THE CRIMSON BADGER - Chapter Nine
Learning that Lord Urthblood wanted to hold another council of the Abbey elders to coincide with breakfast, Friar Hugh spread the big table in Cavern Hole with a lavish variety of food and drink. When Vanessa and the others came down for the start of the meeting, they were greeted by a display of cinnamon toast with butter, quince tarts, and a deluxe apple and spice cake topped with sweet crushed hazelnut crumbs. Drinks included honeyed milk, cool mint tea and grape and cherry cordials.
Monty was, naturally, the first to tuck into the delectable-looking cake, forcing a hefty wedge onto his plate between slices of toast and warm tarts. The others helped themselves to more modest portions, and filled their cups with their beverages of choice. Urthblood satisfied himself with two pieces of toast and a tumbler of cool water.
The Badger Lord waited until all present had finished serving themselves, so that he could speak without distractions. This gathering was the same as the first council on the afternoon of his arrival, with one exception: the Abbess had decided it was too early to summon Highwing, so the Sparra leader was absent from this session. But the rest of the Abbey leaders - Vanessa, Arlyn, Geoff, Montybank, Alexander, Maura and Foremole - were with Urthblood at the table. Friar Hugh and his staff withdrew up the stairs to Great Hall so that the eight of them could have Cavern Hole all to themselves. Unless some emergency arose up above, nobeast would intrude until the Abbess emerged to declare the council concluded.
Like a hungry force of nature, Monty reached for his second slice of cake while most of the others were just getting started on their first helpings. Recognizing that they would be here all day if he waited for the otter Skipper to stop eating, Urthblood began.
"I concluded our last meeting by saying that there was much more to be told, of my prophecy and my activities to prepare for it. Now that improvements in Redwall's defenses are underway and I have given you the full measure of my warrior's counsel, the time has come to speak of these things."
Every Redwaller at the table, even Monty, gave Urthblood their undivided attention. So far the badger warrior had deflected all their inquiries about the bird which had visited the night before, refusing to discuss the matter until the council was underway. They were all most eager to hear his explanation of that event.
What he was to tell them that morning, however, would make them forget all about the night visitor.
"I have told you that my prophecy foretells a great crisis, which I believe may be nearly upon us. I have also told you that the prophecy is vague about the exact nature of this crisis, or the direction from which it will come. There may be war, or perhaps a series of wars, on a scale unprecedented in all the history of the lands. Twenty seasons ago, when fate first spoke through me and my paw carved this doom into the living rock of Salamandastron, I bent the entirety of my mind and will toward a possible solution to this threat. I asked myself, over and over, what action might I take to best meet this coming upheaval? And at last I decided upon a course that I felt was the only way to prepare for these difficult times.
"Since the prophecy does not reveal which creatures will involve themselves in the fighting, I reasoned that anybeast could turn out to be our enemy ... or our ally. The lands are full of vermin and foxes and other species who are the traditional bane of decent creatures. If the threat to peace is to come from without, from Tratton and his searats or some dark kingdom as yet unknown to us, then the vermin of Mossflower and the Northlands will no doubt ally themselves with the invaders and fight against the goodbeasts of the lands. Then again, perhaps the threat is to come from within our own territories. Warlords have emerged from less likely places than your own Mossflower Woods, and a chieftain who could unite all rats, foxes, weasels, stoats and ferrets - and teach them how to wage real war - would prove as deadly to us as any searat king or invading army from parts unknown. In either case, it is clear that the vermin living among us are a danger and a threat, and one that must be eliminated."
And with that, Urthblood reached for his tumbler of water and helped himself to a long draught of it.
It was easy to draw the obvious conclusion from the badger's words. Most of the Redwallers were so shocked by what Urthblood seemed to be suggesting that Abbess Vanessa took it upon herself to address the issue before he could continue.
"My Lord, if your plan is to slaughter all the vermin and foxes of Mossflower, then we must oppose you. Such a tactic might be acceptable in the Northlands, but we could not sit idly by and allow such a thing to take place in Mossflower, much less be a part of it. If this is what you're suggesting ... "
Urthblood raised a paw to stop her. "You misunderstand me. It is true that I have slain many beasts in the north, but only those who proved themselves my enemy by word or deed. I could never kill all the vermin of the lands, even if I were to labor at such a task for another twenty seasons, and another twenty after that." He shook his head. "No, what I am attempting is far more ambitious than such a slaughter ... although you may question it nearly as much."
The Redwallers didn't know what to make of this. "Go on," Vanessa said.
"There is a saying in the north that an enemy kept close at paw is less dangerous than one held at a distance. My plan, quite simply, is to keep our potential enemies so close that they are given no chance to become our enemies. An invading warlord would not be able to use our weasels, rats and foxes as weapons against us, if we have already forged them into a weapon of our own."
Old Abbot Arlyn adjusted the spectacles on the end of his nose. "Are you saying, Lord, that you mean to take some of these creatures into your service, and put them under arms?"
"Not some. All."
"Impossible!" Alexander cried out, displaying more of the agitation he'd shown the day before over the tree-cutting proposal.
"It has already begun," said Urthblood. "In the north, I have laid down my gauntlet far and wide to every rat, fox, weasel, ferret and stoat in those lands: join my cause for the benefit of all creatures, or remain my enemy and be slain. You would be amazed to learn how many have already chosen my service over continued struggle and death."
Vanessa said to Urthblood, "Not having seen it with my own eyes, I must say I share Alexander's skepticism. What you describe is difficult for us to imagine. Please tell us more about how you have done this."
"Certainly. I believe nearly every creature is born with a noble spirit, and evil ways must be learned. Only a very few become truly evil beyond all redemption. If those few are eliminated and their influence wiped clean from the face of the lands, then most of their followers can be made to serve the cause of good rather than evil. Most vermin are misguided and lacking in a decent upbringing. And since honest ceatures tend to shun and distrust them, they are given no chance to prove their decency. Their noble spirit is given no freedom to flower. Inevitably they band together with others of their own kind, and that is where they learn savage ways and selfishness, with the truly evil ones emerging as horde leaders, captains, tyrants and warlords, since they will put down and murder even their fellow vermin to gain power.
"This is how it has been for more generations than anybeast can remember. And it has led to great suffering and constant war. But with the coming crisis, these old ways must be abandoned if we hope to survive. All creatures must learn to trust one another, to live peacefully side by side. This I truly believe is our best hope to weather the coming storm, and perhaps even prevent it. And all my efforts these past twenty seasons have been aimed toward achieving this goal.
"As to how I have been going about this, it has proven simpler than you might suppose. Everytime word reaches me of a horde terrorizing goodbeasts, I assemble my forces and march to meet it in battle. So far, I have never lost. Once the horde leaders are slain, along with any other of their numbers I judge to be treacherous or dangerous, I offer their surviving followers the choice to join my army, or lay down their arms to never again trouble decent creatures, upon pain of death. As you may imagine, I have not had to face many of them on the battlefield a second time. And most do join me, rather than try to fend for themselves in the wild, leaderless and subject to the ill will of goodbeasts they'd formerly terrorized."
"I don't see how you can control them all," commented Vanessa. "If you truly have armed them and trained them well, aren't you concerned that some of the nastier ones might try to kill you and take command of your army as their own horde?"
"There were several attempts to do just that in the early days of my campaigns. Everybeast who tried is dead now, while I am still very much alive."
This simple statement of fact sent chills down the spines of several of the Redwallers.
"It has been several seasons since any would-be tyrant from within my own ranks has challenged me. But most of my soldiers are decent creatures who would never accept the leadership of such a beast. The many shrews, otters, squirrels and mice under my command ensure that no evil-minded vermin would ever be able to take over my forces, even if they should succeed in killing me."
"All those woodland creatures?" Vanessa said in surprise. "They march alongside vermin and foxes?"
"That is the entire point of my enterprise," said Urthblood. "We have all put aside past differences for the greater good of all. My troops no longer look upon each other as rats or mice, otters or foxes, shrews or weasels. They are all fighters working toward a common goal, each judged solely according to its ability, and each given the same respect that any creature would want for itself."
Quiet fell over Cavern Hole. No revelation of Urthblood's could have aroused a greater mix of conflicted feeling among the Redwallers. Their order had been founded on the very principle that Urthblood had just spoken. Redwall was a haven and sanctuary for all beasts in need, no matter their species. Even Cluny the Scourge had been extended the Abbey's hospitality, until he showed his hostile intentions. On the other paw, they'd suffered so much loss from these creatures throughout their history that they'd come to regard all vermin as enemies. The idea that Urthblood had taken so many of these beasts into his service and placed them under arms was an unsettling one to them, regardless of the Badger Lord's assurances.
Brother Geoff had been rendered speechless by all of this. Finding his voice at last, he said, "I still cannot believe how this could possibly work. Tell us, just how successful you have been in controlling your vermin, and how the other Northlanders feel about what you are doing."
"Things in the north have always been pretty much the same as here," Urthblood explained. "That is to say, there are the decent, honest creatures, many of whom farm for a living, and then there are the thieves and barbarians who produce nothing for themselves and must take what they need from others or else starve. I took a long look at this state of affairs, and realized that if the farmers and growers of food did not have to expend so much effort fighting off those who would steal it, they could produce much more ... enough to feed the very foes who would otherwise take it by force. And harvests have indeed improved in the regions where I have been at work, with many formerly barren acres now transformed into fertile and productive croplands. The vermin who in the past would have raided these farms now march under my banner to protect those very harvests. It is a new way, and one that benefits everybeast. The honest creatures no longer live in fear of losing everything to a raiding horde, and the vermin no longer go hungry. A beast who knows where its next meal is coming from is much less likely to cause trouble. And I do keep my troops well fed."
"Sounds like a paradise," Geoff said skeptically, then shrank in his seat at the narrow-eyed gaze the badger warrior trained upon him.
"Hardly. The lands are still harsh, and many foebeasts remain outside my control. And there are good-hearted creatures who have known the old ways for so long that they will always be suspicious of their former enemies. But by creating this standing army, I have not only forged a potent weapon to meet the coming crisis, but also found a solution to the ages-old history of conflict between vermin and honest creatures. It is a fundamental change in the way things have always been, and something that should have been attempted long before now. So much sufferng could have been prevented."
It was then that Montybank asked a question which had not occurred to any of his fellow Redwallers.
"I say, M'Lord, how does yer brother feel 'bout all this? Can't imagine too many badgers-in-arms wantin' to cozy up to rats 'n' weasels. Or his fightin' hares wantin' to march alongside 'em."
"He has not involved himself in my campaigns," Urthblood replied coolly.
"And why would that be?" the Abbess pressed, when it became clear Urthblood did not intend to elaborate further.
"My brother Urthfist has all he can do to hold Salamandastron and the coastlands against King Tratton and the searats. I have followed my own path for the sake of the salvation of the lands, and he has followed his. One of us had to remain at Salamandastron, obviously. By holding the coastlands secure, he has allowed me the freedom to pursue what I feel is the best hope for all creatures. His work has been no less vital than my own. I have not visited my mountain home in many seasons. I am hoping to journey there once I leave Redwall, if circumstances allow."
The tone of impassioned authority and finality in his tone was such that not one of the Redwallers noticed Urthblood had not answered Monty's question at all.
"I still say this is a dangerous thing you are doing," Geoff insisted. "As Redwall's historian, I am very well versed in the ways our Abbey has suffered at the paws of power-hungry vermin over the seasons. It seems to me that you could be creating a terrible engine of destruction, which might prove unstoppable if it should ever turn against us."
"If you know how the lands have suffered under the old ways," the Badger Lord calmly responded, "then you more than anybeast should see the truth of all I have said here."
"Well, yes, but ... if the force of your will proves insufficient to keep your war machine under control ... "
"Ahh ... But you should not underestimate the force of my will. It has already allowed me to tame much of the Northlands and slay many of the worst horde leaders. A prophecy of doom was laid upon me twenty seasons ago, when I was touched by the paw of fate. This has never left me. The force of my will has the power of destiny behind it." Urthblood drew his sword and laid it upon the table amidst the breakfast items. It was the first time any of the Redwallers had glimpsed the blade up close; the mighty weapon was dull with age and use, except along its double cutting edges, which shone with a keen sharpness where they weren't notched or pitted. While not as splendid as the majestic sword of Martin, it was every bit as much the blade of a true warrior.
"The evil beasts of the north have come to know this weapon well, and those who still survive fear it. But its power goes beyond killing. This blade has also made enemies into allies, and brought peace of mind to terrorized goodbeasts. No enemy has been able to best me since I began my Northlands campaigns, and it is my intention that none ever shall. My actions are to create peace, not destroy it."
Urthblood addressed the entire council. "I have told you all of this for several reasons. First, you are entitled to an explanation of what I have been doing in the Northlands, and why. I had promised you this, and now I have fulfilled that promise.
"More important was the fact that you heard this from me rather than somebeast else. I have made enemies in my campaigns, many of whom realize they would stand no chance against me on the battlefield. These foes must resort to another weapon instead: lies. Since my aims could be easily misunderstood, my enemies often try to divide the honest creatures with falsehoods about what I am trying to do, creating distrust among the allies I must have to complete my work. If they had somehow managed to tell you that I have taken vermin and foxes into my ranks before I'd had the opportunity to properly explain myself, then they might have succeeded in sowing doubts and suspicions among you. I took a chance waiting as long as I did, but I wanted to address the defenses of this Abbey before all else. And what I have told you this morning could only have been said at a full council, as I am sure you all understand."
"Yes, I can see why," Vanessa concurred. "But I have a question. You have told us that some of your forces are right here in Mossflower. I take it there are vermin among them?"
"Naturally. When I was getting ready to journey south, I chose to accompany me those troops whose skills would be of greatest benefit. They were selected for their abilites as individuals, not their species."
"Still," said Arlyn, "it was chancy bringing such a force to our lands, where creatures like that are held in suspicion and distrust."
"There has been no trouble so far," Urthblood said. "But that is another reason I wanted to inform you of all this. Someday you may see a group of creatures traveling these lands, and that group might include rats or foxes, stoats or ferrets, or may even be headed by such a beast. You can no longer assume that they are enemies, because they might be mine."
"How will we be able to tell?" asked the Abbess.
"For the near future, I will be here to let you know which creatures are in my service. But even after I leave Redwall, you will know. My soldiers carry themselves with a dignity that no thief or villain would be able to imitate. And if you see woodlanders such as otters, mice and shrews marching with them, you will know them to be friends."
Montybank gave Alexander a knowing nudge with his elbow. "Can't say I've ever seen a rat or weasel wot was dignified. Hafta see it to believe it."
"No," agreed Alex, "although a fox could probably put on a good show of it. Those crafty beasts can fool a woodlander into believing anything."
Urthblood turned to the otter and squirrel. "You are not the first goodbeasts to show such doubts. And if you should someday chance to meet any of my troops, I am sure you will also not be the first to be pleasantly surprised, so long as you keep an open mind."
"Can we expect to see them here at Redwall anytime soon?" asked the Abbess. "You said you'd give us some notice, so we can prepare to receive them."
"My forces move as the situation dictates," Urthblood replied. "We shall see what the days ahead bring."
"As long as your band is so close, they might as well visit Redwall," old Arlyn suggested. "After all, they've come so far. And it would give us a chance to see for ourselves your noble and honest vermin."
"Although," added Vanessa, "you would have to promise that they would cause no harm if we let them into our Abbey."
"Of course. I am here to aid and assist Redwall. I would never permit anything that would harm goodbeasts, or disrupt their way of life."
"Bit too late for that last part," Alexander whispered to Montybank from the corner of his mouth.
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Vanessa, Arlyn and Foremole remained at the table with Lord Urthblood after the others had left to resume their regular duties. They wanted to discuss the proposed Great Hall stairs.
"Facts be facts, gennelmoice," Foremole said to the Abbess and retired Abbot. "Thurr doan't be enuff stone 'n' wood at our Habbey t' carnstruct ee starway so hoigh. Uz'll need t' reopern ee quarry."
"That's more work than we bargained for," Vanessa said. "The quarry is a good half day's march to the east, on the other side of the River Moss. We'll need shrew boats to ferry tools and workers across, and to bring back the cut stone. Building these stairs could take us until next winter, or even spring!"
"There should be no problem cutting the necessary stone and timber and getting it all to Redwall before the start of the cold winter weather," Urthblood rumbled. "My blueprints are most precise. We will know to the exact brick and beam what will be required, and in what sizes. Once all the material is on paw, construction can commence at its own speed. Since all the work from that point on will take place indoors, it can be done even in the chill depths of winter."
"Still, it will be a greater task than we envisioned," Arlyn nodded.
"But it might well be worth the ... " Vanessa let her voice trail off in midsentence as the faint sound of the Matthias and Methuselah bells came down into Cavern Hole. She cocked her head and listened for a moment. "Oh, no not another storm!"
Arlyn listened along with her. "I think that's what it's supposed to be, but Maura's making the same mistake as last time, so it sounds more like the call to arms. Funny ... with the training she's had with Cyril and Cyrus, I'd have thought she'd be able to get it right this time."
"Well, I'd best go see what it's all about," said the Abbess. "I hope it's a false alarm. The last thing our poor beleaguered gardens need is another storm! If you'll excuse me, My Lord."
Vanessa went up the stairs into Great Hall and was on her way to go outside when the squirrel Elmwood appeared in the doorway in front of her. He stopped with one paw on the jamb, breathing hard as if he'd just run down from the wallsteps. "Abbess ... there you are! I was just ... coming to get you," he panted.
"Storm coming, Elmwood?" Vanessa asked, lifting a paw to indicate the bells.
Elmwood shook his head. "Army coming ... down the road. Huge one. Vermin ... must be hundreds of 'em. And they're armed for battle!"
Vanessa's eyebrows shot up. Could it possibly be? No, Urthblood had indicated his presence here in Mossflower was a small detachment of his main forces. "Are you sure it's not just a score or two?"
"Oh no, Abbess ma'am. I was up on the wall ... I saw 'em myself. It's like Cluny's army reborn, and marching straight toward us. Hundreds at least ... maybe a thousand."
"All vermin? Or are there any woodlanders marching with them?"
"Huh?" The question made no sense to Elmwood, who had not yet been appraised of the morning council. "Uh, why would there be?"
Vanessa glanced back over her shoulder toward Cavern Hole, where Urthblood still tarried with Foremole and Arlyn. Should she go inform them? No, first things first. She looked at Elmwood again. "I guess I'd better get out there to see this for myself."
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The ramparts atop the west wall were crowded with Redwallers, alerted to the approaching horde by the squirrel lookouts and Maura's mighty bellringing efforts. The squirrels had been the first to spot the giant dust cloud from the road, rising above the forest canopy to the north. Two hot summer days since the storm had dried the main path enough so that any large group of marchers would raise plumes of dust to mark their passage. And by the look of the roiling brown-white cloud hovering over the treetops, this army must be huge.
Elmwood had stuck around long enough for the actual marchers to become visible in the distance. Seeing that they were indeed vermin carrying weapons of war, he'd raced down the wallstairs to fetch the Abbess and Alexander and Montybank and anybeast else of authority he could find. Maura, out with the children on the lawns, heard his report and ran to sound the bells. Now the badger matriarch met Vanessa and Elmwood at the foot of the wall stairs, following them up to the walltop.
"Monty and his otters are checking all the wall gates to make sure they're securely bolted and locked," Maura informed them, breathing hard from her climb up and down the bell tower. "If this horde means to make trouble, they'll have a tough time getting into Redwall."
"Let's hope they didn't bring a battering ram," Elmwood worried.
"No problem if they did," Alexander announced from above, striding along the walltop to greet them at the top of the steps with longbow in paw. "I was just getting ready to take out a patrol when I heard the bells and all the shouting. We've got bows strung and quivers packed, enough to pick off scores of vermin if they try anything like that." He glanced out at the approaching army. "If they are vermin," he muttered under his breath.
Elmwood took his place at the battlements, reading his own bow. "So long as they don't have archers of their own, shooting back at us, sir."
"Maybe I should get some cauldrons from the kitchens," Maura suggested, "and start boiling some oil up here in case we need it to pour on them."
"Maura!" Vanessa declared, surprised that her badger friend could even entertain such a bloodthirsty notion. "We don't even know if these beasts are our enemies yet. Let's save that kind of talk until we find out who they are."
"They sure aren't friends, from what I saw," said Elmwood.
Maura and Vanessa stepped up to the battlements themselves, and immediately saw both the dust cloud telltales above the trees, and the creatures who were kicking it up. Vanessa gasped in spite of herself; not even Elmwood's description had prepared her for the sight of so many beasts marching in brisk military formation. The low thundering of so many stamping footpaws could be faintly heard from here, although the leading edge of the horde was still too distant to make out individual beasts in the shimmering air of summer morning.
Maura looked to the keen-eyed squirrels, who were raptly scanning the immense troop column. "What can you see? Are they all vermin, or are there any woodland creatures among them?"
The badger's question mystified most of the squirrels, but Alexander knew what she was getting at. "You mean, what Urthblood told us about this morning? But this can't be them ... there are too many!"
"That's what I was thinking myself," said Vanessa. "But we have to be sure. What do you see?"
Alex squinted his eyes as he peered into the distance. "Hard to tell yet. This far away, otters can look like weasels and squirrels can look like foxes, even to us. And that dust they're putting up isn't any help. But I'll wager my bushtail that those are foxes I see marching ahead of the rest ... " He strained harder, shading his eyes with one paw, "... backed up by weasels, ferrets and stoats."
"All vermin," Maura said somberly.
Little Droge the hedgehog had led a few of his young playmates up to the ramparts at the sound of the bells, hoping to see another monster storm looming on the horizon. What he saw now suited him even better. "Lookit that horde!" he exclaimed with glee. "Must be the hugest army ever t' pass through Mossflower!"
"Uh, Maura," Vanessa motioned to the badger, "please take these young ones down from here. I don't want them in harm's way, in case there's any trouble."
"But Motha' Abbess!" Droge protested. "We wanna see th' army!"
"You've seen all you need to," Maura said in her no-nonsense manner. "Down we go now ... follow me!" Fortunately, Droge's friends were less enchanted and more fearful at the sight of the horde, and were more than happy to follow Maura and Droge down onto the lawns.
Alexander gazed at the approaching army in consternation. "Those can't be Lord Urthblood's troops. There are just too many! And all of them vermin."
"Well, there's one beast who can answer this question for us. If those are his troops, I want Urthblood up here to tell us, and to explain what so many are doing in Mossflower. And if they're not, I still want him here to help us organize our defenses against this horde. That's what he keeps telling us he's come to Redwall for ... so somebeast please go get him! He's down in Cavern Hole with Foremole."
Elmwood jumped to do his Abbess's bidding, racing down the wallsteps once more.
All around them, Redwallers who still hadn't heard about Urthblood having vermin in his service were naturally assuming that the Abbey was under attack.
"Look at that horde! We could never stand against them!"
"They'll lay siege to the Abbey, and batter down the gates!"
"What should we do?"
"We'll be overrun, shore 'nuff."
A clanging of steel against stone instantly silenced the panicked Abbeydwellers, and everybeast turned to see Montybank standing on the top step of the wall stairs, the sword of Martin in his paw.
"Let's not be hasty, folks! Mayhaps these ain't our enemies. But if'n they are, we'll give 'em th' same kinda fight Redwall's given every blusterin' brute who's ever crossed us, and send their survivors runnin' with tails 'tween their legs. This here's Redwall, an' no foebeast will lay claim to it while I'm Skipper of otters!"
Balla the hedgehog cellarkeeper voiced the question shared by many of the other Redwallers around her. "Huh? Whattaya mean, they may not be enemies? They're vermin, an' they're armed fer war. No horde like that 'un has ever passed us by without tryin' t' take Redwall for their own."
"This time could be different," Vanessa told Balla. "I hope." She glanced down and saw Urthblood striding across the Abbey lawns behind Elmwood toward the west wall steps. "Ah, there he is. Maybe now we can get some answers, and find out whether we are facing friend or foe."
The badger warrior climbed the stairs and joined them on the walltop, showing no more emotion than he ever did. "My Lord," Vanessa said to him, "we seem to be under attack, but we can't be sure after what you told us earlier. Please," she pointed out over the battlements at the approaching army, "tells us what this means to you."
To everybeast's surprise, Urthblood reached down and detached a small metal tube from the side of his armor. Vanessa had assumed it was some mere decoration, but now saw that it was a separate device of the same red steel as his armor, held in place by a spring clamp. Their puzzlement grew when he pulled at it, and the tube suddenly became twice as long as before. Urthblood twisted off metal caps from either end of the instrument, revealing the sparkle of highly polished glass lenses. Holding the tube up to one eye, the badger sighted through it at the approaching warbeasts.
Vanessa didn't want to disturb Urthblood, who seemed wholly concentrated on whatever it was that he was doing. "Uh ... My Lord ... "
Urthblood lowered the tube and called out in a booming voice, "Open the gate!"
The Redwallers were too startled to move right away; many thought their badger guest had gone mad. "Open the gates, Lord?" Elmwood asked, confused.
Urthblood gestured toward the distant army with his metal tube. "They carry the standard of the Crimson Badger. This is my army."
