“Wedgeback, old friend, let me tell you something. When I leave you in charge of the prisoners, it means that you have to guard them carefully and let none escape.”

“B-but S-Slagar, I . . .”

“Hush, ssshhh!” The Cruel One’s voice was deceptively soothing. “Don’t interrupt, it’s bad manners. You’ve got a lot to learn, Wedgeback. Pity you won’t have time, though. Where was I? Oh, yes. You know the trouble we went through to get those creatures from Redwall Abbey, yet the moment my back was turned you let them escape, didn’t you?”

The stoat was almost incoherent with fear. Slagar’s claws were piercing his belly and he felt totally helpless. “I didn’t know they were g-goin’ to ’scape, honest.”

Slagar began slowly turning Wedgeback so that the stoat had his back to the cliff edge. He was teetering on the brink.

“But they did escape. No thanks to you, I caught them again. There’s no room in my band for blunderers, Wedgeback. You’ll have to go.”

Wedgeback’s eyes rolled wildly. “I’ll go, Slagar. I promise I’ll never come back again. Please don’t hurt me, just let me go.”

“As you wish, my friend. Goodbye!”

Slagar let go of the stoat, at the same time giving him a slight push. The luckless Wedgeback vanished over the edge of the heights with a scream of despair.

*   *   *

Dumbstruck at the horror of the callous killing he had just witnessed, Mattimeo shuddered. Turning his head aside, he clasped Tess and Cynthia, who buried their faces in his robe.

*   *   *

Slagar peered over the cliff edge at the broken carcass on the rocks below. Stonefleck joined him, his face still impassive as he pointed to a small group making their way through the foothills.

“Look, fox, shrews. Do you know them?”

Slagar peered hard at the group. They were just arriving at the rope ladders. Momentarily they recoiled with horror at the sight of Wedgeback’s corpse. Cupping his paws round his muzzle, Slagar called down to them. “Who are you and what do you want?”

The answer came floating faintly up on the warm afternoon air. “I am Skan and these are my followers. I have information for Slagar.”

“I am Slagar,” the fox called back down. “Bring your friends up here, Skan. Use the rope ladders.”

While the shrews made their way up the cliff face, Slagar held a silent conference with his band. They nodded at his plan. The masked fox laughed quietly.

*   *   *

Skan and his followers were panting with exertion as they pulled themselves on to the plateau. At a signal from Slagar, the slavers pulled the rope ladders up.

While his followers sat about on the clifftop regaining their breath, Skan spoke to Slagar.