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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?

Whilst Ironbeak stood on the roof digesting this information, Ambrose pointed at the remains of the strawberries lying in the patch.

“Shoot!”

There was a twang and hiss from the windows. Four arrows and two javelins stood quivering among the strawberries.

Ironbeak swallowed hard. “What do you want?”

Constance kept a heavy paw upon the net. “You know what we want, an exchange of hostages.”

“What you ask is not possible.”

“Then your army will starve in the roofspaces,” she warned.

“We will kill your mice if you do not surrender,” Ironbeak countered.

“And we will kill your magpies. This net is weighted with stones. They will drown in the pond.”

“You are peaceful creatures. I know your ways, you could not do such a thing.”

Constance seized the net in her paws and then began dragging it to the Abbey pond.

“Your mistake,” she snarled savagely. “They may be peaceable creatures; badgers are not. It will be a pleasure to rid Mossflower of this scum. I am done with talking!”

The big badger tumbled the net into the shallows.

Revived by the water, the three magpie brothers awoke, spluttering.

“Yagga! Save us, Ironbeak, save us. Help, we will drown trapped in this net. Ironbeak, General, save us!”

The birds on the roof danced anxiously around their leader, cawing and flapping. Mangiz whispered something to him. The raven General cocked his head towards the crow, his bright eye roving across the scene at the pond.

When Mangiz had finished, Ironbeak spoke in a level voice:

“Stop! Do not drown my magpie brethren. They have served me well. I will talk terms with you.”

A great cheer arose from the defenders at the window slits.

Constance gave a silent sigh of relief. “Then you agree to our request, three in exchange for three?”

Ironbeak spread his wings. “So be it! The exchange will take place here, in front of this redstone house when the evening bells toll at sunset.”

Ambrose exchanged glances with Constance.

“Let the hostages be freed here and now!” she proposed.

Ironbeak folded his wings and closed his eyes with finality. “Do not stretch your luck, earthcrawlers. You have gained a victory. The exchange will take place as I say. Agreed?”

Constance hauled the net from the shallows. “Agreed!”

*   *   *

When the birds had flown, Ambrose shook his head at Constance. “It’s some sort of trap, I can feel it in me spikes. That bird has somethin’ in mind for us. Didn’t you see him whispering with the crow? They were hatching a plan.”

The Abbot came out to greet them.

“I agree with Ambrose,” he said. “They are obviously working out a trap. You did well. It was a good bluff, Constance.”

The big badger looked grim. “It was no bluff, Father Abbot. I would drown a dozen like these in the net if our Abbey or our creatures were threatened. We will wait and see what they have planned for sunset.”

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