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Back Mattimeo
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?

“Come out of there this instant, Rollo. What would Martin think?”

Mrs. Churchmouse chuckled. “He’d probably think it quite nice to have some company after hanging alone on the wall all that time.”

*   *   *

General Ironbeak was in a fine fit of rage as he stalked up and down the sickbay and the infirmary. Mangiz and the three magpie brothers stood stock-still, waiting for his wrath to unleash itself upon them. They had failed to find any trace of the exits and entrances to the cunningly dug mole tunnels.

“Kacha! You slugbrained dolts, do you mean to tell me that you could not find a few creatures carrying the big cloth?”

Quickbill looked down at his claws. “We searched, we looked everywhere, Ironbeak. There was not a sign of any creature.”

“Not a sign? You speak foolishness. They are earthcrawlers, not birds. They could not fly off into the blue. Where did they go?”

“The big stripedog charged us, General. We could not fight it. By the time you sent us outside, we could not find any trace of them. We did not expect them to come through the doorway like that. You were supposed to have them penned up in that place by the stairs.”

Ironbeak moved like lightning. He pulled Quickbill up against the wall and felled him with a sharp blow from his heavy beak.

“Yaggah! Don’t tell me what I was supposed to be doing. You forget yourself, magpie. I am the leader. Mangiz, do your visions see anything? Does your mind’s eye tell you where the earthcrawlers went?”

The crow shifted nervously. “My visions are still clouded, Lord.”

The raven eyed him scornfully. “Yach! Not the mouse warrior again?”

“Ironbeak, I see what I see. The mouse wearing armour blocks my visions and hovers in my thoughts. I cannot explain it.”

“Hakka! Is this the Mangiz who served me in the northlands? I think this redstone house is making you like an old thrush. The mouse is only a picture upon a piece of cloth. We have seen this, we know it is true. I have not seen a mouse in armour striding around here, nor have you, yet you stand there dithering and flapping. ‘Lord, my visions are clouded. A mouse wearing armour hovers in my thoughts.’ Kacha! Get out of my sight. I will do my own thinking. You have failed me, Mangiz.”

As Mangiz turned to go, there was a scratching and chirping in the doorway. Ironbeak leapt forward.

“Sparrows! Get them!”

*   *   *

The five sparrows who had been listening at the door flew off. Ironbeak and Mangiz were in hot pursuit of them as they rounded the stairwell and flew down towards Great Hall.

“Sparrows! Get them!” Mangiz echoed his leader’s cry to the patrols in the galleries.

The sparrows fluttered and veered, not certain of where to go next. One of them was taken by the beaks and claws of three rooks. It stood no chance.