"Hahaar, I'll sleep tonight. Once I'm rid of the badger, I'll destroy that useless bell. Aye, that's it! Kill the badger an' roll the bell off the high cliffs inter the sea. What'll be left to worry me then? I've seen 'em all offGraypatch, Saltar, Bludrigg. Look out, badger. You're next, an' the bell to follow yer! Then they'll see who's the Ruler of Terramortme, Gabool, King of Searats. I'll build a new fleet, each craft bigger an' faster than Darkqueen. They'll scour the coasts for slaves, fine silks, wine an' the best of prime vittles. Haharr, Gabool won't need no bell to announce hisself; they'll know who I am wherever they see my ships hove in an' hear me name."
"Gabool, you spawn of Hell, where are you?"
The deep thunder of Rawnblade's voice vibrated
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upward from the banqueting hall. Gabool pressed an ear to his room door.
"Keep searchin', badger. I'll lead you a merry dance before I'm done with yer. Gabool ain't feared of a stripe-dog no more. Oh no, matey!"
oo
Rawnblade stood before the great bell. It was exactly as he had imagined it. Only a bellmaker with the skills of Joseph could create such a wonder. His hefty paw stroked the stained and discolored surface of the brazen object as he walked around it, reading the mysterious badger hieroglyphics near the belltop, smiling with satisfaction at the message only a badger Lord could interpret.
"That is yet to come. . . . But meanwhile!"
Rawnblade smashed a wooden stool with one blow of his sword. Picking up a severed stool leg, he began belaboring the bell.
Bongboo m bo ngaboombo ngbong!
As he struck the bell, Rawnblade breathed upon a section of the metal and rubbed it clean. He continued to smite the great bell, harder and louder.
Boombongboomboombongbooooongggg!
Peering at the polished section, the badger watched Gabool enter the banqueting hall and begin creeping up on him, sword raised to strike. Rawnblade stopped beating the bell and turned slowly.
"So, you like my music, eh, rat?"
Gabool leaped forward, his sword flashing down like lightning. Rawnblade swung his battlesword sideways, the power of the sweep knocking Gabool's blade flying; it clattered into a corner. The searat stood helpless, his paws deadened by the numbing force of the blow. Rawnblade nodded to the curved sword lying on the floor. "Pick it up and have a proper try!"
Mariel came dashing into the banqueting hall with Jospeh, Tarquin, Dandin and Durry. The mousemaid
swung her Gullwhacker, shouting, "Stand and fight, rat!"
Gabool cackled harshly. "The bellmaker's brat, eh? Go away, mouse. I've killed you once. You're naught but a ghost!"
Mariel's jaw tightened as the Gullwhacker whirled above her head. "You're wrong, seascum. I'm no ghost! I beat you once and I'm going to do it again, this time for good!"
From the corner of her eye Mariel saw the badger Lord move to attack.
"Gabool's mine, Rawnblade!"
The badger turned his head in her direction. As he did, Gabool plunged the dagger into his chest and sped through a door on the other side of the room. As the door slammed they ran to the badger Lord. He was standing straight, with the dagger protruding. Before anybeast could speak, Rawnblade pulled the dagger out and tossed it aside.
"Nearly grazed my fur when it pierced the breastplatenot bad steel for a searat dagger!"
Tarquin was tugging and shoving at the door. "Blighter's locked it!"
"Out of the way, Woodsorrel. Hurry!" Tarquin barely had time to leap aside as a stroke from Verminfate split the door in two halves. Lord Rawnblade kicked them flat.
"Don't interrupt me next time, mousemaid!"
The stairs in front of them spiraled downward. Keeping one paw against the side wall, they hurried around
the dizzying curves.
oo
Gabool slammed the door closed and barred it. Chuckling to himself, he moved an old carpet from a corner of the room and spread it over the hole in the floor. Standing on the far side of it, he went into a crouch, claws stretching forward. Soon he heard his pursuers arriving. There was a rending crash and the door swung
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lopsidedly on a single hinge. Rawnblade thrust it aside as he stepped into the room, brandishing his sword. He glanced about at the bare walls.
"The running's over, rat. There's nowhere for you to
g-"
"Aye, so 'tis." Gabool sneered. "You're well backed
up by your friends and fully armed too. I thought badgers were true warriors. Why don't yer throw down that great doorcleaver an' meet me in paw t' claw combat, searat fashion. Or are yer just a great cowardly stripedog?"
The red mists of Bloodwrath clouded Lord Rawn-blade's eyes as he flung his sword aside and came at Gabool with a mighty roar.
"Eulaliaaaa!"
For an instant Gabool's blood froze within him at the sight of the huge badger charging forward. Then Rawnblade stood on the carpet. He plunged down into the hole with a sharp bark of alarm, falling flat on his back at the bottom of the pit. There was a scuttling noise and Rawnblade shouted aloud, "Stay away!"
Mariel and her companions hesitated in the doorway.
The massive black scorpion rattled out at breathtaking speed. It was on Rawnblade before he could move. His eyes went wide with horror at the sight of the loathesome beast perched on his breastplate. Clicking claws held menacingly wide, it began to bring the venomous barbed sting on its tail up over its back to strike at the badger's unprotected face.
Suddenly some unseen force galvanized Rawnblade into instant action. His paw shot up, grabbing the scorpion by the curve of its tail, and with a mighty bellow he jumped upright. Whirling the evil creature around, he flung it swiftly from the pit. The black scorpion shot up at an angle, striking the ceiling and dropping downstraight into the face of Gabool the Wild.
From the doorway they watched in horrified fascination as the searat leaped frenziedly about the room,
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feebly struggling with the angry creature locked onto his throat with both claws. It covered his face, muffling the gurgled screams as the lethal tail sent its hooked sting slamming over the top of his head into the base of the skull, whipping back and forth as it stabbed in a maddened frenzy.
Rawnblade heaved himself out of the pit in time to see Gabool fall to the floor, his limbs twitching spasmodically as poison flooded through his crazed brain. The King of the Searats shuddered one last time and died, his body arched back like a straining bow.
Dandin rushed into the room as the scorpion turned its attention to Lord Rawnblade. The young mouse swung the sword of Martin the Warrior.
Once! Twice! Thrice!
The two halves of the terrible creature toppled awkwardly back into its pit, still clicking and striking with its poisonous tailsting.
Rawnblade shuddered. He rubbed his paws together vigorously, as if trying to cleanse himself of the scorpion's touch.
Tarquin addressed his harolina consolingly. "Well, me old twanger, you never got to brain Gabool, after all. Matter o' fact, none of us did. What a shameful waste of such jolly good weapons!"
Joseph put a paw around his daughter's shoulders. "Evil destroyed evil, and good triumphed. Come on, Mariel. Let us leave Terramort. The nightmare is over."
Mariel hugged her father fondly. "Let's go to