At midday they halted. Digging in a damp patch of sand produced a small muddy pool at which they drank gratefully. Mara yawned mightily and stretched. It was peaceful and pleasantly warm where they had stopped.
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"Whooohuuuh! I hardly slept a wink last night. What about you, Pikkle? Are you tired too?''
"Absoballylutely whacked out, chum. I could sleep on a prickle."
Swinkee stretched himself luxuriously in the sand. "Kksss, you inna my cave last a night. I didn' sleep, kksss. Bester we sleepnow, longways to go yet. Kksssnnmr!"
"Well, beat my bush! Look at old Stinkee, he's snorin'." Pikkle gnawed the last of the dandelion roots.
Mara patted a hollow in the sand and laid her head down. "Good idea, I'd say. Give me a shake if you wake first, Pikkle."
An hour had gone by. Pikkle and Mara curled up in the soft sand, sleeping peacefully through the high golden afternoon without as much as a breeze to disturb them. Swinkee's eyes popped open and he watched them for a moment. Assuring himself that they were sleeping soundly, he slid away, hissing to himself, "Kksss, pulla my tail off, hit Swinkee, sleep inna my cave, rabbit V stripedog tella me lies 'bout swampflies. I do show 'em, theya mess with lizard nomore, kksss!"
13
The beauty of the soft golden summer morning following the previous night's storm was lost on the inhabitants of Redwall Abbey. Nameday sports had been canceled and sadness and shock hung like a shroud over everything. Samkim sat alone in the Infirmary, numb with disbelief. Was poor Brother Hal actually dead? Who had done the awful deed? The young squirrel knew nothing of what went on outside the Infirmary, as he had been hastily escorted up there by Friar Bellows and Abbess Vale immediately after being discovered by the Brother's body, bow in paw. They had made him promise to stay put and speak to nobeast until investigations were under way.
While the Redwallers took their breakfast outside on the lawn, a meeting was convened in Cavern Hole. In the smaller, more intimate surrounding of the room that was separated from Great Hall by a downward flight of steps, the Abbess, Fore-mole, Hollyberry, Bremmun and Nasturtium gathered to discuss events. Bremmun pushed away his untouched breakfast.
"Friends, it staggers belief: Brother Hal dead! Where is young Samkim now?"
Abbess Vale held up a paw for silence. "He is confined to the Infirmary. Now, Bremmun, we are all as shocked and
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saddened by Hal's death as you are, but please let us not say anything in haste or jump to conclusions that we may be sorry about later. So, has anybeast got something to tell us that we do not already knowand let me add, we know little or nothing of what took place, except that poor Hal is no longer with us."
Sister Nasturtium spoke up. "I cannot contribute any evidence, Mother Abbess, but I must say what I feel in my heart. I do not think that there is a single Redwaller who believes that Samkim would be so careless as to endanger another's life. It would be horrible to even think of accusing him."
The Abbess folded her paws into wide habit sleeves. "I agree with you, Sister, and no one has accused him yet."
Bremmun disagreed. "Friar Bellows told me that when he found Samkim standing over Hal with a bow in his paws he said to him, 'Samkim, what have you done?' "
Brother Hollyberry interrupted Bremmun. "Aye, and the young un didn't say a word. It was as if he was struck dumb by the shock of it all. But I have something to tell that may throw some light on things. Those two stoats, Dingeye and Thurahas anybeast seen them this morning, because they weren't in their beds when I woke up."
Foremole stood up decisively. "Hurr, then you'm gudd-beasts stay yurr whoil oi go'n foind 'em. May'ap they do know sumthern."
"Vermin!" Bremmun ground his teeth aloud.
The Abbess rapped the tabletop sharply. "Bremmun, there you go again. I can see you are ready to condemn Dingeye and Thura without any proof or evidence. This must stop instantly. Redwall has a reputation for goodwill, justice and fair play. We are here to uphold it!"
Bremmun made a shamefaced apology. To save him further embarrassment, Hollyberry opened a parchment upon the table. "Frair Bellows gave me this. It was in Brother Hal's paw."
They read the record written down long seasons ago and by simple process of deduction came to the same conclusion that Hal had.
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Nasturtium spoke for them all. "Well, now we know how the sword of Martin was found by Samkinthe lightning tore it from the weathervane and it fell to earth. To what purpose, I wonder?"
Foremole came trundling back in, shaking his head. "Ev-erybeast be a-searchen for they stoaters, but yurr this. Mar-then's gurt swoard be gone too. Oi 'spect enfurmation any moment naow."
Bremmun's angry voice broke the shocked silence. "The great sword of Martin the Warrior gone? Those filthy thieving vermin! They'll pay dearly for this when we lay paws on 'em. Why, I'd like to . . . "
Indignant voices joined the squirrel until the Abbess rapped the tabletop sharply to restore order.
"Silence, please." She held up a paw. "We won't get anywhere shouting and threatening."
There was a knock upon the door and Tudd Spinney entered. "Mornin' to ye all. Sorry I can't say good mornin', 'cos it's not. Foremole, did you check all the wallgate locks last night?"
Foremole nodded vigorously. "Oi allus do, maister, wi'out fail."
Tudd shook his walking stick. "I knew ye did, 'cos you're a good V thorough feller. Well, I've just checked the wall-gates an' the east one is unlocked!"
In the silence that followed, Foremole ticked off further information on his paws. "Burr hurr, an' food fer young uns is gone from Gurt' All, an' thurr be arrers a-sticken in table an' sporty 'quipment tossed all o'er the place."
Abbess Vale stood up. "As soon as we have laid Brother Hal to rest in the grounds, we will organize a party to search for the stoats and bring them back here! Now I must go straightaway to Samkim to tell he has nothing to reproach himself for. He'll need some comforting after the death of poor Hal."
But Arula had been listening at the keyhole and was already on her way to the Infirmary.
The midmorning sun shone down brightly on a sad little ceremony in the grounds of Redwall Abbey. Brother Hal was laid to his final rest amid much mourning. There were wreaths and posies of wild flowers and small tokens from his friends. Thrugann reverently placed a small quill pen in tribute to the Recorder of the Abbey, and Baby Dumble put his favorite straw mousedoll alongside it on the neat heap of earth surrounded by brightly colored pebbles. Mrs. Faith Spinney recited a few lines:
"Your seasons have run their course, old friend. In your goodlife we were proud to take part, But in springtimes unborn and summers to come, You will live in each Redwaller's heart."
While the ceremony took place at the west lawn, a rope snaked downward from a first-floor window at the east side of the Abbey building. Samkim and Arula were down on the ground in a twinkling and running for the east wallgate. Beside a haversack of provisions apiece, Samkim carried a quiver of arrows and the bow that had fired the shaft which struck Brother Hal down. Arula had a big pruning knife and a sling with a pouch of pebbles. They opened the small wall-gate quickly and let themselves out into the leafy depths of Mossflower Woods.