"Blunderin' idiots!"
There was an immense tug on his legs. Instantly he was swinging back and forth as he dangled upside-down from a spring rope tied to a tree limb. His head cracked painfully against that of Frink, who was also suspended upside down by a rope.
Back at the camp, Bigfang had scrambled upright and was shouting, though his nose looked like a ripe plum ready to burst.
"See, I told you it was squirrels. I was rightthe rabbit said so!"
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Chains clinked as hammers thudded, sending keen-tipped chisels biting through the chains and fetters of the oarslaves. Foremole patted each one fondly upon the head as they were freed.
"Hurr, guddbeasts, you'm go naow an' jump in 'ee barth, thurr be clean cloathen an' vittles aplenty when you'm warshed!"
Mother Mellus wiped her eyes on a spotted kerchief. "You can almost see their bones sticking out, poor little things!"
Flagg struck the last of the chains free. "Don't fret, marm. They've got mouths to eat withthey'll soon be fat as hogs."
Gabriel Quill sniffed. "Speak for yourself, stream-dog!"
oo
Before they went to the dormitories, Clary and his
friends sat with Foremole and the crew around the
fireplace in Cavern Hole, drinking a nightcap of mulled
October ale.
"Excellent night's work, chaps. Eight down, twelve
to go, wot?" Thyme stared into the flames. "Right you are, old
sport, but it's goin' to get much harder each time, now
that they know what we're really after. Much jolly well
harder." Hon Rosie emptied her tankard at a single gulp.
"Clary, may I?"
"Oh, I s'pose so. Permission t' carry on, Rosie." "I say, Clary, thanks. Whoohahahahahooh!" Dan'1 and Groaby banged their tankards down upon
the hearth, wincing visibly at the ear-splitting sound. "Gwaw! That's et, oi'm arf t' bed!" "Hurr, an' oi too, afore oi'm deafened fer loif!"
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Captain Catseyes of the Seatalon patted the new sword at his side proudly. Never had a searat set eyes upon such a sword as this. He watched the two new oarslaves bending their backs as they pulled in stroke with the others.
"Up an' one, an' down an' two, Bend yer backs an' curse yer birth. Up an' one, an' down an' two, Pull those oars fer all your worth!"
The grating voice of the slavedriver echoed across the benches as he strode up and down, flicking his cruel whip, reciting the crude rowing poem as he laid out about him.
"Up an' one, an' down an' two, Some have backs without no hide. Up an' one, an' down an' two, Those who couldn't row have died. Up an' one, an' down an' two, Here's a gift from me to you!"
He lashed out with the whip. An oarslave arched his back and screamed.
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Catseyes nodded toward Dandin and Durry. "The two new 'uns, how are they shapin' up, Blodge?"
Blodge the slavedriver flicked his whip toward the pair. "No better or worse than the rest o' them, Cap'n. Though they're still fresh an' strong, a season or so eatin' slave slops an' the weight of that oar they're chained to should knock some o' the starch out of 'em."
Catseyes strode down the alleyway between the oars until he was facing Dandin. The searat Captain drew the sword, watching the lantern lights playing up and down the length of its wondrous blade.
"You don't look much like a warrior mouse. Where'd a liddle fish like you come by a blade such as this beauty?"
Dandin's eyes blazed fire at the Captain of the Seatalon. "I am Dandin of Redwall. That is the sword of Martin the Warrior. You are not fit to wear it, rat!"
Catseyes nodded to Blodge. The slavedriver flailed his whip hard against Dandin's back. The young mouse did not even flinch, he continued to glare his hatred at the searat Captain. Catseyes laughed.
"Feisty Hddle brute, ain't you. Well, we'll see about that."
Fishtail the mate leaned across the rail, listening to his Captain's instructions as Terramort Isle appeared like a tiny pinpoint on the horizon.
"Cap'n Flogga should be there with the Rathelm. It could be dangerous fer me, Fishtail I'm no friend of Gabool or Flogga. When we drop anchor in Terramort cove, I want you to go up to Fort Bladegirt an' spy out the lay o' the land. Take most of the crew with yer, matey. I'll be all right aboard here with Blodge an' five others. Stay well armed an' careful, keep an eye peeled on that Gabool and learn if anybeast brought Graypatch back an' claimed the booty from the Darkqueen's hold. Oh, an' you might have a chat with Flogga, see if he favors Gabool, an' listen out fer any talk of the other
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Cap'ns formin' an alliance against Gabool. But mind what I say, matey: be careful of Gaboolhe's wild, an' crazy with it. I'll wait aboard this ship for yer return.
Got that?"
"Aye aye, Cap'n. Leave it t' me."
oo
The gruff voice of Blodge rang through the galley. "Ship oars, me lucky buckos. We'll ride in to Terramort on
the swell."
All around Dandin and Durry the oarslaves leaned heavily on their oars, bringing the shafts down and locking them by wedging the ends beneath the benches, thus leaving the oarblades sloping high out of the sea to port and starboard, giving Seatalon the appearance of a bird with outspread wings as she drifted toward Terramort on billowing sails.
Durry licked his paws gently. "I feel powerful sorry for the pore child who owns these paws. What my o' nuncle'd say if he saw his fav'rite nephew a-chained up in some scurvy searats' galley I fears to think!"
Dandin wiped beading sweat from his brow. "I wonder where we are."
The little oarslave directly in front of him, a field-mouse named Copsey, provided the answer.
"We're coasting into Terramort. Didn't you hear Blodge? It makes no difference where we drop anchor, us rowers stay right here, chained to our benches. That's the life of an oarslave, Dandin."
She bent her head against the oar and rested. Dandin patted her scarred back. "Not if I can help it, Copsey." Wooden bowls were passed among the slaves. They leaned toward the alleyway, each holding the big bowl in their right paw, the smaller in the left. Blodge passed with his assistant, a small, evil-faced rodent named Clatt. They had with them two wooden buckets, one full of boiled barley meal, the other of water. Blodge filled the large bowls with water, Clatt the smaller ones with barley meal. Both rats thought it great fun to slop
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the water or meal carelessly at a bowl so that it missed and splashed upon the deck.
"Come on, scum. Lively now, an' hold those bowls out straight!"
"Aye, we're too kind to you idlers, treat you like a pair o' nursemaids, we do. Hee hee hee!"
Using their paws to eat the lukewarm mess, Dandin and Durry listened in to Blodge and Clatt's conversation.
"When I get to Bladegirt I'm gonna grab some roasted seabird an' sweet wine an' some o' those sugary dried fruits King Gabool keeps."
"Huh, you goin' to Fort Bladegirt? No such luck, Clatt. You're stayin' aboard with me'n Cap'n Catseyes an' four others."
"Gerrout, Blodge. Yer jokin' with me!"
"Cap'n's orders, matey. Do as yer told, or else!" Blodge drew a claw across his throat, indicating what would happen.
Clatt threw the bucket down, its contents slopping out onto the deck. "Hell's teeth! We may's well be oarslaves, stuck aboard this old tub all the time while others are havin' a good leave on Terramort. It's not right, mate, I tell ye. I'm sick an' fed up with it!"