Denno licked his spoon sheepishly. "Not my fault. The way they were singin' that song, well, I thought..."
Beau kindly ladled him another portion. "Thought, laddie? Y'know what the shortsighted vole thought. Listen an' I'll tell you.
"A shortsighted vole climbed out of his hole,
His glasses he'd lost, I fear,
Some blossom petals in the breeze,
Fell on his head, oh dear!
I thought 'twas summer but winter's come,
'Tis snow!' that vole did shout.
I think I'd better go and warn
The creatures hereabout!'
He bellowed 'round the woodland wide,
'I think 'tis going to freeze!'
He shooed some sparrows from a nest,
'Back to your hive, you bees!'
And squinting dimly at the ground,
He lectured tufts of grass,
'All hedgehogs now should be indoors,
'Til wintertide does pass!'
'Go join your family 'round the fire,
Don't sit there all alone,
'Tis no fit weather for a mole,'
He scolded at a stone.
'And as for you,' he told a bush,
'You badgers aren't too smart,
I thought you'd be the first to know,
When winter's due to start!'
So gather 'round and listen all,
My moral's clear and true,
I think 'tis best to stop and think,
When thoughts occur to you!"
As Beau finished his poem, the ship gave a lurch. Luke saved the stew cauldron as it slid by and laid it safe on the deck, wedging it 'twixt the table and his chair.
"Don't panic, crew, it's the bad weather. Sit tight an' wait it out in comfortthere's little else we can do. I'm goin' out on deck. Vurg, you come with me. We'll take tiller watch two at a time until the storm passes. When you go out there, use ropes an' tie yoreselves to that tiller. I don't want any crew washed overboard."
The little ship began to sway crazily as mounting waves buffeted her, up and down, side to side. Luke gritted his teeth as he and Vurg strove to hold the tiller on course. Spray lashed both mice until, despite their heavy cloaks, they were saturated. A high-pitched whine, like that of a stricken beast, rose above the storm's din. It was the wind, playing on the tightened rigging ropes as if they were the strings of some instrument. Pawing saltwater from his eyes, Vurg glanced anxiously up at them.
"If we don't slack off some sail, this gale might rip us t'pieces, Luke. Can't we take her t'half canvas?"
The Warrior stared straight ahead into the onslaught. " 'Tain't possible, Vurg. I couldn't risk the crew's life by sendin' 'em up into the riggin' to shorten sail. Also, I'm near certain 'twas the red ship that Denno an' Beau sighted. I don't figger on losin' her. We're bound to follow!"
Beau and Cardo struggled back to the galley across the seesawing deck, bearing the empty stew cauldron between them. Coinciding with the boom of thunder overhead, the galley door slammed open wide. A flash of white lightning illuminated the scene as they were both swept inside by a wave crashing over the ship. Smoke wreathed them as the galley stove was extinguished into a hissing mess by the water. The seacook staggered inside, yelling to his assistant, "Lock all y'can in the cupboardskeep the blinkin' vittles dry. I'm goin' to fetch a rope and secure those water casks before they start rollin' about!"
No sooner was Beau out on deck again than a crackling bolt of chain lightning struck the Sayna 's foremast. Like a dry twig the stout timber split, sending the long lower jib swinging like a scythe. Vurg saw the danger and shouted, "Beau, look out, mate!"
As Beau turned, the jib caught him a mighty clout in the midriff, hurling him ears over tail into the sea.
Luke was already on the move. Releasing the tiller, he quickly tied the stern line about his waist and plunged in after Beau, with Vurg bawling above the melee, "All paws on deck! Hare overboard! All paws on deck!"
Down, down went the Warrior, into a world of boiling confusion, with the roar of storm and sea ringing in his ears. Luke felt his progress checked as the line pulled tight and immediately began striking upward, his eyes searching the racing bubbling surface for signs of the hare. Air started escaping his nostrils and mouth as he fought his way bravely to the wavetops. Gasping for breath, he surfaced in a deep green valley, then the maddened seas crashed down upon him. Next moment he was swung up high on the crest of a huge roller. Luke took the opportunity to scan swiftly about for Beau. Below him he could see the stern of the ship, but no other sign of life upon the watery wilderness. Then he was dropped into another deep trough, only to be swept aloft again. About his middle, the line tightened painfully as he was pulled along in the ship's wake, spitting seawater, paws flailing, searching constantly for Beau, despite his own predicament.
Vurg called out to the crew, "Haul Luke in, mates, afore the line snaps an' he drowns. Beau's gone, can't do nothin' about that. Haul in there!"
Willing paws heaved on the line. Luke felt himself pulled through the buffeting waves and relaxed, half stunned and too helpless to resist. Vurg was waiting with a dry cloak and a beaker of elderberry wine, and Cardo helped to carry Luke to his cabin.
The Warrior coughed and spluttered as the wine revived him. He sat up, shaking his head.
"It was too wild t'see anythin' out there. No sign of Beau?"
Cardo was weeping uncontrollably. "None at all. That ole hare was my best matey, an' the finest cook afloat. The sea's a cruel beast, cruel!"
Luke passed the remainder of the wine to him. "Drink this, now, Cardo. 'Tis a terrible thing, poor Beau. But we must concentrate on keeping this ship afloat or we'll all finish up on the seabed if'n this storm keeps up."
He was interrupted by joyous shouts from out on deck as the ship gave a mighty shudder and stopped rolling.
"The wind's turned. We're saved, mates!"
Wrapping the cloak about him, Luke hurried from the cabin.
Evening was streaking the skies westward, and to the east the thunder boomed dully, with a sporadic bolt of lightning far off. Vurg scratched his head in amazement. The wind was still blowing, but strong and warm, flattening the sea with its power. The Sayna was shuddering lightly, her damaged rigging thrumming as she responded to Dulam's touch on the tiller and sped southwest.
Relief among the crew was evident. Coll laughed. "Hahaha! Quickest thing y'ever did see, Luke. One moment we're near sinkin' in a storm, then swift as a flash the wind turns east an' suddenly veers west. We're saved!"
Dusk was creeping in. Luke's cloak fluttered straight out behind him as he stood, with the crew, looking back over the stern at the distant area where Beau had been lost. Cardo had composed a short verse.
"Our friend was taken by the sea,
He rests now, who knows where,
A good an' gen'rous beast he was,
A brave an' cheerful hare.
We've got no flow'rs or blossoms,
To cast out on the deep,
No stone will ever mark the spot,
Where he sank down to sleep.
Beau Fethringsol Cosfortingham,
Sweet as long summer days,
Your memory lies in our hearts,
You'll be our mate, always!"
The crew stood in silence, heads bowed, tears falling onto the deck. Everybeast had loved the hare dearly.
Luke took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. "Cordle, take first watch aloft, keep yore eyes peeled for the red ship. Coll, your turn at the tiller. Right now, while me'n'Cardo put the galley straight an' piece together a meal, the rest of you get rope an' pitch, bind that mast as best you can, then take in all sails. She's runnin' fast enough in this sea. In future storms I don't want to see anybeast out on deck without havin' a lifeline attached to 'em. 'Twas a terrible thing that happened to Beau, but I know he'd want it to serve as a lesson to us all."
The sun's fiery orb sank below the westering horizon, and the Sayna sped smoothly into the night. A splash announced that the shattered jib had been jettisoned overboard. Luke stood at the galley fire, which he had rekindled, longing to hear just one merry chuckle from Beau, but knowing it was not possible. They would have to sail onward without their friend the hare.