always easier to interview creatures who had not eaten for a few days. Two
small hedgehogs trying to pit their wits against the Queen of the Thousand
Eyes—what chance did they have?
Scratch was a fairly observant weasel. He jabbed skyward with his dagger.
"See that robin, Cludd?"
Cludd noted that Scratch had omitted to call him Captain. He looked up, but
Chibb had flown from view.
"What robin? Where?"
Scratch sheathed his dagger. "You've missed him now. I could have sworn it was
the same bird I've noticed hanging about outside the barracks a few times.
Always ends up somewhere near the ground, hidden."
Cludd was reluctant to believe that Scratch was more alert than he.
"Hmm, it might be summat or nothing. Woodlanders don't usually have much to do
with birds. Still, we'd best be on the safe side. Hoi, Thicktail, make your
way back to Kotir and tell Milady about that robin. Don't breathe a word to
anyone else, though. I don't want Ashleg or that fox stealing any of my
credit."
Thicktail saluted, and jogged off in the direction of Kotir.
Scratch looked at the thickly wooded area they were in. "Perhaps we'd better
lie low here awhile. That way we can have a rest while we keep our eyes and
ears open, eh, Cludd?"
122
Cludd knew the idea was a sensible one, but Scratch was beginning to annoy him
with his insubordinate manner.
"Aye, I was just thinking the same thing myself. Right, lads, pick good hiding
places and keep your eyes and ears open. But just let me catch anyone snoozing
and I'll have his tail for a bootlace. That goes double for you, Scratch."
As the special patrol dispersed among the trees, Scratch stuck out his tongue
at Cludd's back, muttering beneath his breath, "Cludd the clod thick as mud."
Thicktail did not like being out in Mossfiower alone, even in broad sunny
daylight. The stoat scurried through the trees looking furtively from left to
right; as he went he repeated Cludd's instructions aloud to himself, "Tell the
Queen that there's been a robin redbreast hanging about Kotir grounds. It
flies down low and vanishes near the floor. Cludd thinks that it might be
something to do with those woodlanders. Now, I'm to say nothing to Fortunata
or Ashleg. Huh, if they ask me I'll just tell them that I had to come back
because I sprained my paw. I'd better practice limping on it just in case."
Argulor was making a wide sweep from Kotir over the forest; this way he could
fool anyone at Kotir into thinking he had flown away. He was about to circle
back when he heard the voice below him and saw a stoat limping about in the
undergrowth.
"I must tell the Queen that a robin has seen Cludd hanging about. No, that's
not right. I must tell the robin that Cludd has been hanging the Queen ..."
Argulor did not require perfect sight to tell him where his next noisy meal
was. He dropped like a stone to the forest below.
A stone with talons and a curving beak.
Bella's study was still awash in a litter of old documents.
•They slid from the desk, which still had its secret drawer
-hanging askew. Several food trays stood balanced here and Jthere amid the
dust. The scroll and four leaves that had led , the friends to the route lay
on the arm of the big armchair, i where Dinny sat snuggled in its deep
cushioned seat. Bella leaned against the desk. She did not mind the young mole
123
borrowing her favourite chair, though he did seem to be growing rather fond of
it. Martin paced up and down. At each turn he had to step over Gonff. The
little mousethief lay stretched out on a worn carpet that covered the study
floor. Martin was having trouble imagining himself as a bird. The mere mention
of heights made the ground-loving Young Dinny feel sick and dizzy. Gonff,
however, was displaying a fine aptitude for a mousebird.
"Ha, 'I look below to see a place of wood with plumage green that breezes move
like sea.' It's as plain as the whiskers on your face, mateys. He means good
old Mossflower Woods, right where we are."
Bella closed her eyes, picturing herself in flight. "Hmm, I suppose that our
woods would look like water moving in the wind from above. Carry on, Gonff.
What's next?"
"Er, 'Behind me as the dawn breaks clear, woodpigeons come awake.' "
"Burr, doant you uns see, dawnbreak, sunroise. Goose-burd be a-tellen us'ns to
traverse westerly," Young Dinny called out from the armchair.
Martin shook Dinny's paw. "Good mole! Of course, if the sun rises in the east
and dawnbreak is behind him, then he must be traveling due west. Well solved,
Young Dinny."
The mole gave a huge grin, settling deeper into the armchair. "Ho urr, this
yurr young mole ain't on'y a digger. Oi seed they woodenpidger waken at
dawnen, gurr, tumble no-isebags they be, all that cooen. Goo on, wot's next
bit o' poartee?'"
Gonff continued, "The poetry says, 'See brown dust roll twist green and gold,
unwinding like a snake.' "
Bella nodded knowingly. "Aha, friend Olav gave me an easy one there. I know
the very place. Between the woods and the fiatlands south of Kotir, the road
has a twist in it. I've walked down it many times and thought it was just like
a snake trying to slough its skin."
Gonff shuddered at the mention of snake. "So, mateys, we walk through the
woods, heading west, and cross the path below Kotir. Then there's only one way
we can go. Straight out across the flatlands and the open plains, like the
poem says, 'O'er the golden acres' to where the 'snake of blue' lies—brr,
snakes."
124
"That's no snake, Gonff," Martin interrupted. "It's the same as Bella's
winding road, but this one is blue—it's a river. What puzzles me is the teeth
of land eating the wool of sheep line."
Bella stretched and yawned. "Whoo! I think we must be going stale sitting
around this dusty old room. Sheep and land, wool and teeth ... Ah well, maybe
we can't see the wood for the trees, but whatever it is, you'll know it when
you see it. What do you want to do? Sit here half a season solving riddles, or
follow the clues you already have and work the rest out as you go along? The
supplies are packed and ready, you have your weapons, wits and youth to help
you along—what more do you want?"
Gonff supplied the answer. "A good matey to walk by your side through thick
and thin."
"You'ns baint leaven this yurr mole behoind."
Martin and Gonff laughed heartily, Bella bowed apologetically to the mole.
"Forgive me, Dinny. I did not know you wished to go questing."
The young mole heaved himself up onto his hind paws. "Burr, you try V stop oi,
Miz Bell. Tho' oi do 'ate to take leave of yon armchurr."
125
2O
The Corim plan was beautifully simple.
A party of woodlanders would set out with haversacks of provisions from a
point near to Kotir, and Chibb was to be given the rations one sack at a time.
That way he could make short journeys to the cell window, passing the food in
to Gingivere. Abbess Germaine had reasoned it all out: the woodlanders were
helping by carrying the food, Chibb would not be overtaxed by making many long
flights and Gingivere would secretly share the rations with Ferdy and Coggs.
Later, there would be time to mount a rescue operation, but it needed a great
deal of careful planning between the Corim leaders.
In the hour before dawn the two parties sat eating an early breakfast provided
by Ben and Goody Stickle: hot scones, fresh from the oven, with butter and