Plugg interrupted maliciously, My boat ye mean, ratface. Haharr, Redwall Abbey, I’ve ‘eard grand tales about that place. Tis a treasure
‘ouse, ripe fer the pluckin’. We’d best break camp if’n we’re goin’
to follow ‘em.
Kurda smiled thinly. You injured, fox, not able to keep up mitt us, yarr.
The Freebooter winked roguishly. Don’t fret yore pretty ‘ead about me, I’ll be right up front with ye. An’ if’n I finds the goin’ a bit ‘ard, well, I’ll lean on yore fat brother’s ‘ead an’ use ‘im fer a crutch.
Hahaharrr!
Kurda ignored the insulting fox. Rising from her fire, she drew her sabre and pointed upriver. Ve march now, to der Abbey of Redvall!
Plugg set off at her side, but felt himself pulled back by Grubbage.
He turned irately on the fat searat. Will ye stop ruggin’ at me, wot is it?
Grubbage held the tail up. This just fell off, Cap’n, must’ve been the heat from that fire, he whispered.
With a swift motion, Plugg grabbed the tail and punched Grubbage on the nose. Why don’t ye shout a bit louder an’ let the ‘ole woodlands know, bigmouth!
Running stooped, Scummy panted as he fixed Plugg’s tail back in place, with the fox marching forward boldly.
Scummy muttered to Grubbage, I ‘ope this Redwall place ain’t too far!
Grubbage nodded agreement. Aye, mebbe we shoulda used tar!
The Abbot had finished his oft-interrupted breakfast in the orchard and was looking for means of escape from the boisterous horde of Dibbuns.
Wherever he moved there seemed to be one or other of the Abbeybabes, clinging to his robe, wanting to know the answer to a thousand and one unreasonable questions.
Friar Gooch came to his rescue, fending off the little ones. As he shepherded the Abbot from the orchard, the squirrel cook pointed with his ladle at the midwest wall-steps and remarked, Seems fbe a deal of disturbance over there, Father. Did ye hear young Churk whoopin’? Great seasons, I thought we were under some sort of attack!
Nodding absentmindedly, the Abbot replied, I was certainly under attack from those Dibbuns. D’you know why a gooseberry has its pips inside and a strawberry has pips on the outside?
The good Friar looked nonplussed. Never thought of it, really.
Shaking his head, the Father Abbot chuckled. Neither did I, until molebabe Roobil asked me. Right, let’s go and see what all the kerfuffle is about at the wallsteps. Nothing as difficult as Roobil’s problem, I hope.
Skipper, Mokug, Crikulus and Malbun waved and cried out to them across the lawn, Come and see, Churk has found the solution!
Churk waited until Friar and Abbot were seated on the sunwarmed sandstone steps. Skipper puffed out his chest and waved his rudder proudly When ye come t’think of all the scholars within our walls, an’ who was it solved the mystery o’ the scroll an’ pawring? Haharr, none other than me own pretty niece Churk. Let me tell ye, Father, an’ you, Friar, this ottermaid ‘as got an ‘ead on ‘er shoulders,ten, nay, twenny seasons beyond’er age. Ain’t that right, beauty? We’ll find that entrance now, sure enough!
Churk lowered her eyes politely. Uncle Skip, will ye stop embarrassin’
me in front o’ these goodbeasts an’ let me speak for meself?
The otter Chieftain patted her paw. Sorry, missy, you tell’em all about yore discoveryÑme lips are sealed!
Churk indicated the symbol on the pawring. The leaf is five times three, that’s the key to it all. She opened the scroll, pointing to the two bottom lines set apart from the rest. I wondered why this bit was written separate, so I counted the number of symbols on the line: Twenty-six, and each one is different. Now, what’s five times three, Father?
An immediate answer came from the Abbot. Fifteen, why?
Churk smiled secretively. Simple, really. Count along these signs, sir, an’ stop at the fifteenth one.
Moving his paw along the parchment, the Abbot counted. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. Why, it’s the leaf!
Churk asked her next question. What’s the fifteenth letter of the alphabet, Crikulus, sir?
The shrew did a quick count on his paws. Letter O is.
Churk spread her paws triumphantly. Right! Don’t ye see, those twenty-six signs at the bottom are an alphabet, from A to Z!
Malbun seized the ottermaid and planted a resounding kiss on her cheek.
You, Churk, are a positive wonder!
Crikulus gnawed on his straggly whisker ends. Hmph! I stared at that scroll for long enough, but it didn’t occur to me that it might be an alphabet. Well done, miss!
Mokug began wriggling and rubbing his paws. At last, I’ll know wot it all means. Go on, Churk, put it all together an’ read us the message!
Friar Gooch straightened his apron decisively. This calls for somethin’
special. You bide here an’ do your message solvin’. I’ll nip off t’the kitchens an’ make us a celebration mid-mornin’ snack!
Mokug and Skipper were at his side in a flash. We’ll come with ye, Friar!
Churk looked up from her charcoal stick and birch-bark writing materials.
Why don’t ye all go. Leave Crikulus with me, we’ll get more done with a bit o’ peace’n’quiet.
Malbun leaped from the third wallstep and performed a small hopskip, quite out of character for one of her seasons and dignity. She led them off, striking up an old Abbey song:
When the sun sinks in the west, Sweet the nightingales do call, There’s noplace I love best, Like the Abbey of Redwall... Redwall!
When the moon does beam in splendour,
See the dew upon the lawn,
Mirror-bright twinkling starlight,
Waiting for the golden dawn.
No foebeast will I fear,
Me and all my good friends here,
Who live within our gates in peace,
For we hold our freedom dear,
And we’ve earned the right to sing,
As long as our Abbey bells may ring ... Redwall!
So let others quake and weep
As a stormy night will fall,
While at ease our Dibbuns sleep,
Safe within our Redwall... Redwall!
It was actually closer to lunch than mid-morning when the party returned from the Abbey kitchens. Pushing a laden trolley, they sang the marching song once more as they returned across the lawn.
Skipper bounded up the steps confidently. Ahoy there, charmin’ niece, did ye solve it all?
Crikulus answered, Oh, we’ve translated the message right enough, but one puzzle always brings another in its wake.
Friar Gooch whipped the cover off the trolley. Will this help t’feed your brains, then?
Churk grinned from ear to ear. Ooh, thank ye, I’m sure it will. Hazelnut wafers, candied chestnut cake, fruit salad with meadowcream, redcurrant cordial an’ hot dandelion an’ mint tea. I can feel my brain clickin’
away at the sight of it. But come ‘n’ see wot we’ve done so far.
Between them, Churk and Crikulus had set it all out on the birchbark parchment, neat and clear:
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
Af
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Churk and Crikulus took their friends’ congratulations calmly, like true scholars. Ever practical, the ottermaid sat eating her lunch, but like all true scholars, her mind was still probing.