The young squirrel was standing in front of the tapestry, admiring the heroic figure of Martin the Warrior. “Oh, there’s no doubt that the vermin are on to a good hiding and a lesson they won’t forget. With warriors like your father an’ mine, an’ Skipper, we can’t lose. Just look at this picture of Martin. I’ll wager he could have cleared the lot up single-pawed!”

Dann stooped to gather the hazelnuts. “Nobeast could stand against Martin. D’you know, his sword hangs in Cregga Badgermum’s room? Funny, though. The elders say that he often appears in dreams to Redwallers, to give advice and warn us if the Abbey’s in danger. Wonder why he never appeared this time?”

Dippler tried unsuccessfully to straighten the rusty fold of his chain mail as he sprawled in the big chair. “Oh, I suppose Martin knows we can take care of ourselves. Don’t forget, besides yore fathers there’s my Chieftain Log a Log an’ a fewscore o’ Guosim fighters t’deal with. What’s that?”

Song turned from the tapestry. “What’s the matter, Dipp?”

“Did you ’ear a noise?”

Dann tossed a hazelnut and caught it in his mouth. “No. What sort o’ noise was it?”

Dippler struggled out of the big chair. “Sort of like a clanky sound.”

Song stole a pawful of Dann’s hazelnut kernels. “Hahaha! That’d be yourself, Dipp. You make clanky sounds every time y’move in all that old armor!”

*

Beelu passed by the three young friends, hugging the shadows at the north end of Great Hall. When he reached the Abbey door he stood still awhile. Song and her companions had their backs to him, but there was no sense in taking chances. Pulling a small flask of vegetable oil from his pouch, he dripped it onto the bolts and hinges, and then, ever cautious, he gave it another couple of moments, listening to the gossip and laughter of the three youngsters out at the hall’s center. The locks slid back smoothly, with scarce a sound or scrape. Beelu held his breath as he swung the door slowly open to admit the two Marlfoxes, Ascrod and Vannan, who had been waiting outside with the other rat Dakkle. Beelu placed a paw on his lips, indicating the three youngsters who had been left to guard the Abbey. Dakkle nodded, but Ascrod and Vannan were not paying any attention to Beelu. Their eyes were riveted on the wondrous tapestry that graced the west wall.

*

Friar Butty inspected the ugly gashes that had slashed through Cregga’s paws when she had been grabbing sword and spearblades. He dabbed at them with a cloth that he was dipping in a water pail. “Be still now, marm, please. You’ll have to stay here in the gatehouse awhile yet. There’s no question of moving you, I’m afraid.”