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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

Swinkee pulled a face as he stood up, dusting himself off. “Kksss, not boila fry, lizard like ’em alive so’s theya wriggle an’ wiggle inna mouth, kkssss, mmmmmm! Folla me!”

*   *   *

The day rose hot and bright over the dune country as they trekked between interminable sandhills behind the lizard, completely baffled at the direction in which they were traveling.

“Pikkle, are you sure this creature is guiding us back home?” Mara kept her voice low.

The hare tore up dandelions by the roots. Passing some to Mara, he munched steadily, spitting out the sandy grit. “Who knows, old gel. We’re at his mercy really. He could be leading us any ballywhere. S’pose we’ll just have to rely on his greed and the promise of two bagfuls of squigglies. Yuk!”

*   *   *

At midday they halted. Digging in a damp patch of sand produced a small muddy pool at which they drank gratefully. Mara yawned mightily and stretched. It was peaceful and pleasantly warm where they had stopped.

“Whooohuuuh! I hardly slept a wink last night. What about you, Pikkle? Are you tired too?”

“Absoballylutely whacked out, chum. I could sleep on a prickle.”

Swinkee stretched himself luxuriously in the sand. “Kksss, you inna my cave last a night. I didn’ sleep, kksss. Bester we sleepnow, longways to go yet. Kksssnnrrrr!”

“Well, beat my bush! Look at old Stinkee, he’s snorin’.” Pikkle gnawed the last of the dandelion roots.

Mara patted a hollow in the sand and laid her head down. “Good idea, I’d say. Give me a shake if you wake first, Pikkle.”

*   *   *

An hour had gone by. Pikkle and Mara curled up in the soft sand, sleeping peacefully through the high golden afternoon without as much as a breeze to disturb them. Swinkee’s eye popped open and he watched them for a moment. Assuring himself that they were sleeping soundly, he slid away, hissing to himself, “Kksss, pulla my tail off, hit Swinkee, sleep inna my cave, rabbit ’n’ stripedog tella me lies ’bout swampflies. I do show ’em, theya mess with lizard nomore, kksss!”

13

The beauty of the soft golden summer morning following the previous night’s storm was lost on the inhabitants of Redwall Abbey. Nameday sports had been canceled and sadness and shock hung like a shroud over everything. Samkim sat alone in the Infirmary, numb with disbelief. Was poor Brother Hal actually dead? Who had done the awful deed? The young squirrel knew nothing of what went on outside the Infirmary, as he had been hastily escorted up there by Friar Bellows and Abbess Vale immediately after being discovered by the Brother’s body, bow in paw. They had made him promise to stay put and speak to nobeast until investigations were under way.

*   *   *