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Back Mattimeo Save as PDF
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?

Fleaback, Skinpaw, Wartclaw, Scringe and the rest dashed around the tables, chuckling heartily and tickling little ones behind the ears while filling up every beaker and bowl.

Foremole stood up on a bench. “Yurr’s to Mattwise ee Wurrier, an’ yurr’s to Habbot ’Dalfuzz. Gudd ’elth, gennelbeasts.”

Beakers and bowls clinked together as the toast was drunk.

Slagar threw another pawful of dust into the fire. This time it rose up golden and smoking in a column as he called out in an eerie voice:

“Stellar Lunaris Fortuna Mandala, hark to me, all creatures.”

*   *   *

Mattimeo was fascinated by the magic fox. He put his cider down and watched with rapt attention. Now the fox had taken off his flowing silken cloak. He held it up and swirled it in front of him, slowly at first then getting faster and faster, chanting as he did:

“See the stars, see the moon,

Penned around by blackest night.

See the diamonds red and purple,

Silk and fire and blood and light.

See them turning, ever turning,

Like a great mandala wheel,

Spinning as the fire is burning.

What is false and what is real . . . ?”

From somewhere near, Mattimeo could hear Mrs. Churchmouse gently snoring. He tried to fix his eyes on the swirling cloak as it turned from diamond patterns to star-studded night skies. The fox’s voice droned on and on, until finally Mattimeo could no longer keep his leaden eyelids from drooping.

He fell asleep across the table full of good food, well entertained and completely happy.

11

The day dawned humid and grey. Soon huge dark cloud masses bunched in a lowering sky, occasionally cut through by forked lightning flashes over to the west. Thunder rumbled dully from the far horizons of the Golden Plain, then drops of rain, each one as big as a beechnut, began falling.

Constance the badger was wakened by the wetness, combined with the scream of distress from baby Rollo.

“Mama!”

All around the badger, Redwall creatures were wakening, groaning and stumbling about in the heavy downpour.

Matthias held his throbbing head with one paw as he shook Constance. “Quickly, let’s get them all in out of the rain. Was that somebody shouting a moment ago?”

“Mama, Mama, wake up!”

Constance came fully awake as thunder boomed out overhead and the scene was lit by a branch of forked lightning.

“It’s baby Rollo over by the north wallgate!”

Hurrying through the battering thunderstorm, Constance and Matthias dashed to where the little bankvole sat crying by the small gate low in the sandstone wall. He was shaking the still form of Mrs. Lettie Bankvole.

“Mama, oh Mama, please wake up, I’m getting wet!”

The warrior mouse’s head began to clear with the rain. “Cornflower, over here! Take this little one inside. We must find out what’s been going on here.”

Cornflower scurried off, carrying baby Rollo in her paws as she shielded him from the wet with her body.