Brother Hal felt the furrow on his head that Samkim’s arrow had made some time before. He smiled ruefully and caught Samkim and Arula as they passed on their way upstairs. “You young rogues! Never mind, I’ll clear up all this mystery for you. I’m going straightaway to my study to take a delve into my records, and I’ll work through the night if I have to. Don’t worry now. Those ancient scrolls should provide an answer by morning, then you can concentrate on the Nameday games tomorrow. How’s that?”

“Thanks, Brother Hal, you’re a sport!” Samkim shook him energetically by the paw.

“Aye, thankee, zurr. Et’ll stop Bremm’n a-shouten at us’ns.”

Brother Hal smiled at them as they scampered off to the dormitory. “Good night, young uns!”

*   *   *

Dingeye woke shortly before dawn. He was pleasantly surprised to find himself feeling quite chipper. Leaning over, he shook Thura. “Hoi, mucker. Are you all right?”

Thura sat up and felt his stomach, then checked his head.

“By the ’ellteeth, mucker, I feels like a newborn stoat!”

Brother Hollyberry muttered in slumber and settled deeper into his armchair. Dingeye held up a cautionary paw. “Ssshh! We don’t want ter wake ol’ sleepychops up. Come on, let’s get out o’ this Affirmary.”

Silently the two stoats padded out and latched the door carefully. It was quite dark as they descended the stairs. Dingeye was still struck with wonderment at their well-being. “I tell yer, mucker, that fizzick stuff tasted rotten but it’s made me feel great. I can’t wait till brekkfist to eat some more. That ol’ ’Ollyberry sure knows ’is stuff!”

Thura kept a paw on the wall to guide himself down. “Aye, an’ ’e tells the truth too. I’m sorry now that I called ’im a toadwallopin’ ol’ fibber when ’e said to take the fizzick ’cos it was for our own good. ’E was right.”

From the passage at the stair bottom they could see the lights of Great Hall shining through. Dingeye giggled. “Come on, mucker. We got the place all to ourselves while that lot’s abed. Let’s get us some vittles.”

The gluttonish duo invaded the nut and honey dip left out for the young ones, swigged down the strawberry cordial and munched a plate of scones they had found.

“This’ll ’ave ter do us till brekkfist. Y’d think they’d leave more’n this out. No consideration somebeasts got.”

“Yeh, where’s all the Redhall cake an’ Octember ale?”

“You wolfed it all, pigbrain!”

“Pigbrain yerself, stoat. ’Ey, lookit all this sporty stuff lyin’ about. Sly villains, they was playin’ games while we was sick an’ dyin’ in the Affirmery.”

Dingeye grabbed some hoops and started spinning them at Thura’s head. “Hahaha, roll up an’ win a prize!”

His companion retaliated, throwing quoit pegs at him.

*   *   *