Alfoh was staring at something up above as he fitted a rock to his sling. Whirling the weapon, he called out to Samkim, “Look, that’s a rat up there. Hey you!”

The rat’s head was barely visible, but as Alfoh shouted he turned and showed himself. The slingstone took him under the ear with a distinctive thud. The rat screamed and toppled over the crater top. Instantly there was a mob of vermin, hurling rocks and firing arrows down on them.

“Where did they come from? Who are they?” Ferahgo could be heard yelling from the top of the mountain.

Arula aimed a rock from her sling in the direction of the voice. She was rewarded with a cry from the Assassin.

“Ow, my paw! Kill them, whoever they are!”

A shrew stood to whirl his sling but an arrow took him through the eye and he fell back dead. Urthwyte picked up a sizable boulder and hurled it upward, taking out a rat and injuring a fox.

“Charge! Eulaliaaaaa!” The great white badger went surging forward regardless of arrows and stones.

Samkim and Arula took up the cry. “Forward, Redwaaaaaallll!”

“Logalogalogalogalog!” The shrews broke cover and began scrambling up the rocks, slinging as they went.

*   *   *

Klitch led a band of Corpsemakers along a twisting rock passage toward the stairwell. He trod scornfully on the body of Moonpaw as he mounted the stairs.

“Kill! Kill! Kiiiillll!”

Standing to one side, he let his attack force sweep up the stairs, smiling craftily as he heard the death screams of the front rank who had walked into the range of Bart Thistledown’s bows. “Come on, you lucky rabble. It’s only a couple of hares. Rush them!”

Big Oxeye picked up a longbow and arrows. Issuing slings and stone pouches to Pennybright and Lingfur, he nodded toward the clamor of battle echoing up through the passage outside.

“Right, hares, up on y’ paws. Quick’s the word an’ sharp’s the action. We’ll have to go an’ give ol’ Barty a pull-out. His Lordship’ll be safe here until we get back. Young Pen, an’ you, Ling, give me a big smile—come on now. That’s the ticket. Now yell after me as we go. It’s the Loooong Patrooool! Eulaliaaaaa!” Yelling like demons, they sped down the passage to Bart’s aid.

*   *   *

Standing at the back of his command, Klitch watched as an ashen-faced Dragtail came running up from the lower levels. The young weasel eyed him cynically.

“Where in the name of Hellgates have you been? It’s up here you should be, where the fighting’s taking place, not down there in the peace and quiet!”

Dragtail was plainly scared and, breathing heavily, he hooked a paw back down at the lower levels. “Listen to that!”

Echoing hollowly up through the rocky corridor the sound reached the young weasel’s startled ears.

“Logalogalogalogalog!”