Rollo threw up his paws in despair. "So we're not looking for a hive, just a crack in a wall! This is a big Abbey with lots of stonework, it could be anywhere!"
Furlo took off his work apron and patted Rollo's paw. "Don't look so down 'earted, sir. There's six of us altogether, and me'n Foremole will 'elp you look, 'tis the least we could do."
Gerul came hopping in, picking crumbs from his feathers. "Good day to ye, the ould Friar Higgle sez that there's some food testin' t'be done down here, so I thought I'd be brave an' volunteer me services, so I did!"
Foremole waved a digging claw at the drinks and cheeses. "Hurr, zurr, we'm already dunn et, but thurr's ee vittles if'n ee'd loik to try."
The owl's eyes widened with pleasure. "Ah well, 'twill be a terrible task but I'll do me best. You goodbeasts be off about yer business now. I'll give ye the results of me labors at supper tonight, so I will."
Grinning and winking at one another, they quit the cellars.
Tansy stood at the center of the Abbey lawn with the search party, her eyes roving about to and fro. “Where to begin, anybeast got a helpful suggestion?'' she asked.
Foremole came up with a scheme immediately. "Ho aye, miss, you come'n wi' Furlo an' oi, us'ns search ee walls. Miss Craklyn, ee go with Rollo an' Dormal, you 'uns lukk round ee Abbey buildin'. That ways both parties do 'ave one young set o' eyes to 'elp."
It was a good suggestion. The two parties went off to their allotted places and began searching.
Afternoon shades were lengthening toward evening when Rollo sat down against the east Abbey wall and polished his spectacles wearily. "My old eyes are dizzy from looking. Searching for a mason bee nest may sound simple, but it's definitely not!"
Tansy and her party were halfway round the west wall, having just passed the gatehouse, working toward the south wall, and they were becoming equally dispirited. Sitting on the steps by the gatehouse, they took a brief rest. The hedgehog maid glanced up to see Sister Cicely approaching with a stern face, and said, "Oh dear, here comes trouble. I wonder what the Sister wants?"
Folding her paws into her habit sleeves, Cicely pursed her lips and tapped her footpaw, the picture of righteous anxiety. "It's those three Dibbuns again, missing! Take my word, 'tis not the seasons graying my fur or ageing my bones, it's that villain Arven and those two molebabes who follow him anywhere!"
Tansy tried hard to keep her patience with the persnickety mouse. "I'm sure they've not gone far, Sister," she reassured Cicely firmly. "We're very busy here with a most important task, but if we see them I'll let you know right away."
Cicely stood for a moment, gnawing her bottom lip, then she turned abruptly and swept off, muttering, “If I find them in the usual state, smocks torn, filthy and dirty, scratched and bruised, they'd better watch out!"
Furlo pulled a face at Tansy and winked. "That 'un's a good ole mouse in lots o' ways, but 'er temper don't improve with age. I wouldn't like to be those Dibbuns when she finds 'em, miss."
Tansy watched Sister Cicely flounce into the Abbey. "I agree with you, sir. Sometimes I think her main purpose in life is chasing after Arven and the molebabes, though half the time they're not missing, just playing somewhere. Matter of fact I know where they are right now, though I didn't tell the Sister because she'd only send 'em off t'bed early."
Foremole chuckled, his small round eyes twinkling. "Whurr do ee liddle rarscals be, missie?"
Tansy nodded in the direction of the east wall corner. “Over there behind the bushes. They've been hiding there all afternoon, I can see the bushes shaking from here. Come on, let's take a walk across and see what they're up to."
Arven, Diggum and Gurrbowl were prancing about in a den they had built among the bushes. They squeaked in dismay as Furlo Stump's strong spiked head poked through into their lair.
The kindly hedgehog grinned at the Abbeybabes. "Now then, y'liddle maggots, what're you doin' in 'ere?"
Arven held a tiny paw to his lips and whispered furtively, "Us 'idin' from Sissy Sissly an' dancin' bees dances, don' you tell 'er or she choppa tails off us!"
Tansy and Foremole joined the Dibbuns, and they all sat down together in the cool green shade. Tansy narrowed her eyes at Arven fiercely, but he knew she was only joking.
"Tansy pansy, we do's a bees dance for you," he said.
Trying hard not to burst out laughing, the searchers watched the three Dibbuns go into their dance, whirring their paws and weaving circles about each other, stopping now and then to stab the air with their tails as they made bee noises.
"Fzz bzz bizzy buzz, fzz bzz fzzz buzz!"
Gurrbowl and Diggum buzzed on either side of Arven, who had appointed himself chief bee. They held the bushes aside and he danced his way in between them, fuzzing and buzzing comically. Then they let the bushes fall back into place and buzzed aloud as they poked at the air with stubby tails, awaiting his emergence. Suddenly Arven leapt from the bushes, all three buzzed once and bowed, and the dance was over.
Their audience applauded, and Furlo stroked Arven's head approvingly. "Well done, mate, I thought you was real bees for a moment there. I like the way you flew back out o' yore hive."
Arven looked pityingly at the cellar-keeper. "Tha' notta n'ive. We norra bees wot live inna n'ive, us bees tha' live inna wall an' dig likkle 'oles."
Furlo gave Tansy and Foremole a quick glance, and began questioning the Dibbuns.
"Bees wot live in a wall? Don't be silly, bees don't live in walls, they'd need 'ammers an' chisels to make nests!"
Arven shook a small grubby paw under Furlo's nose. "Hah! Grayshuss me, you a bigga sillybeast, you know noffink. Us'ns know bees live inna wall, don't we, Diggums?"
The molebabe nodded her head solemnly. "Ho yuss, zurr, they'm our frien's, ee beez give'n h'Arven a prezzink for um-self, ho aye!"
Arven shot a warning glance at the molemaid. "Garr, Diggums, you promise a say noffink to nobeast!"
Tansy leaned close to Furlo and whispered, "Did you hear that? Diggum said that a wall bee gave Arven a present, a gift! Leave this to me, sir, I'll get the truth out of him."
Arven waggled his tail in Tansy's face. "Tansy pansy toogle doo, worra you been telled about whisperin', grayshuss an' dearie, bad bad manner it is!"
The hedgehog maid caught him firmly by the paw. "Come here, my little maggot, and tell me, what is this gift the bee gave to you?"
Arven clapped both paws over his ears, closed his mouth firmly and screwed his eyes tight shut, just to let his inquisitors know that he was going to be stubbornly silent.
Foremole winked at Tansy and tried his mole logic on Gurrbowl. "You'm loik deeper'n ever pie, zurr?"
The molebabe beamed broadly. “Oi serpinkly doo, gurt bowls o' et oi can h'eat, zurr!"
Foremole took the little fellow's paw. "Hurr, you'm a growen choild, oi 'spec y' can. Show us'ns ee 'ole in wall whurr bee lives, an' oi'll give ee a deeper'n ever pie bigger'n thoiself!"
With an apologetic glance at Arven, Gurrbowl took them through the bushes to the southeast wall angle and pointed to a joint between the huge red sandstone blocks, only two courses up from the ground, where the mortar had crumbled. "Thurr be whurr our friend ee bee lives, zurr," he said.
Furlo picked up a twig and pushed it gently into the crack. Buzzing irately, a dusty rust-and-brown striped wall bee emerged. Furlo blew gently upon its tail and it zipped off into the air like a pebble from a sling. Furlo probed the crack delicately with his twig, pulling forth a torn and dusty scrap of parchment. He gave it to Tansy.