BooksBarbecue
Back Marlfox Save as PDF
Chapters (79)
  1. CHARGE!
  2. THE REDWALL BOOKS
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. ACT ONE
  7. 1
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 3
  13. 4
  14. 4
  15. 5
  16. 5
  17. 6
  18. 6
  19. 7
  20. 7
  21. 8
  22. 8
  23. 9
  24. 9
  25. 10
  26. 10
  27. 11
  28. 11
  29. 12
  30. 12
  31. 13
  32. 13
  33. ACT TWO
  34. 14
  35. 14
  36. 15
  37. 15
  38. 16
  39. 16
  40. 17
  41. 17
  42. 18
  43. 18
  44. 19
  45. 19
  46. 20
  47. 20
  48. 21
  49. 21
  50. 22
  51. 22
  52. 23
  53. 23
  54. 24
  55. 24
  56. 25
  57. 25
  58. ACT THREE
  59. 26
  60. 26
  61. 27
  62. 27
  63. 28
  64. 28
  65. 29
  66. 29
  67. 30
  68. 30
  69. 31
  70. 31
  71. 32
  72. 32
  73. 33
  74. 33
  75. 34
  76. 34
  77. Epilogue
  78. Epilogue
  79. What’s next onyour reading list?

A lean, tired-looking otter stared longingly through the bars at the water rat barracks. “Aye, yore right there, matey. I don’t suppose there’s any chance that the one who got slung in the lake was Ullig?”

Sitting up in the straw, a sturdy hedgehog maid muttered, “No such luck, friend. Y’best keep quiet, ’ere comes the bully hisself.”

Slave Captain Ullig rattled the bars with his whip butt. “Silence in there or I’ll pick a few of you lot out to feed the Teeth o’ the Deeps. Those pike ain’t fussy wot they eat. Even a couple of scrawny slaves would taste good to ’em.”

Ullig sauntered off back to the barracks, watched by the silent slaves. When he had gone a gaunt-eyed squirrel smashed his chains against the bars in helpless rage. “Swaggerin’ scum! I’d teach Ullig a lesson if I was free of these chains just fer a moment!”

The ancient mouse shook his head in despair. “Free? There ain’t no such word for a slave. I’ve been on this island so long I’ve forgotten wot free means.”

“An’ you’ve never seen any slave break free in all that time?”

The old mouse smiled grimly at the young hedgehog who had asked the question. “I saw lots o’ slaves break free, like that’n in the corner.” He pointed to an emaciated vole, lying in a huddle shivering so hard that his chains rattled constantly. Two other slaves were bathing his feverish brow with damp rags. The vole’s eyes rolled wildly, and he whimpered and coughed as another tried to force water between his trembling lips. The old mouse nodded knowingly as he explained to the hedgehog maid, “That pore beast’ll be free afore dawn—dead free. That’s the only way you’ll leave the Marlfoxes an’ Slave Cap’ns an’ this island, matey, tail first!”

9

9

Florian Dugglewoof Wilffachop walked along the west walltop, calling out for Dwopple at the top of his voice. They had searched all morning but not a trace of the little one could be found. Stopping briefly at the threshold over the main gate, the hare breathed deeply. Despite his constant chastisement of the mousebabe, he was secretly very fond of him. He did not notice the Marlfox emerge from the ditch until the creature hailed him.

“Hey, rabbit!”

Florian stared regally down his nose at the Marlfox. “Huh! Rabbit y’self, you speckled scrap o’ jetsam. I’d come down there an’ drub some manners into y’hide if I had me bally stick with me, wot. Count y’self lucky, measle-features!”

Rusvul, who had just emerged from the gatehouse, heard Florian’s voice and called up to him. “Hi there, mister Florian, who are ye talkin’ to, yoreself?”