The raven and the crow held their breath as they watched it. A few dried leaves drifted in on the sighing breeze, pale moon patterns swayed on the worn stone floor, and the darkness in shadowy corners seemed to grow deeper.

The tomblike silence was broken by a voice like rolling thunder:

“Death waits in this place for those who stay!”

Mangiz felt the feathers on his back rise as if a cold paw had touched them.

The ghostly phantom appeared. It came in slowly by the doorway, halted, looked up at Ironbeak and pointed with the sword.

“See, General, there it is, the armoured mouse!” Mangiz exclaimed.

Ironbeak buffeted the crow savagely. “Shuttup, idiot. I’m going to deal with this once and for all!”

The raven went into a short run. He hurled himself over the galleries and sped towards the floor of Great Hall.

The apparition took one pace backward and vanished completely!

There was a cry of horror from the rooks. General Ironbeak skidded to a halt. Landing clumsily in his haste, he bowled over in a bundle of feathers. Swiftly regaining his balance, he dashed outside. It was mere seconds since the ghost had disappeared, but the grounds in front of the Abbey were completely deserted.

Ironbeak whirled about, baffled. He tore at the grass with his talons before rushing back inside. Hither and thither he darted about on the floorstones. Finally he halted, his powerful frame heaving with exertion. Looking upward, he sought something to vent his rage upon. The rooks in the corner of the gallery! They cackled as they dashed to get back to the dormitory, but Ironbeak was swiftly among them, lashing out left and right, tearing with his claws, slamming with strong wings and hitting out with his vicious beak.

“Yaggah, krakkah! Why did you not fly down and catch the thing? You were closer than I was. Get back to your perches, you swamp flies. Go on, out of my sight, you soft-beaked craven! You will forget what you saw here. It was only a trick of the moonlight. If I hear one bird speak of it I will break his wings!”

The rooks fled the scene, with Ironbeak chasing them. Mangiz slipped away quietly from the other end of the galleries, not wanting to face his General’s rage. Great Hall lay quiet and still once more.

*   *   *

Behind the half-open door, Constance and Foremole folded the black cloth which they had used to make Cornflower vanish. The three Redwallers slid silently from the Great Hall, out into the tunnel and back to Cavern Hole, where supper was set out ready for them.

The Abbot took the sword from Cornflower as she unbuckled the armour. “Well, how did it go?” he asked anxiously.

“Perfect, Father Abbot. I appeared, the birds were terrified, the raven flew at me. It was perfect.”

“Ironbeak flew at you? How did you escape?”