Chapter 6

"Yes, milord?" Disodeum asked shakingly as he turned around.

Monofluro slithered off his chair and out the mess hall door.

"Followsssss messss. There isss a certainsss badgersssss I have to talksss tossssssss."

"Oh." Disodeum followed the adder, wiping sweat off his forehead.

Monofluro winded his way down the passage, not looking into any cells. The officers were in the cells closest to the back, and Monofluro was having trouble remembering why.

He made his way to Velvet's cell, which was heavily guarded since he had little experience in withstraining badgers, but what Velvet didn't know wouldn't hurt him. He stopped outside the cell.

"Wellsssss. If it issssn't the poor badgerssss who gotssss fooled by a ssnakessss. Tsssk Tssssk."

"What do you want, scalynose."

"Ohssss, to gloatssss at the badgerssss who threatenedsss me, whosss assssssked me if I wantedss to be a pincusshion. Ohssss, you will be funssss to breakssssssss."

"Why don't you come and try it then, snake."

"There will be plenty of time for thatsssssss, badgerssss. Right nowsss I am waiting for yoursss hare that you outcasssssssted. And your little sspy. I will have a lotsssss of fun withssss themsssss. And you can't do a thingssssssss about itssss."

"You want fun, you had better do it while I have these chains on, because you won't stand a chance if they aren't."

"Milord Monofluro..." A guard stuttered.

The snake whirled.

"Yessssssssss?"

"The guard p-patrol is-s h-here."

"Ah, Yesssssss. Tell them to wait for messsss in the hallssssss, becaussse if they don't have what Issssss wantsssss then they willssssss be leavingssssss againssssss."

"They do have something for you."

Velvet looked at Disodeum.

"Hare, you better wish Fleetfoot kills you, because if she doesn't you'll wish that she had!"

"You're in a good position to speak."

"Disssssodeum, leave it!"

They left. Velvet slumped against the hard rock wall. If that snake did anything to Fleetfoot and Balinger... Now she knew that Fleetfoot and Balinger were going to get captured... or worse.

Fleetfoot and Balinger carefully step out of the tree at night. The coast was clear. They motioned for Al to get out. There was a loud noise behind them. They whirled with their paws on their sword, and the thing stepped out of the woods...

Out of the bush fell a squirrelbabe. Fleetfoot and Balinger sheathed their half-drawn swords. Al immediately dashed forward and picked the little dibbun up.

"Now, where are you from, little fellow."

"My name ain't likkle felwo, me be Fishka!"

"Fishka?" Fleetfoot said.

"No, not Fishka, silly, Fiska!"

"He says his name is Friska. Now, little Fiska, tell me where your parents are."

"Big finggys came and netted daddy. Then mommy came an tol me to run. I watched for a few minutes an saw the finggys takin mommy an daddy awa'. Dey be gone! Fishka don't got no parents no mores."

Balinger and Fleetfoot looked at each other.

"Balinger, we had better be going on."

"NOOOO! Don't leave Fishka awl awone! PWEASE!"

"Um, okay. Al, try to keep Friska quiet."

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"N-n-o sir, um, we just found the s-squirrels. W-we d-did see the hares and the dog t-talking to the one squirrel."

"Youssssss didn'tssssss followssssss?"

"We tried but you know you can't catch a hare running at full tilt--"

"You could havesssssssssssss gotssss the dog."

"He was fueled by fear."

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Gossss backsssss and get theirssss trailssss... Followsssss."

"Yes, milord."

"You know whatssssss the pricesssss isssssssss for failingsssss, Ripcutsssssssss."

"Yes..."

"Do not return until you have the threessssssss."

Monofluro watched his guard troop run headlong out of the mountain, the patrol leader Ripcut crashing into Disodeum. He mumbled apologies and then followed his troop.

"Clumsy idiotic rat." Disodeum said.

"Ahh, but ussseful."