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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?

Jess was also muttering to herself. “‘Afternoon on summer’s day.’ What part of the afternoon: midday, high noon, middle of noon, late noon? How are we supposed to know. Silly rhyme, if you ask me. What d’you think, Matthias?”

“I think it means before the early evening, Jess. Look, the words are separate, it doesn’t say ‘afternoon,’ it says ‘after . . . noon’. Another thing, ‘the lord who points the way’ doesn’t have to be a living creature.”

Jess looked puzzled. “How do you know that?”

“Easy. The badger and the bell are both rocks. We identified them by their shapes. So why can’t the Lord who points the way be a rock?”

Cheek sidled up. “Or even a tree.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’ve just climbed up this badger rock a way and had a look around. The one thing that stands out like a landmark is a tree. It’s sort of directly in line with the path between these two rocks, but we can’t see it from where we stand down here.”

Jess Squirrel raced up the rock face of the badger peak like an arrow from a bow.

“It’s there, Matthias,” she called down. “I can see it. The biggest fir tree in the world. What a sight! It’s colossal!”

*   *   *

The early noonday sun beat down on the summit of badger rock. Matthias, Jess and Cheek stood atop the tall edifice, looking down at the tree in the distance. The warrior mouse grasped the rope Jess had rigged.

“Come on, let’s get down from here and get moving. I want to arrive at that tree before the sun goes down. I know exactly what to do and what to look out for now!”

43

Mattimeo’s eyes opened slowly. He felt sick and groggy, but above all frightened. Lifting his manacled paws, he rubbed his eyes. The last thing he remembered was being held whilst a hooded figure pressed something against his face. The overpowering sweet sickness of it still hung upon his breath. He had lost count of time. Though it was dark he felt he was in some sort of chamber, and outside it might be night or day; he had no way of knowing.

The creatures around him were groaning, moving restlessly as the effects of the soporific wore off. Then the familiar heavy paw of Auma touched his.

“Mattimeo, is that you? What happened? Where are we?” the badger asked worriedly.

“I don’t know. It’s too dark in here. Feels like a kind of stone room, like Ambrose Spike’s wine cellar at Redwall.”

“I don’t like it. It’s cold, too. Are the rest of us all here?”