His companion peered through a gap in the curtained windowpanes. “Not exactly quiet. Ole Friar Butty an’ Nutwing are in there snorin’ like thunder in the middle of all those scrolls an’ volumes.”

Janglur shook his head disapprovingly. “Should have at least one able-bodied beast who can stay awake in charge of this entrance. Shall we go up on the battlements?”

Rusvul swept the inner grounds with a wave of his javelin. “Best cover the inside first, then we’ll take a turn around the walltops.”

They headed toward the southwest corner, Janglur munching away at a scone. “Mmm! Hot’n’fresh, like a good scone oughter be. I never tasted anythin’ nicer’n Redwall Abbey vittles in all me life, mate.”

Rusvul passed him the cordial flask. “Then why don’t you stay? There’s always a place for a useful squirrel like yoreself ’ere. I gave up wanderin’ when I lost me pore dear wife. Redwall’s home t’me an’ Dannflor now.”

Janglur gave the matter serious consideration. “Aye, I’ve still got my family about me, though my mum’s gettin’ too old t’be travelin’ these days. I know Rimrose likes the Abbey. She said so last night, hinted that it’d be a good place to bring our Songbreeze up in, an’ I agree with her. Pretty young maid like Song shouldn’t spend ’er seasons roamin’ the woodlands an’ dales. Redwall’s a place she can meet nice friends an’ grow up good.”

They continued in this vein, strolling along the south grounds, conversing quietly, but checking carefully around bushes and shrubbery, their keen eyes constantly searching for things otherbeasts would miss, disturbed dew on the grass, or a freshly broken stem. Everything was in order. As they approached the small wallgate set in the center of the east wall, both stopped talking and stood still.

Janglur’s heavy-lidded eyes fixed themselves on the wallgate. He whispered, “Listen, can you hear that scratchin’ noise?”

Rusvul nodded, pointing his javelin tip at the doorjamb. “Look!”

The door was a solid little affair made from close-jointed elm planks painted green. It had a single heavy iron bolt securing it. The scraping noise started up again, and a narrow strip of soft metal, hooked at one end, poked through a fresh gap made in the doorjamb by a knife. Janglur looked at the wood shavings on the ground, and took in the full situation at a glance.

“Somebeast tryin’ to push the bolt back an’ open the wallgate!”

Now they could hear gasping and muttering from outside.

“Mmff! Grmmf! Should’ve cut a wider gap fer this t’go through!”

“Owch! Y’ve trapped me paw. Leggo, I can do it!”

Rusvul pointed silently to the walltop. Careful to make no noise, they hurried back and dashed up the southeast wallsteps. Dropping flat on the ramparts, both squirrels wriggled swiftly toward the center of the east wall. Straightening cautiously, they peered down between the battlements.