Vitch got up on his elbow.
"Why do you think I'm that I'm captive, mate?" He asked, still not awakened from his thoughts."Maybe they're my friends."
The newt closed his eyes and and shot twice with his tongue. Then he laughed softly.
"Very funny, rat, very funny. I've seen you here half a season ago - fox an' weaselfellers. And a little rat with them too. Scurl sees everything. And I sawwoodlanders all chained up. You even said that they won't be spared, and the fox told you to keep quiet. And now they're free, and you are among them. Well, do you remember now, little rat?"
"I do."
Vitch was surprised himself about hatred sounded in his voice, but the newt remained calm. He felt himself master of the situation.
He felt himself... safe.
Vitch cautiously sat down on a mattress, fearing to wake Mattimeo. His head has earned familiar impatient chill bristled the hair on the nape. Does Scurl want to play? Vitch will play.
The rat tried to speak crudely in disbelief, curtly. He decided to go ahead, in any case, if something goes wrong, he can just wake Mattimeo.
"Look, Scurl, you say you'd help me out."
The newt nodded.
"Yes, little rat, but not for nothing. No, no, Skerla won't help you for nothing."
"I understood. But listen..." Vitch frowned, as if hesitating. "How do I know you're not with these thick-headed redwallers? I have to be sure."
"With redwallers? With woodlanders?" The newt asked.
"Yes, I must be sure that you're on our side - on the side of Slagar, my master."
"Oh, Scurl is on the side of the fox. Yes, yes. That time Scurl deceived these woodlander fools, took their belongings, and the keys were not given, no, no."
He does not know that Slagar's dead. He does not know anything.
He has to try to go ahead.
"Scurl, mate, look yourself - I have nothing now. But if you led me out of the forest, there Slagar and mates are waiting for me. We sold the slaves, got a lot of money, but these shouters pursued us, recaptured some slaves. Slagar decided not to leave it so and followed them to Mossflower "Vitch lied more enthusiastically. "I gaped, and these woodlander bastards took me as prisoner. They want something to bargain with Sly One. I am his spy, he really need me So, Scurl, anyway Slagar will recapture me from these fools. He has experienced beasts, and the rabble will soon stop make sentinels. But if you led me to the master now, he will reward you. He will give you my share of the spoils."
The rat paused, staring at the cold eyes of the reptile. He knew in his heart of Scurl a caution and greed are fighting .
Vitch decided to change the subject a little to defuse the tension. It always works.
"And what could you get from these woodlander idiots?" He asked casually. "They have nothing exept their miserable pelts."
"Oh, they had," the newt roused. "Yes, there were nice little things: soft white rope from the mouse, funny bell from his girlfriend, a bracelet on a tail from the squirrel, green stone from another mouse and flowers from stripedog. Yes, they had given everything to Scurl."
"You're lying," the little rat snorted. "Look, the rope is still on Matti."
The newt stood up, watching the pointing finger of therat - the moon brightly lit white rope on the mouse, Mattimeo slept on his back, and it was clearly visible.
Scurl frowned, and the expression of his muzzle become even more ugly.
"Of course, it's again on him, rat," he hissed."Mouse-warrior, the badger and the squirrel took them away from Scurl."
"How rude. So they are woodlander klutz," Vitch deftly turned his paw and with quick movement untied the knot on the rope on sleeping Mattimeo. He pulled it guietly, and the rope was in his paws now.
As fascinated Scurl watched the small figure wrapped in a cloak, for a few minutes bypassed sleeping dibbuns, skillfully dodging of reflections fires.
"Like so, " children's treasures were back to the newt. The beechnut bell made a low ring ."I'm sorry, too hard to get the stone, and I also didn't find the flowers. And the another things are here."
Scurl silently tied the rope, put the bell around his neck and put the bracelet on his tail.
"Think that this is a deposit. Well, will you led me to my master?" The little rat raised an eyebrow.
The newt hesitated no longer.
"Oh, yes, rat, yes. Follow Scurl."
Vitch stepped behind brisk tail.