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Chapters (64)
  1. CAPTURED!
  2. Other Books
  3. Title Page
  4. Map
  5. Introduction
  6. BOOK ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. BOOK TWO
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. BOOK THREE
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. What’s next onyour reading list?

It was then that Tess Churchmouse realized Mattimeo was no longer the wild and wayward young mischief-maker he had always been. Sitting next to her was a mouse who looked like Martin and Matthias. Despite the fact that they were captives in a strange place, she felt suddenly safe and protected in his presence.

The young one had become a warrior!

25

Cornflower, Abbot Mordalfus, Foremole and Queen Warbeak were in the gatehouse cottage. It had long gone midnight, but they sat around on the hearthrug with the parchment before them. It was covered by the markings of the charcoal stone-rubbing taken from the stone crow high on the south wall of the Abbey.

The Sparra Queen preened herself proudly. “Verree good, eh? Sparra no missee thing, get all um wormsign.”

“Hurr Hurr, that you’m ’ave, clever ol’ burdbag,” Foremole congratulated her.

The Father Abbot folded back his sleeves. “Thank you, Queen Warbeak. Well, let us see what we have here. A map, by the look of it, and a poem to translate. I can do that. Watching John brought it all back to me.”

They scanned the parchment.

“Those who wish to challenge fate,

To a jumbled shout walk straight.

Sunset fires in dexteree,

Find where Loamhedge used to be.

At the high place near the skies,

Look for other watchful eyes.

Sleep not ’neath the darkpine trees,

Be on guard, take not your ease,

Voyage when the daylight dims,

Danger in the water swims.

Make no noise with spear or sword,

Lest you wake the longtail horde.

Shades of creatures who have died,

Bones of warriors who tried.

Shrink not from the barren land,

Look below from where you stand,

This is where a stone may fall and make no sound at all.

Those who cross and live to tell,

See the badger and the bell,

Face the lord who points the way

After noon on summer’s day.

Death will open up its grave.

Who goes there . . . ? None but the brave.”

The Abbot nodded wisely. “It’s a lot clearer now. This is a crude map and a poem that tells a bit more than the last one. In fact, it’s a key to the rhyme that was found beneath the Abbey.”

Cornflower was puzzled. “How so, Father Abbot?”

The old mouse tapped his paw upon the design in the bottom corner. “There. ‘Thorn,’ ‘shout.’ That’s only north and south mixed up. . . . A jumbled shout, as in: walk straight to a jumbled shout.”

Cornflower smiled as recognition dawned. “Of course, it means go due south.”

Foremole wrinkled his nose. “Whoi didden oi think o’ that? If you’m a-walken south then sun must be a-setten in dexteree.”

“Where is dexteree?” It was the Abbot’s turn to look puzzled.

Foremole chuckled and pointed at the Abbot’s left eye. “That’n thurr be sinistree.” Moving his paw, he pointed at the Abbot’s right eye. “An’ that’n be yurr dexteree.”