Mossflower Part 42

"Foulwhisker, Your Majesty."

"Well done, Foulwhisker. Good weasel. Yes, we'll stay safe in Kotir all summer, with plenty of supplies for everyone. Then in autumn we'll burn the woodlanders and their forest together."

Brogg was on his paws again. "Well, mates, I'm all for it. A lazy summer with lots of grub. I vote we stay here with 342.

four Queen. She's not afraid of woodlanders. Huh, she even f'shot their boss tonight."

A cheer rang out from the troops. It was not wildly enthusiastic, but at least it carried a note of optimism.

>BeIla and Lady Amber bent over Martin.

"Looks as if he's coming round," the badger reported : thankfully.

T. B. held the sling pouch with the arrow still sticking from it. "It would have been a different story without this stone carrier."

* Bella bathed Martin's brow with cool water. "Even allowing for that, it's not exactly a scratch, is it."

Martin opened his eyes and immediately tried to stand, but Amber pushed him back. "Be still," she said firmly. "It's only by luck you weren't really injured. Bella, stick some herbs on his wound and bind it up."

"What hour is it, Gonff?" Martin asked, looking at the sky.

"Not long before midnight, matey."

"Bella, thank you. But please stop fussing over me like a mother hedgehog. I must get up. There is important work to be done."

Bella extended a paw. "Then up you come, warrior. Gonff and I will help you. What is this important work that cannot wait?"

Martin tested his leg experimentally, and winced. "I must get to Wuddshipp tonight."

"Well, jump on my back. It's quite broad enough to bear a mouse-even a wounded warrior.' *

With Gonff walking in front to clear the path for Bella, they made their way through the warm woodland night.

Bula the otter lay crouched on the foredeck. She watched the dark shapes materialize silently from the trees by the bank.

"Who goes there?" she challenged them.

"Corim of Mossflower."

"Advance and be recognized."

"Bula, you old shrimp-chaser!"

"Gonff, you little pie bandit. h.e.l.lo, Miz Bella. What news? Martin, are you hurt? What happened?"

343.

Martin slid from Bella's back and leaned on his sword. "It's nothing, Bula. Is everything ready?"

"As ready as it'll ever be, Martin."

Bula gave a short bark, and her four companions appeared on deck.

Martin gave a last fond look at Wuddshipp as she rode at anchor on the River Moss, then he nodded to Bula.

"Sink her!"

"Scuttle Wuddshipp, matey? Are you out of your mind?" Gonff blinked in disbelief.

Bella laid a heavy paw gently on the mousethief. "Martin knows what he's doing, Gonff."

With a splash the five otters dived into die river and were momentarily lost to sight in the dark water. When they surfaced they were at opposite ends of the craft, three for'ard, two astern. Clamped in their jaws were rope hawsers which ran to the ship. They began swimming strongly, tugging Wuddshipp around so that she drifted until stem and stern faced opposite banks. Now Wuddshipp stood side on across the River Moss.

The otters emerged, dripping. Pa.s.sing the headropes to Bella, they dived back in and joined their friends on the other bank. "Make those stern ropes fast to that big oak," Martin called out to them. "Give some slack to allow her sinkage. We'll make her fast to this beech over here,"

Diving back into the water, the otters boarded the vessel amidships. Bula handed out wooden mallets, and they went below. She pointed out the inlets under the oardecks.

' 'Knock those spigots and seac.o.c.ks wide open, crew. Let the water in."

They went at it with a will. Soon the river was gushing in from eight different points and the bilgewater level rose swiftly. Bula took one last look around, satisfied that the job was done.

"She's filling fast, crew. All ash.o.r.e!" she ordered.

Martin stood on the bank with them. They watched Wuddshipp list slightly with the flow, then the black ship began sinking lower in the water. Above the gurgling flow and creaking timbers, Gonff could be heard singing a mournful farewell, 344.

You carried us safe o'er the water, So proudly you sailed the blue sea.

Now lie on the bed of a river, To help make old Mossflower free.

But here in our hearts we will keep you, Wuddshipp.

Like a great bird of freedom upon that last trip, With the wind in my whiskers, Surrounded by friends.

Sleep deeply, old Wuddshipp, Your voyaging ends.

The little mousethief sniffed as he wiped a paw across his eyes. "It's a good thing Log-a-Log isn't here, matey."

Stem and stern sank levelly as the vessel went down. With A cascading ripple the waters broke over her midship rail.

Martin turned away. "Come on, Gonff. I can't bear to watch her any more."

A pale silver moon dappled the forest floor as they made their way back to the camp outside Kotir. Bella, with Martin on her back, lumbered through the calm summer night, flanked by Gonff and Bula.

"Don't fret. It was a great act of sacrifice, a brave thing. Boar would have been proud of you both," she consoled them in her gruff, gentle voice.

Bula was a little more cheerful. "I'll bet you when this is all over that Skipper will find a way to refloat your Wuddshipp. "

Gonff looked across at the otter. "D'you really think so? You're not just saying it to make us feel better?"

Bula winked. "Of course not. We never stoved her in, just opened the inlets. She's not damaged. Don't you worry, matey. Skipper'11 sort it out. He's got other things in his head beside water in his ears, that's for sure."

Back at the river, only the tops of stem, stern and masts were showing. The bilges had settled deep into the river bed under the steady pressure and weight of inflowing water.

Now the River Moss was blocked. It began overflowing its banks, backing up and pressing against the sunken ship that barred its course. In less than an hour there were only three points where the dammed-up river could find escape.

345.

Straight down the flood tunnels!

The swirling waters gushed in with a thunderous rumble. A creamy brown deluge poured underground, sweeping earth, loam, twigs and rocks along in its mad rush. It ripped through the tunnels, tearing and battering at the walls until the shor-ings were swept away and the whole thing was welded into one great torrential underground bore, hurtling toward the lowlands where Kotir stood.

Foremole and Old Dinny were dozing over the crusts of a deeper V ever pie when they felt the ground reverberate under them. Foremole pressed his snout into the loam.

"Thurr she goes, Owd Din. Doant need no diggen claws to tell 'ee wot be 'appenen unnerground."

"Ho urr, they varments soon be getten a gurt barth o1 thurr loives, oi do b'leeve."

"Harr, stan' on moi tunnel, oi'd 'ate t'be they!"

Mossflower slept on through the night, which was still and calm.

But only on the surface.

Whegg the rat yawned and shivered. He tugged the old grain sack which served as a cloak tighter about his skinny body against the afterdawn freshness. The morning had started cloudy, with little sunlight to provide warmth up on the flat roof where he was stationed on watch. Brogg came stamping up. Rubbing his paws together, he glanced over the battlements at the still woodland.

"Quiet night, eh, Whegg?"

"Aye, bit chilly though, and they're still out there," Whegg reported.

"Those squirrels been shooting again?"

"Nah. They don't if we don't. But I think there's something going on down there."

Brogg squatted down beside Whegg.

"Ahh, what can they do? You heard the Queen. We'll just sit tight here until the moment's right."

"Huh, sez she! Those woodlanders aren't as green as they're gra.s.s-colored," Whegg answered back cheekily.

Brogg shoved him playfully. "You let me and Milady worry about that. Had your breakfast yet?"

346.

"No, not yet. I'm starving. Any chance of slipping off for a bite to eat, matey?"

"Matey! You mean Captain, don't you?" ; "All right. Captain, then."

"Aye, go on. But send a relief up here. I've got other filings to do beside standing guard for the like of you."

Whegg rubbed the stiffness from his limbs as he hobbled downstairs, making for the pantry rather than the mess as Acre was more chance of food down near the larder. A fox pa.s.sed him, wiping and scrubbing its paws against the stones.

"Damp down there, mate. Water's coming up between the pantry floorstones," he warned.

"Water? Where?"

They both looked up to see Tsarmina coming down the stairs. The fox beckoned over his shoulder.

"Down there, Milady. Anyhow, it's always been damp below stairs."

Whegg shook his head. "Only in the cells and beneath them, not on ground level. Besides, it's summer, and there hasn't been a drop of rain since spring."

Tsarmina pushed past them urgently. "Follow me you' two!"

. They hurried down to the pantry pa.s.sage. Water was leaking through the floor, and all three jumped back onto the bottom stairs.

"It was only damp when I was here a moment ago," the fox said in surprise. "Look, you can see the water covering die floor now!"

Whegg touched the water with his paw. "But how? I mean, where has it all come from?"

Tsarmina's eyes were riveted on the water. "Get through to the dungeons, rat," she said shakily. "Tell the guards there to come up and report to me. They'll know."

Whegg saluted. Stepping gingerly down, he slopped off along the wet pa.s.sage.

Tsarmina backed up several stairs and waited.

Moments later, Whegg came swishing hurriedly back, his lace a mask of disbelief.

"Milady, the staircase to the cells is completely underwater. It's like looking into a well. Ugh! There are two drowned weasels floating in there."

347.

Wild-eyed, Tsarmina began rubbing her paws as if trying to dry herself. Suddenly she turned and bounded upstairs. Soldiers' voices were shouting everywhere.

"The parade ground's like a lake!"

"Bottom barracks is flooded!"

"The supplies will be ruined!"

"Front hall's awash, mates!"

"All the cell guards have been drowned!"

Screams and cries rang in her ears as the Queen hurried to her chamber. Grabbing the bow from the wall, she began firing arrow after arrow at the empty face of the woodlands.

"Show yourselves! Martin, come out and fight!" she shrieked.

In the high branches of a poplar, Martin stood, supported by Lady Amber and four squirrels.