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Chapters (50)
  1. TRAPPED
  2. Title Page
  3. Map
  4. BOOK ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. BOOK TWO
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. BOOK THREE
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44

Samkim closed his eyes, and the throbbing receded slightly. “Ooh! A massive headache, that’s all I can feel. What happened, Alfoh? I can’t remember much of what went on.”

The shrew held a beaker of water as Samkim drank slowly. “Hmm, can’t remember, eh? Well, let me refresh your memory, though I don’t know whether you’ll trust the word of a stupid shrew. Or maybe you’d like to ask the blundering mole?”

Arula leaned over her friend’s face and winked broadly. “Blunderin’ mole ’ee called oi, hurr hurr. Oi blundered ’ee one o’er yore ’ead wi’ moi paddle! Sanken, you’m wurr loik some orful woild beastie. You’m said bad things ’bout us’ns.”

The young squirrel winced as memory of the events flooded back. “Arula, and you, Alfoh, I’m very sorry for what I said, but it was the thought of losing Martin’s sword like that. Forgive me.”

“You’m a mad ol’ feller, but you’m moi best matey.” The molemaid’s homely face creased into a friendly smile.

Arula took over the ministrations with the damp cloth as Alfoh explained what had happened while Samkim had lain unconscious.

“Deepcoiler went straight down and never reappeared, at least not so far. We lost six shrews, all the rats and one boat. I can tell you it wasn’t much fun trying to turn three boats upright in that storm and keep you and Spriggat above water at the same time . . .”

Samkim pushed the cloth aside and sat up. “Where is Spriggat? Is he all right?”

Alfoh pointed across to one of the other boats. “He’s over there. We can’t really see how badly the poor creature is injured. When it gets light we’ll check up on him. Don’t worry, my Guosssom are attending to him as best as they can. Rest now and try to sleep. Our position is none too good—we lost all the provisions and this wind is driving us along very fast, though to goodness knows where. There’s no point in paddling or fighting against things. Lie back and rest—that’s all we can do. At least the rain’s stopped and that horrible monster hasn’t shown up again.”

It was a long night. Completely exhausted, wet and shivering in the blustery wind, they curled up in the bottoms of the speeding logboats, trying to ignore waves splashing over the sides as they were rushed on through the gusty darkness.

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