Beelu’s paws kicked wildly, then his struggles lessened until he finally went limp. Mokkan hurled him into the stream and stood watching the rat’s carcass being swept away. He chuckled. “Never learned how to swim, eh? Typical water rat, they’re not much use at learning anything!”

Fenno drew in his breath sharply with fear. The Marlfox melted back into the trees and was gone. The shrew scrambled out of his hiding place and threw himself flat on the bank. Thrusting his head into the stream, he drank, sucking in water greedily. Then, to his horror, a strong paw pressed itself down hard on the back of his neck. Fenno tried to lift his head clear of the water, but he could not. His limbs thrashed about helplessly as water rushed into his ears and eyes and up his nostrils. Just before he blacked out he was dragged clear of the stream and smashed up against the trunk of the willow. Fenno found himself staring into the pale, ruthless eyes of Mokkan.

“Where are the rest of your tribe?”

Fenno shook his head as he coughed up water and streambed sand. “Gaaargh! I dunno. Kwaargh! B’lieve me, I dunno!”

Mokkan’s double-bladed ax pressed none too lightly between the gagging shrew’s eyes. “Oh, I believe you, only a complete fool would dare lie to Mokkan. Now listen carefully to my next question, your life depends on the answer. Are you good at steering and guiding a logboat?”

Not daring to nod with the ax so close, Fenno managed to gasp out, “Aye, Chief, I’m good at it!”

Mokkan’s paw was like a clawed vise. It dug savagely into the back of Fenno’s neck as he was propelled forward. “Good! I have work for you!”

The twelve remaining water rats rose to attention as Mokkan strode into camp, apparently fully recovered and thrusting a terrified shrew before him. He nodded to a rat. “Keep your spear on this shrew; if he moves gut him! The rest of you, take your weapons to those logboats, but save the stoutest one. Here, shrew, which is the best of these craft?”

Fenno scrabbled across and laid his paw on a boat without hesitation. “This’n, Chief. ’Twas Log a Log’s boat—belonged to a Guosim leader.”

The Marlfox inspected the fine craft, nodding his approval. “I’ll keep this one. You rats, chop the rest to splinters!”