"D'you like apple'n'pear turnover, sir?"
"Like it? Steer it in my direction, y'young tailwagger, an' I'll show you whether I like it!"
Honeysuckle perched gingerly on the footstool, which she thought was a small chair, casting a jaundiced eye in Beau's direction.
"I'd hate t'be standin' next to that long-eared rabbit in a famine season. Where does he put it all? No thanks to you, Gonff, you fetched 'im 'ere, an' that tribe o' starvin' otters, too. We'll soon be eaten out o' house'n'home!"
Gonff tweaked the shrew wife's cheek slyly.
"Well, me beauty, you don't want vittles goin' stale in the larder. Not while yore away on the nice trip that Furmo's planned for you!"
"Trip? Furmo never told me about no trip."
"Aha, that's 'cos he wants to surprise you, pretty one. How d'you fancy a nice boat trip to Redwall Abbey?"
"Ow ow, bless 'is good 'earl, is there nothin' Furmo wouldn't do fer me? Wot a wunnerful thoughtful beast 'e is!"
Furmo waggled a paw in his numbed ear. "Oh, give yore wailin' a rest an' pass the beer."
"Wot was that you said, Furmo Log a Log?"
"I said, 'My love's unfailin', nothin' but the best for you, my dear!'"
, Squeaks of fright from the little ones caused Martin to leap up, sword in paw. A dark shadow circled overhead, suddenly dropping like a stone into their midst. The great goshawk, Krar Woodwatcher, folded his wings and bowed courteously.
"Oh joyous day, thou hast returned to my fiefdom, Prince of Mousethieves, and thou, too, Martin Warrior of Redwall."
Gonff nodded formally, with appropriate regal disdain. "Lackaday, sirrah, have thou a care, landing in such manner 'mongst the babes of Furmo, our faithful vassal!"
Krar lowered his beak to the ground in the face of such royal displeasure from the Prince of Mousethieves.
"Alas, 'twas not my intention to affright the babes thus, Prince. My hasty landing was prompted by a desire to be in company with thee an' thy noblebeasts once more."
Martin allowed his footpaw to touch the lethal beak. Krar did not see him exchange a wink with Gonff.
"I pray you, Prince Gonff, be not wrathful with our friend Woodwatcher. For we know him to be a good an' honest bird. Tarry with us, Krar, there are victuals aplenty here."
The huge fierce goshawk awaited Gonff's decision. Sensing he had pushed his luck far enough with the dangerous bird, Gonff smiled magnanimously, patting the ground at his side.
"I spoke in haste. Come, sit thee beside me, my faithful friend. It comes to my mind that one who battled with a swan in our defense must surely be worthy of our hospitality!"
Honeysuckle nudged Furmo, almost knocking him over. "D'ye hear that? Why don't you learn to speak like Gonff an' Martin? Proper gentlebeasts they are!"
Beau sat watching in open-mouthed admiration as food vanished down Krar's beak at an alarming rate.
"Great seasons o' starvation, d'you suppose that chap'll be able to fly when he's finished scoffin', wot wot?"
Trimp could not help teasing the hare with a wry comment. "I wonder if the Redwall Abbey kitchens will have enough food to keep up with the both of you?"
Dinny shook his head at the hedgehog maid's observation. "Burr aye, miz, oi 'adn't thought o' that. They'm two'll keep ee cooks gurtly busy, oi'm surrting o' that!"
Traveling upstream was not difficult as they traced back their original path. Tungro's tribe were strong swimmers, and they weaved in and out of the growing flotilla of shrew logboats surrounding the Honeysuckle, lending strong paws wherever they were needed. On a lazy golden afternoon, Gonff lay stretched out beneath the stern awning, tossing hazelnut pieces in the air and catching them in his mouth. Martin was napping nearby, whiskers gently twitching against a curious midge, bent on investigating his face. A fragment of nut, which Gonff had missed, bounced off Martin's nose, and he opened one eye slowly.
"D'you mind not disturbing me? It's not often I get the chance of an odd snooze."
Gonff aimed another piece of nut at his companion. "Snooze? How can you talk about snoozin', mate? We're nearly home! I'll be seein' my Columbine soon, haha, an' that Gonflet o' mine. Wonder if he's grown at all?"
Martin stared up at the changing leaf patterns, blinking as the sun traced through, blurring the edges.
"Oh, I imagine Gonflet will be tall enough to cause us more trouble, young scamp! I lope the work on our Abbey has progressed without too much bother. I bet Bella's missed us, though the kitchen crew will probably be glad you're gone. Pies can lie cooling on windowsills in safety."
"Hah! Not with my Gonflet runnin' loose they won't!"
In one smooth motion, Tungro slid aboard the skiff. He whispered urgently to Martin, "We're due to run into trouble, I think!"
The Warrior lay still, though his paw was seeking his blade. "What makes you think that, friend?"
"Well, I can 'ear a waterfall somewheres up ahead, but that ain't really it. Somebeasts are followin' us. I saw movement in the trees, ripples in our wake, an' I think they're up ahead of us, too!"
Immediately Martin arose, sword in paw. "Sounds like they've got us surrounded, eh, Gonff?"
"You two stop here. I'll go an' take a peek."
Gonff crawled out on deck and took stock of the situation. Tungro's otters were in the water, guarding the shrew logboats, which Furmo had grouped around the Honeysuckle. Only the streamsounds and the distant waterfall broke the ominous silence. Suddenly the soft autumn noontide had grown dangerous. Krar perched upon the Honeysuckle's prow, watching keenly. Folgrim had his ax out, and was standing in the stern of the back logboat. Furmo and his Guosim crouched, rapiers drawn. Gonff held up his paws, signaling everybeast to wait. His eye caught a movement in a tree-shaded shallow.
Then the Mousethief relaxed, waving his paws for the crew to stand down. He shouted then, his voice cutting the stillness. "Haharr, I'll bite y'tail off an' stuff it down yore ear!"
A gruff voice responded from the shallows. "Surrender, mousey, yer surrounded, mate!"
Gonff gave a broad wink to the Guosim shrews. "Surrounded? Y'great lard barrel, stay there. I'm comin' to surround you, ye forty-faced frogflusher!"
Hurling himself from the deck, Gonff hit the water with a loud splash and threw himself onto the creature which sped out from the bank. Streamwater boiled in chaos as the pair met, roaring and bellowing.
"Garraway Bullow, ye bangtailed riverdog, I knowed it was you all along. Take that!"
"Whupperyhoo, Gonffo, don't try t'fool me. You was scared out o'yore mousey wits, admit it!"
"Scared? I been scareder of dead logs floatin' in the water. Only thing I'm scared of is that you won't 'ave supper ready, ye whiskery waterwet puddenwalloper!"
Yelling with delight, Folgrim and Tungro dived into the water. "Auntie Garraway, 'tis us, yore nephews!"
"Oh no, lock the larders, it's Bargud's brats. I .ookit the size of 'em. My pore sister must've starved t'death tryin' to feed 'em. Gonffo, get 'em off me!"
Otters of Garraway's tribe began popping up everywhere, shouting to the otters from Tungro's crew, who yelled back at them. Trimp looked to Martin, who was chuckling and shaking his head at their antics.
"It looks like the two tribes are related. We're surrounded by aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. Yugggh!"
A large pawful of soggy bankmud caught Martin full on the nose. Both groups of otters were so happy to see each other that they had started a mud fight. The remainder of the Honeysuckle's crew and Furmo's shrews did not hesitate. Laughing madly they leaped into the water, joining in the fun. Right along the bank they fought, slinging heaps of sludgy brown mud at one another, slipping, sliding and splashing as they pelted away furiously. Mud was everywhere! Swiftly aimed globs of the sticky goo splattered, sticking to fur, spikes, muzzles, paws and tails. A practically unrecognizable hedgehog maid stumbled into what appeared to be a small moving mud mound.