Samkim’s half-open eyes were trying to follow a large bee as it droned lazily toward the flowerbeds. “Oh, those two. Would you believe it, Brother? They’re still at the table eating. I’m sure they think there’s going to be a famine. Huh, talk about scoff!”

“They’m woant be no gudd for ’ee games this evenin’, zurr.”

Arula stifled a giggle as she pointed to Friar Bellows. The fat little Friar was lying upon his back, fast asleep, snoring with his mouth wide open. A spider on its thread was directly over his mouth, hanging there. It went into his mouth and blew out again each time he inhaled and exhaled. They all laughed silently, not wanting to wake him.

“If’n Froir doant blow out ’ard enuff, ’ee’ll ’ave spider pudden.”

*   *   *

Mara and Pikkle dashed off as Sapwood shot away in the opposite direction. Ferahgo and Klitch headed the band that had come over the hill. They had lost the element of surprise, breaking into a charge when they heard Goffa shout.

The Assassin sized up the situation quickly as he breasted the hill. Immediately he called to his followers, “After the hare, get the spy—the other two are cut off!”

Running southward over the dunes, Mara and Pikkle saw to their dismay two ferrets and a fox circling in on them. Ferahgo had sent them in behind on a wide sweep to take Sapwood from the back, and now they were heading straight for the two young ones.

As they closed in, Mara felt a fury rise within her; they had been deceived by false friends. Hurriedly she breathed to Pikkle, passing him the javelin, “Leave the fox to me. You take one of the ferrets, and we’ll deal with the other one together!”

The fox carried a pike. He snarled at Mara and came straight for her. Recalling Sapwood’s action, she jumped to one side, swept the pike away and struck out hard with both paws. The fox was not expecting such aggression from a young female badger, and there was a resounding crack as both of Mara’s forepaws met solidly along the side of his jaw. His eyes expressed surprise for a moment, then turned up until only the whites were showing, and the fox buckled and fell in a limp heap.

Meanwhile, Pikkle ran straight for the two ferrets and laid the first one low by thwacking him hard between the ears with the javelin. It did the trick wonderfully, but the force of the blow snapped the weapon in two halves.

Mara dashed in. Grabbing a pointed half, she brandished it wildly, growling in a dangerous manner, “Come on, Pikkle. Let’s see if this vermin can die like a warrior!”