Log-a-Log offered some good advice. “What you must do is to bar the entrance with wood and make a door. Leave some small holes in it, and station sentries night and day. Then if any large birds try to roost, you can push them off with spears and long poles. I will tell you how this door can be made.”

For the first time Martin and Dinny looked over the edge to the outside world below. There was nothing to see except heavy gray evening mist in layers on the ground.

Martin stepped back from the edge. “We couldn’t attempt to climb down there at night, Din. Let’s stop here with our friends tonight and continue the quest tomorrow. Oh, Dinny, if only Gonff had been here to see this.”

The escapers ran toward the outer gates in the perimeter walls, hotly pursued by Cludd, Ashleg and a band of soldiers.

Tsarmina, keeping her usual vigil at the upstairs window, had armed herself with bow and arrow in the hope that she might spot Argulor disposing of Fortunata’s remains.

When the hubbub broke out down on the parade ground, without hesitation she fitted an arrow to her bow and took aim at Gingivere’s back. Coggs slipped from Gingivere’s pawhold. He rolled into a ball, hitting the parade ground harmlessly. Gingivere bent to pick him up, as Mask dashed up from behind to see if he could help.

The Queen of the Thousand Eyes had already loosed the deadly shaft. As Gingivere picked Coggs up, he heard Mask grunt behind him. Thinking the otter was urging him to hurry, the wildcat dashed for the gates with his precious burden. He knocked the bar aside and pushed one gate open.

The woodlanders flooded in. Ferdy and Coggs were passed from paw to paw until they were out of the danger zone. Freed of his burden, Gingivere turned to see his rescuer staggering slowly across the parade ground as the Kotir soldiers closed in on him. With a fearsome cry and a bound, Gingivere was at Mask’s side. Holding him up, he supported the injured creature through the gate, while the otters and squirrels stood fearlessly in line on the open parade ground, driving Cludd, Ashleg and the soldiers back to the barracks under a hail of arrows, javelins and rocks.

* * *

Tsarmina joined Cludd in the main hallway with a band of reinforcements at her back.

“Come on,” she shouted furiously. “They’re easily outnumbered. We’re not going to retreat from our own parade ground. Get out there!”

Cludd was enraged at being taken by surprise on his own territory. With a bellow he dashed, recklessly out into the open.

Encouraged by Queen and Captain, the forces of Kotir flooded out across the open ground. Madly Tsarmina raced ahead of them, spurred on by her own fury.

* * *

Skipper and Lady Amber decided it was time to make a tactical withdrawal. Their mission was accomplished as far as getting the escape party out of Kotir was concerned; besides, the woodland troops were far outnumbered by the hordes of Tsarmina’s soldiery. The far side of the parade ground was black with soldiers who swarmed forward regardless of missiles. The woodlanders fired a parting volley then ducked out behind the doors.