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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?

“Go to the kitchens. Tell Friar Hugo that I sent you. He will set you to sweeping floors and scrubbing pans. I will not have fighting in the Abbey, nor whimpering, whining and trying to put the blame upon others. Brother Rufus, take him along, see he delivers my message to Friar Hugo properly.”

Vitch looked as if he were about to dodge off, until Brother Rufus caught him firmly by the ear and marched him away.

“Come on, young Vitch, greasy pots and floor scrubbing will do you the world of good.”

“Owowooch, leggo, you big bully,” Vitch protested. “You’re pulling my ear off!”

When Vitch had gone, Constance turned upon the other culprit. Jess had released Mattimeo. He stood shamefaced, kicking at a clump of turf, looking down at his paws. He did not see the nod which passed between his mother and Constance. Cornflower was giving her silent permission to the badger; Mattimeo was in for a dressing-down.

“Son of Matthias the Warrior, look at me!” Constance commanded.

Sheepishly the young mouse gazed upward until he was staring into Constance’s unblinking dark eyes. The onlookers stood silent as the matriarch gave the young mouse a piece of her mind.

“Mattimeo, this is not the first time I have had cause to speak with you. I am not going to ask you for an explanation, because in this case I do not think you could justify yourself. Vitch is a newcomer, hardly arrived here. You were born at Redwall, you know the rules of our Abbey: to live in peace with others, never to harm another creature needlessly, to comfort, assist, and be kind to all.”

Mattimeo’s lip quivered, he looked as if he were about to speak, but the badger’s stern gaze silenced him.

“Today you took it upon yourself to attack another creature who is a guest in our home,” Constance continued, her voice an accusing knell. “You, the son of my old friend Matthias the Warrior, who fought to bring peace to Mossflower. Mattimeo, I will not give you any tasks to do as a punishment. The sorrow and worry you cause your mother and the shame you bring down upon your father are the penalties that will rest on your own head. Go now and speak with your father.”

Mattimeo’s head drooped low as he stumbled off.

Tess, Tim and Sam Squirrel kept silent. They knew that every word Constance spoke was the truth. Mattimeo’s middle name should have been trouble.

4

The new moon was up. It hung like a fresh-minted coin in a still, cloudless sky of midnight blue. Moths fluttered vainly upward, only to drift spiralling down to the grass-carpeted woodland floor. The trees stood like timeless sentinels. Somewhere a nightjar serenaded the soft darkness.

Threeclaws was alert at his sentry post. He spied the figure of Vitch approaching and gave a low whistle.