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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?

The raven stood boldly in the shaft of moonlight on the floor of Great Hall. Nothing happened.

“General, the big door is still open,” Mangiz called down to him.

Ironbeak stalked outside. He looked around, then came in again. Slamming the door after him, he flew up to the galleries.

“You see, nothing inside, nothing outside. No mouse in armour, ghost, call it what you will. Nothing!”

He turned upon the two sentries, waggling his murderous beak under their eyes, his voice heavy with menace. “So, tell me again. What did you see?”

“Nothing,” they said in fearful unison.

“Then who opened the big door?” Mangiz asked.

Ironbeak’s eyes glittered with rage, as he nodded to the sentries. “Carry on guarding this place. Mangiz, we will go back to the room.”

*   *   *

As the crow entered the infirmary, Ironbeak gave him a kick which sent him sprawling. Mangiz looked up in surprise. The General had struck other birds before, but never his seer. Ironbeak stood over him.

“This is all your doing, crow,” he said, his voice thick with anger. “You and your clouded visions. Kacha! A ghost mouse wearing armour. Those rooks were scared witless. Then when I go and prove to them there is no ghost, what does my strong right wing have to say?”

Ironbeak imitated Mangiz’s voice mockingly: “‘Then who opened the big door?’”

The crow cringed, trembling as the General continued:

“So, I show them there is no ghost and you start convincing them there is one. I am no ghost, Mangiz, and what I say is final. I will teach you not to open your beak at the wrong time.”

The crow screeched in anguish as the big raven’s talons came down.

*   *   *

Ambrose Spike placed a bowl of hot celery and cream soup before Cornflower as Sister May removed her helmet.

“Try some of this. It’ll help keep your spirits up. Hohohoho!”

Constance held her sides, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

“Ohaha, oh dear! I must say you looked hauntingly beautiful in your armour tonight, Cornflower. Oh haha hee hee hee!”

Not intending a pun, Sister May remarked as she folded the gauze facemask, “I’m glad it worked. It goes to show you what can happen from the ghost of an idea – oh dear!”

They fell about laughing.

“Did you see their faces when you pointed the sword at them?”

“Hahaha. They kept bumping into each other when they tried to fly off together.”

“That was thanks to Constance’s ghost voice. It’s enough to scare anybeast. Hohoho! Go on, Constance, do it again.”

The big badger cupped her paws around her mouth and called in a sepulchral voice: “Leeeeaaave some of that sooooooup for meeeee!”

*   *   *

Outside on the gallery sentry post, Ragwing shuddered on his perch.

“What was that? Did you hear it, Grubclaw?”

The other rook pecked his companion hard upon the bottom.