The four Marlfoxes crouched in the ditch. Behind them, a contingent of water rats waited, holding the siege ladder between them. Gelltor hauled himself stealthily up onto the path. When he held his voluminous cloak still, he was almost invisible against the ditch edge and the path. At his signal the rats crawled out of the ditch, taking care to make no noise with the long rough ladder. Silently Gelltor fastened it to one end of the rope that had been left hanging from the protrusion beneath the battlements near the northwest corner. The ladder rose smoothly upward as several rats hauled slowly on the rope’s other end. When the ladder was raised to its full extent, Gelltor maneuvered it firmly against the wall and nodded to the others waiting in the ditch. Vannan, Ascrod and Predak led the remainder of the water rats to the bottom of the ladder. Gripping his ax handle in tight clenched teeth, Gelltor began climbing. When he was halfway up, Predak allowed the rats to follow.

The Guosim shrew guarding that area was looking over at Bargle and Mayon, not suspecting a thing. Swift and silent as a shadow passing across the moon, Gelltor slid over the walltop and slew the sentry. As the rats followed he gestured to the wallsteps in the northwest corner, whispering, “Hide down there against the wall and wait for me!”

The first group of ten water rats padded softly down the stairs, into the grounds of Redwall Abbey.

*

Mayon yawned and stretched wearily. “Let’s ’ope that Friar Butty thinks of us an’ reminds ole Florian that we’re up ’ere, mate. Oooh! I dunno wot’s gettin’ to me most, ’unger or tiredness. Is that Fleggum over at the far corner there? Looks like ’e’s gone asleep.”

Bargle stared over toward the shrew in question, who was lying prone. “Sleepin’ on the job, is ’e? Well, I’ll soon . . . Rats! Lookit, mate, there’s rats climbin’ o’er the wall! Logalogalogalooooog!”

Roused by the Guosim cry, shrews pounded around from all sides of the walltops, following Bargle and Mayon to the northwest corner.

Gelltor cursed, grinding his teeth. “Rot their lousy eyes, they’ve seen us!”

Bargle charged headlong across the ramparts, yelling out orders. “Three to each wallgate! Mayon, take six an’ secure the main gate! Stop those vermin openin’ any gates. Splikker, bring the rest an’ follow me. Chaaaaaarge!”

Gelltor was in a quandary. He could not fight off the charging Guosim, but neither could he climb back down the ladder against the stream of rats already on it, forging their way upward. Judging the situation hastily, he slipped quietly off down the wallsteps.