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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?

With the Abbot’s spectacles perched upon his nose, the churchmouse picked up the stone tablet and moved a candle nearer to help him. His lips moved silently and he stroked his whiskers a lot. Sometimes shaking his head or nodding it knowingly, he traced the strange-shaped writing. Finally he placed the tablet down on the table. Cupping his chin in his paws, he stared dreamily off into space.

Five voices inquired aloud with impatience, “Well?”

“Oh, ah, yes. Sorry, funny how it all comes back to you, isn’t it? D’you know, when I first looked at the stone it didn’t mean a thing to me, it might well have been written in butterflyese. Then suddenly it was clear as a stream in spring.”

The Abbot leaned forward until his nose was near touching that of the churchmouse. “John, you can be a singularly annoying creature at times. Would you please read us the translation. Now!”

Immediately, John adjusted the glasses, coughed and began reading.

“Through the seasons, here I lie,

’neath this Redwall that we made.

Solve the mystery, you must try,

Graven deep it will not fade.

Somewhere ’twixt our earth and sky,

Birds and gentle breezes roam.

There a key you might espy,

To that place I once called home.

Take this graven page and seek

What my words in stone could mean.

What can’t fly, yet has a beak,

Mixed up letters evergreen.

Two Bees, two Ohs

One Sea, one tap,

And weary without A.

Leave me now to my long rest,

Good fortune on your way.”

Around the table they sat in silence, awed at the beauty and mystery of the ancient verse, until Cornflower shifted her chair noisily and destroyed the mood.

“Thank you, Mr. Churchmouse. Very pretty, I’m sure, but what does it all mean?”

Constance rubbed her weary eyes. “It means we’ve got a long complicated riddle to solve. Not tonight, though. I’m all for sleeping at this late hour.”

John Churchmouse returned the Abbot’s spectacles. “I’ll second that. It’s all very exciting, but I think we’d best sleep on it. Tomorrow morning will bring clear minds with a fresh approach.”

The Abbot rose slowly, stretching and yawning. “Tomorrow morning, then, out in the orchard where there’s sun and shade. Goodnight, all.”

*   *   *

After they had gone, Cornflower remained sitting at the table with the stone tablet in front of her. Carefully she turned it this way and that, studying the curious Loamscript, tracing it carefully with her paw. Some secret instinct deep inside her said that there was more to the thin stone slab than John had discovered in the writing.

But what?

22

A massive slide of earth, soil, shale and scree mixed with huge boulders that had torn away a section of the hillside from top to bottom lay squarely across the cave entrance, trapping Matthias and his friends tight inside the cavern.

*   *   *