BooksBarbecue
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 remaining sparrows of Queen Warbeak’s command took care of a rook and a magpie between them. Winifred flattened two rooks with a big frying pan, and Brother Rufus and Sister May accounted for a rook between them.

Immediately, the fight went out of the remaining rooks and the two surviving magpies. Without their leader and Mangiz the seer, they lost heart. Constance pointed a blunt paw.

“Into that wine cellar, all of you. One squawk or false move while you’re down there and we’ll do to you exactly what you planned for us. Now get out of my sight double quick, before I change my mind and let the big red bird loose on all of you!”

*   *   *

Shepherded by Winifred and Ambrose, the birds fled hurriedly through the kitchens to the wine cellar.

Ambrose, armed with a soup ladle, threatened them, “Move along there! If one o’ you rotten eggspawn so much as looks at my barrels of wine and ale, I’ll chop off your tails and pickle the lot of you in a barrel of sourapple vinegar!”

*   *   *

Constance set the big table back in its former place. “No real damage done, except to your gatehouse cottage door, Cornflower. I’ll help you repair it. There! The old place looks nearly as good as new. Father Abbot, Redwall is yours once again. We await your word.”

The Abbot glanced up into Great Hall. “Our first problem is how to stop Stryk flying about. She’s making me dizzy, soaring and wheeling around the Abbey. John, you can make an addendum to the books on birds, concerning the remarkable healing powers of a great red kite’s wing. By the fur, that bird looks as if she wants to spend the rest of her life in the air.”

John Churchmouse, not renowned for his humor, smiled.

“When I was a young un I could never make a kite that flew properly. Funny how you learn as you get older,” he joked.

*   *   *

From the wine cellar, the tiny gruff voice of baby Rollo sang raucously:

“Chop up a rook’n make a soup,

Send him to bed wivout any bread,

Dip his tail in ’tober ale,

An’ good ol’ magpie pie!”

The sound of happy laughter rang through Redwall Abbey from the wine cellar to the very roofbeams of Great Hall, where the big red bird soared gracefully.

51

Matthias stood with his paw upon Mattimeo’s shoulder and gazed around the hushed ledge. Orlando and Auma were with him, Jess Squirrel and her son Sam, Jabez Stump and his son Jubilation, and Basil and Cheek with Tim, Tess and Cynthia. Log-a-Log Flugg and his remaining shrews stood behind Matthias, while before him there was gathered a motley horde of young woodland creatures.