glanced up at the storm-bruised clouds. "Aye, and we'd better make land soon, Finnbarr."

Durry and Rufe stood in line, pa.s.sing basins, bowls and buckets-anything the crew could lay their paws on to pa.s.s down the for'ard locker, where Log-a-Log and Rosie were bailing out furiously.

Foremole felt useless. Stricken by a severe attack of seasickness, he sat in the scuppers moaning softly. "Hurr, ^oi must be the furst ever green mole t' put t' sea. Burr, shame on oi! 'Ow be it goin', maister Quill?"

a& Durry staggered on the bucking deck as he emptied a 165.

166.

bucket over the side. "Not good at all, Foremole; the water's coming in so fast an' the sea's so heavy that it's making the hole bigger!" Thunder boomed directly overhead, causing the crew to jump.

Finnbarr yelled orders as he clung gamely to the tiller. "Slack sail afore we're driven under. Slack sail! Keep balin* below decks there, messmates... Whoooooooaaah!" Pearl Queen lurched mightily as she stewed out of the Roaringburn current to eastward. Rain came in torrents, las.h.i.+ng and stinging, wind-driven curtains of it, until it was difficult for the crew to see one another. Night set in without warning, aided by the dark stormy skies. Pearl Queen was driven scudding sideways across the face of the deeps, sails torn and flapping, lines and ropes whipping viciously, and masts creaking as she settled lower in the water.

"Belay the bailin'," Finnbarr bellowed. " Tis doin' no good; we're in the paws o' fate now, mateys. Lash yerselves fast to anythin' that won't be washed overboard!"

Rosie and Log-a-Log were hauled out of the locker. They grabbed ropes and made themselves fast to the rails with the rest of the crew. Several of the shrews trapped Foremole as he came rolling past, a wet, furred ball of misery. "Wohurr, let oi be drownded zurrs, loif b'aint gudd no mores furr the loikes of oi. Buhurr!"

Drenched as he was, Durry could see that Rufe was weeping from the way his body shook in the ropes that held him fast. The good hedgehog clutched his friend tightly. "Bad luck fer us all, Rufey, but you stick by me and we'll go down t'gether. I won't leave ye to sink alone, Rufe Brush."

167.

The young squirrel buried his head against Durry's chest where the spines gave way to softer fur. "Will they remember us for a long time at Redwall, Durry?" he wept.

The hedgehog gagged as he spat salt spray from his mouth. "Always, Rufe, that's how long they'll recall us. Father Abbot'11 put up a marker stone with our names on, an' Mother Mellus'll teach young Dibbuns about us an' how bravely we perished. We'll be famous, I bet."

Chain lightning lit up the whole eastern horizon as Joseph looked up. Suddenly he smiled through the torrential gale and cried out, "Land ho!"

Finnbarr Galedeep grabbed Joseph's paw in a viselike grip. "Land ye say, Bellmaker-where away?"

"Due east. We're headed straight for it; that's if we don't fill up and sink first. Keep looking east, Finnbarr. Next lightning flash will light it up."

All the sea otter could see was black night, rain, and spray in front of him. Suddenly there was a roll of thunder and sheet lightning illuminated everywhere, revealing a rocky coastline jutting up less than a league away! The realization that he could save his s.h.i.+p and crew sent Finnbarr roaring out commands again. "Untie yerselves, mates. Start bailin' agin! Log-a-Log, get yoreself in the bows an' watch out for reefs! Hoist for'ard sails to keep 'er stem up! Lively now-jump to it, me lucky buckoes!"

Pearl Queen became a hive of activity amid the storm. * Even Foremole picked himself up at the mention of land and began bailing furiously. While Joseph supervised fleck operations, Rosie took several creatures up into the rigging to set the sails. Rufe and Durry scurried raid to the highest sails, Rosie ahead of them. The i68 .

vessel heeled perilously as a towering wave struck her broadside on, and there was a piercing squeal.

The shrew named Patch had been swept from a lower yardarm, and now he hung upside down, one footpaw snarled in a rope line. Rufe Brush was the only one who could see Patch, dangling wrong way up, his head dipping under every time the s.h.i.+p swayed to port. Leaving Durry and Rosie to deal with the topsails, Rufe climbed back down to help the shrew. Battered by the blinding spray Rufe inched out along the low yardarm, calling to the shrew, "Hang on, matey. I'm comin'!"

The entire yardarm dipped deep below the sea's boiling surface. Rufe locked both footpaws and tail around the timbers and reached out, catching Patch by his ears. He pulled and hauled, the shrew alternately screeching in pain and swallowing water, but Rufe tugged savagely, knowing if he let go, Patch was lost. With a mighty effort he hauled the shrew right side up, draping him across the yardarm. Rufe s.n.a.t.c.hed the rapier from Patch's belt and hacked loose the rope that had trapped the shrew's foot-paw. Then, fastening the unconscious shrew close to him with his own belt, Rufe clambered down into Finnbarr's waiting paws and collapsed with Patch in a heap on the deck.

The sea otter blew stormwater from his whiskers, shaking his head in admiration at the plucky rescue. "Yore a brave liddle beast, Rufe. I never seen a creature so game in all me born days, an' that's a fact!"

Suddenly a single clap of thunder rang out directly above Pearl Queen, followed by an immense lightning bolt that struck the s.h.i.+p. An eerie blue light enveloped every creature aboard, as their fur stood out straight from 169.

their bodies. There was a rending crack; the foremast snapped like a twig and was hurled off into the darkness.

"Durry! Rosie! They've gone!" Rufe Brush screamed. "They were up the mast!"

Joseph had to grab Rufe-the young squirrel was about to dive over the side and swim to find his friends. held the kicking, struggling squirrel fast. "Rufe, Rufe, have y'gone mad? You'd be drowned in a trice out there-we can't even see where the mast went!"

But there was no reasoning with the squirrel. He fought Joseph wildly, striking him with all paws. "Let me go! I've got to save Durry, he's all I've got!"

Joseph flinched as Rufe's paws battered his face. He held on grimly until there was nothing else for it.

Whack!

The st.u.r.dy Bellmaker laid Rufe senseless with a single blow to the squirrel's jaw, then he laid him down safe. "Poor Rufe, I wish you hadn't made me do that."

For what seemed endless hours the crew of the Pearl Queen battled with the elements, fighting to bring their vessel to the land, which now appeared temptingly close, but so difficult to reach. Windblown and soaked they moved with frozen paws and numbed minds, automatically forcing themselves to go about their tasks. Log-a-Log was standing far out on the prow, watching for hidden rock shoals, and he did not have time to brace himself when Pearl Queen shuddered and ground to a halt. The shrew Chieftain was thrown overboard. Fore-i'inole saw him go; he ran to the bows yelling, "Shrew woverbooooooard! *'

The crew dashed for'ard in Log-a-Log's wake, stop-sharply as they reached the bows.

170.

"Hohohoho, lookit me!" It was Log-a-Log, standing only waist deep in the water.

Finnbarr Galedeep drew both his swords, brandis.h.i.+ng them at the storm and the heaving seas. "Haharr, we beat yer; you never got Galedeep an' the Queen that time!"

Carrying Rufe on his back, Joseph called everybeast to abandon s.h.i.+p and make their way to sh.o.r.e. Foremole moved with a speed not a.s.sociated with his kind-he fairly scooted through the shallows to the dry land, where, lying flat on the beach, he kissed it fervently. "Oo urr, oi luvs ee gudd furm urth!"

The remainder of the night the crew spent miserably, crouching behind a rocky outcrop, as the storm spent its fury over the heaving seas, driving Pearl Queen even farther up onto the tideline. Without food or drink they huddled together, utterly spent and fatigued. Through the gray dawn they slept, unaware that the storm had abated and the tide had slipped silently out leaving Pearl Queen high and dry, listed over at a crazy angle. High, rolling clouds drifted westward on a calming breeze while the skies turned deep blue.

The warm sun beating down on his back, mingled with the plaintive cry of seabirds, gradually brought Joseph awake. He sat up stiffly and looked around. They were on a wide sandy beach, backed by huge brown cliffs dotted with greenery. Pearl Queen had been washed up only paces away from where the BeUmaker sat. Sometime before dawn Rufe Brush had regained consciousness, only to cry himself back to sleep with the realization that Durry had been lost at sea. Joseph drew quietly away from his slumbering form, seeing Finnbarr up and about.

171.

The sea otter had boarded his vessel and found food for breakfast, and now he was busy building a fire from dry driftwood he had gathered above the tideline. Smiling kindly, he greeted Joseph. "Mornin* t'ye, BeUmaker. Lend a paw 'ere. We'll get vittles goin' fer the crew atween us."

They mixed oatmeal with dried fruit and a little fresh water to make flat moist cakes, which they laid on a metal s.h.i.+eld from the s.h.i.+p's armory and placed over the fire. Taking dried mint leaves and honey, Joseph put them in a pan Finnbarr had brought from the s.h.i.+p and soon had a fine brew of mint tea boiling.

"Mmm, is that mint tea an' oat scones I smell?" Log-a-Log came to squat by the fire, followed by the others as the rest of the crew came awake.

Breakfast was taken thankfully. They sat on the sun-warmed sands, glad to be alive after their ordeal on the deep. Finnbarr retrieved a batch of fresh-baked scones from the s.h.i.+eld, nodding toward his s.h.i.+p. "Straight after brekkist, we'd best take a look at the Queen, she's in need of a new foremast an' a repair job to 'er hull fer starters. No tellin' wot else needs doin'."

,. Joseph sat with a comforting paw about Rufe. The young squirrel was eating: hunger and thirst had driven lum, with the BeUmaker's urging, to take some breakfast. ;.,. Joseph indicated Rufe with a nod of his head. "Finn-, the first thing we must do is to remember our two lends who were lost in last night's storm." *^ "Aye, right you are mate," said the sea otter, putting his breakfast. "Let's do that here an' now!"

172.

A small stone cairn was built on the sh.o.r.e above the tide-line soon afterward. With Joseph's help, Rufe had taken a piece of flat timber and burned a message upon it with a heated knife. The crew of Pearl Queen stood around the neat heap of stones as Rufe fixed the wood securely between the top stones facing seaward. Log-a-Log read the simple message.

"To the memory of Rosie Woodsorrel, warrior and mother. Also Durry Quill, Cellarmaster. Two Redwall friends."

Still with his paw about Rufe's shoulder, Joseph recited some words he had put together for the ceremony: "Friend is a very small word, A little sound we make, For one who is true, one who will do, Great deeds for friends.h.i.+p's sake. So while I grieve for you, my friends. Who gave all that you could give, You'll be my friends in memory, For all the days I'll live."

Tears ran openly down Foremole's honest face. "Oi doan't be knowen wot zurr Tarquin an' ee Hddle uns be a doin' wi'out miz Rose; they'm be gurtly sad!"

Log-a-Log patted the stones. "I know it sounds funny, but I miss that laugh of Rosie's."

The shrew Patch took Rufe earnestly by his paw. "Lis-sen, young un, some good always comes out o' misfortune. If'n you'd been up that mast, then you'd have been lost with 'em. But you ain't lost, an' I ain't neither, cos 173 you risked your life an* saved mine. Rufe, I'm your friend for life now!"

Though Finnbarr Galedeep was a tough-looking otter, he was deeply touched at the sight of Rufe and Patch shaking paws together over the cairn. The sea otter turned away, gazing at the high cliffs to forestall a tear dropping. But he soon forgot his sorrow.

"Stand by, crew, git yoreselves armed! We've got visitors, an' they're a-comin' fast!"

Loud war whoops split the summer morning air as ma.s.ses of creatures poured down from the cliffs, heading straight for the crew of Pearl Queen.