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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?

Mrs. Churchmouse sniffled a bit, then smiled. “Thank you, Constance, you are so kind and thoughtful. My my, just look at all the mud and wet on these clothes. I’d better go and put some nice clean dry ones on.”

*   *   *

When Mrs. Churchmouse had departed, Constance turned to the Abbot.

“Gone east, eh,” she mused. “Seems funny, taking the north road and then turning east. Why didn’t they just leave through the east gate and go direct through Mossflower? It would have got them to where they were going a lot quicker if they really were travelling east.”

The Abbot sat forward in his chair. “Exactly! If they really were travelling east. I don’t like it, Constance. Foxes were ever the sly ones. Who can tell what goes on in the mind of a thief and a trickster. I am not at all happy about this whole affair, though I’ve no doubt that Matthias, Basil and Jess will sort it out and win through eventually. But suppose they are following a false trail?”

“What could we do about it?” The big badger shrugged. “We are in Redwall, they are out there, somewhere. Goodness knows where; Mossflower is a big country.”

The Abbot touched a paw to the side of his head. “They are the doers, we are the thinkers. Do not forget, this Abbey was built by doers, but it took thinkers to conceive the plans.”

“I agree, Father Abbot, but how do we go about helping them by thinking?”

The Abbot rose from his chair and picked up a lantern. “Sleep, my old friend. Dreams are a good starting place. Dream and think, of Redwall, of Matthias and our friends, of the young ones taken captive and of the evil ones who hold them in bondage. Come and see me in the morning. We will breakfast together and tell each other what we dreamed and thought.”

Constance smiled. The old Abbot made it all sound so simple, but the best answers were the simplest, when all was said and done.

The evening sun sank slowly in the west as the bells tolled out over Redwall, heralding the calm after the storm.

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