“Who, what did you say?” Skinpaw wrinkled his false red nose and grinned a silly grin.

“Ooooh, look out, he’s behind you!”

Deadnose dropped one of the balls he was juggling. Skinpaw bent to pick it up at the exact moment that Wartclaw flung the water from the jug at him. The youngsters roared with laughter as Deadnose was drenched instead of Skinpaw.

Scringe darted in with a large floppy wooden clapper. He swung it and smacked Wartclaw across the bottom with a loud comic slap. Wartclaw whooped with surprise, dropped the jug and stepped in it by accident, getting his paw stuck inside. They ran off with Wartclaw hop-skipping, clumpetty thump, the jug fixed on his paw, while Scringe followed up, whacking his bottom with the clapper.

All the inhabitants of Redwall laughed merrily. Abbot Mordalfus held his sides as he chuckled to Basil, “Ohohoho, I knew that juggler would get drenched, hahaha. Oh, look, the red-nosed fellow is eating one of the juggling balls, hee hee hee. It was an apple all the time, ohahaha!”

“Hawhawhaw. Silly old blighter. I say, the weasel chappie’s trying to eat the other juggling balls. Ooohoohoo, they’re real wooden ones! Spit ’em out, old lad, y’ll break your teeth.”

Slagar was prancing about the tabletops, giving out paper butterflies to the young ones, they flew just like real butterflies. Nobody noticed that every time he passed a jug, flagon or bowl a little powder was dropped into the drink.

Skirting the back of the gathering, Slagar stood behind the flames of the baking pit and threw a pawful of powder into the fire. It caused a whoosh of green flame to shoot upward. Leaping across the pit, the sly one seemed to materialize out of the middle of the emerald-coloured flames.

“Stellar Lunaris, Lunar Stellaris! I am the Lord of Mountebanks. Is there one among you named Ambrose Spike?”

“Aye, that’s me over here. But how did you know my name?”

“The Lord of moon and stars knows all, Ambrose Spike. You are the keeper of the cellars, and your October ale next season will be even better than before.”

“Well I’m blowed, the jolly old firejumper knows about you, Spike me lad.”

Slagar whirled round. “Is that Basil Stag Hare I hear speaking, famed scout and retired foot fighter?”

“Aye, and famous glutton and singer of dreadful songs.”

The Sly One cocked an ear. “Hark! Is that the voice of Mrs. Lettie Bankvole, mother of baby Rollo?”

Mrs. Bankvole was flabbergasted. “Oh haha, yes, that’s me. But how did you know, Mr. Stellaris?”

“Gather round, gather round, good creatures of Redwall Abbey. I will tell you of secrets known only to the Lord of Mountebanks. But first you must drink a toast to the two who caught the big carp, your Abbot and your Warrior, two of the noblest, most brave creatures that ever lived.”