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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?

“Karra! High, isn’t it.” General Ironbeak preened his wing feathers as he spoke. “Oh, not to a bird, but to an earthcrawler it is as if your head were bumping the clouds. It’s a long way down too, if you don’t hit the sides or bounce off a few gutters. Who knows, you might even smash through one of those low roofs. Imagine all that happening to a baby mouse. There wouldn’t be much left to tell the tale when he hit the ground.”

John Churchmouse bit his lip until the blood trickled to his chin.

The Abbot disguised his true feelings and shrugged carelessly. “Then as far as I am concerned you have our surrender, but not completely. Unfortunately, I am only the voice of one, and this Abbey belongs to us all, not just me. We must have a little time to consider your offer, then a vote will have to be taken.”

Ironbeak raked the path fiercely with his talons. “I will have your complete surrender. Now!”

The Abbot sat upon the path. Plucking a blade of grass, he sucked it, shaking his head.

“I am very sorry, but it is not my decision. Throw the captives from the roof if you must. All our creatures are not present, and it is not possible to give you a firm decision right now. We need time to discuss this and take a ballot.”

Ironbeak kicked gravel left and right, realizing that if the captives were slain his bargaining power was lost.

“You say you need time. How much time, earthcrawler?” he demanded.

“Oh, at least three sunsets.”

“That is too long. How do I know you are not planning something?”

The Abbot looked old and frail, and he smiled disarmingly. “General, you give us too much credit. What could we do against you in the space of three sunsets? We are not warriors, we cannot fly like you birds, we are only earthcrawlers. Besides, you hold the captives. What better insurance of our good behaviour?”

The raven signalled Mangiz to have the captives taken into the roof spaces.

“Two sunsets, not three.” He clacked his beak decisively. “Two sunsets and no longer!”

Mordalfus stood up and bowed gravely. “Thank you, Ironbeak. You shall have our answer two sunsets from now.”

32

The raft was proving successful. Though the water hammered it hard in midcurrent, it held together admirably. Log-a-Log was in his element, manoeuvring the tiller as he shouted out orders above the rush of the waters. The long poles they had used for punting were now useless as a means of propelling the craft, and they relied upon the steering skills of the shrew leader.