Basil murmured to Matthias, "The blighter looks perfectly harmless old chap, wot wot!"

"I know," Matthias answered. "But we must be on our guard. We don't know if he's friend or foe."

"Matthias, he mentioned a rat. He must be an enemy!" Orlando said.

"Let's just question him."

The sun rose high over Redwall Abbey as Don Juan finished his tale. The defenders stared at him in disbelief.

"How can this be true?" Jess asked. "No one could survive the bell, not even Cluny!"

"If creatures can build devices that fly through the air like birds, then Cluny could survive a bell."

"What are we going to do?" Winifred asked.

"Yes, Cluny's out there no doubt, with some great army, just waiting to kill us all," said Cornflower, who had just arrived with food. (Of course! She's always serving someone. One of my biggest pet peeves!)

"No, no, Senora, there be only two or three hundreds of them, I think," Don Juan assured her.

"Well, we must be prepared," said Matthias. "Unfortunately, the Sparra Warriors who survived the Summer of the Golden Plain flew off long ago. We can't get much outside help."

"You have my otters," Winifred said.

"And Sam and I could easily pass the horde through the treetops. We'll get anyone you may need," Jess volunteered. (Yes, it goes against what Matthias just said. Ignore that…)

"Great!"

"And I am having my BB gun!" Don Juan pulled the toy out of his pocket, still in two pieces. The defenders were speechless.

"Cornflower," Matthias said after a while, "Could you take our new friend here for a walk around the Abbey?"

"Sure." The mousewife gently pulled Don Juan's hand. "Come on," she said. "I'll give you some of my special apple scones."

When they had left Cavern Hole, Matthias asked, "Now what are we to do about the Don Juan stranger?"

"Well, he seems very nice," Abbot Mordafus began. "He just seems, well, I mean…"

"A little challenged in the old noggin?" Basil interrupted.

"Misunderstood," Father Abbot finally said.

"If we keep him, he might betray us to Cluny as he betrayed Cluny to us."

"But he will probably be killed if we send him outside these gates, Constance. Now please, he's already been a great help to us already. He saved our lives today-"

"From his blunder, old thing."

Father Abbot sighed. "I know, but maybe he has some other strange invention which could be of unspeakable help to us."

Cluny sat in his tent, completely shocked. He had withdrawn his horde right after Don Juan had announced his blunder, in hopes that the Redwallers would not believe Don Juan's story if he related it to them. The fool! Now what was he going to do? The horde was not trained enough for battle, and Cluny had already lost the element of surprise! His pride would not let him retreat, either.

The Warlord needed a way to coax Don Juan to leave Redwall with his airoplane. Then maybe he could convince the Spanish-speaking pilot to crash the plane into the wall or something. But how could he get the Cuban's attention without that Redwall lot finding out?

Cluny suddenly had an idea. He grabbed some parchment and began writing.

Don Juan was amazed at the size of Redwall Abbey. He had never seen such a place! And the food was delicious. He also liked Cornflower; she was very nice. But something was bothering him.

"Cornyflower, where are my golden hamsters?" he asked.

"Golden hamsters?" Cornflower was puzzled.

"Si, the very huge rat say I getted two golden hamster ifa I fly over this walls-that-are-red place."

"You mean Cluny?"

"Si."

"Well, Don Juan, you see, he does not really keep his promises very much."

"So you mean very huge rat lied to me?" Don Juan was about to cry. "I even have my hamster cage. He can't lie to me after I make my hamster cage, Cornyflower!"

"I'm sorry, Don Juan."

Mrs. Churchmouse ran up to Cornflower. "Could you be a dear and help us out in the kitchens? Half of the staff are guarding the walltops, and the Dibbuns keep coming in the steal slices of my blackberry flan."

"All right." Cornflower turned to Don Juan. "Sir, could you go to the Abbey pond, right over there? Tel Sister May I sent you," Cornflower said.

"Okeydoke, Cornyflower!" Don Juan replied.

As Cornflower walked to the kitchens with Mrs. CHurchmouse, Don Juan set off for the Abbey pond, where Sister May was watching a group of Dibbuns as they splashed about in the water. He had only taken a few steps when something hit him on the head.

"Hey!" Don Juan shouted. He looked up. No one was above him, not even a guard. Then he noticed what had hit him. It was a rock with a piece of parchment tied to it, which said, 'Don Juan.'

The Spanish-speaking pilot exclaimed, "A letter for me! May be it is being from mama!" He eagerly untied the note.

It said:

'Don Juan,

If you ever want your rah-dee-o ever again, bring your arrow plain back to me. I'll give you 3 golden hamsters and all the cookies you want. And don't mention anything to the creatures of Redwall, this note or anything about me. Fly away tonight, to the meadow.

Very Huge Rat

P.S. Hide this note.'

Cluny sat perched in a tree directly over Don Juan. The stupid fool was actually reading the note!

Don Juan looked around him. He then yelled, "OKAY, VERY HUGE-"

Cluny furiously threw acorns down at the pilot.

"Ow, ow, ow." Don Juan ran to the Abbey pond.

Cluny watched as he hid the note in his pocket. Satisfied, the rat climbed down the tree.

Jess Squirrel ran up to Matthias.

"Did you find out if it really is Cluny?" Matthias asked her.

"Yes!" Jess exclaimed. "Matthias, he was sitting in an old oak tree by the north wall. He had thrown a note to that Don Juan. When he climbed down, I followed him. His camp is about 1 ½ miles north from here."

"Did you see how many rats were in the camp?"

"Yes. Don Juan was right, there are about two hundred. But I don't think he realizes just how dangerous Cluny is."

"Why?"

"Here, I have the note!"

Matthias quickly unfolded it and read it. "Cluny's blackmailing out friend! No wonder Don Juan tried to open the main gates. Cluny threatened to kill his rah-dee-o unless Don Juan did as Cluny wanted!"

"But what about this part about the hamsters and cookies?" Jess asked.

Matthias studied the note for a minute. Finally he said, "It's probably a hoax to make the situation look like a bribe. I mean, whoever heard of golden hamsters?"

Basil bounded it. "Why, hello old thing!" he exclaimed. "I've just had a spiffin' brilliant idea for our rodent problem, wot wot!"

"Excellent! What is it, Basil?"

"We can get this Don Juan chap to fly his arrow thingy into Cluny's camp, which will kill most of the rats. Then we ambush it and get rid of the rest of the murderous lot!"

"Father Abbot's not going to approve," Jess said. "He won't attack until they do."

"But the blighters have already attacked!" Basil insisted. "They tried to this morning!"

"What if Don Juan flies the airoplane to Cluny, but then destroys it so Cluny can't use it?" Jess suggested.

"He'd kill Don Juan and his rah-dee-o," Matthais said.

"What rah-dee-o?" Basil asked.

"Long story."

"Well, shouldn't we rescue the rah-dee-o?" Jess asked. "Then Don Juan wouldn't have to be bound to this villainous deed."

"Great, Jess! Call the defenders and Don Juan. We need to discuss this new information."

"Now Don Juan," Matthias began, "you know what a dangerous situation this is. Cluny has your rah-dee-o in his possession. We've decided to rescue your rah-dee-o, but we need your help. Can you show us where he's keeping your rah-dee-o?"

"You know 'bout radio?" Don Juan asked.

"Yes, Don Juan," Father Abbot said.

"Okay, I take you to very huge ra-, I am meaning, Clooney to find radio? Then maybe I show you Hokie Pokie, yesno?"

"Uh…"

"Oh…"

"Ah…"

"Ummm…"

"Mmmm…?"

"Er…"

The defenders exchanged puzzled looks.

Finally Basil answered, "Sure, old bean! Whatever you say!"

"Yeay!" Don Juan shouted. "'Cause very huge rat never wanted to. Neither did my sister. Or my brother. Or my nefew. Or Senor Castro, come to think of it. I sent him 27 letters asking if he would be wanting to see Hokie Pokie, but he musta never get them. Estupid mailman! He never bring my 51 letters to Senorita Spears too. Estupid, estupid mail! Estupid peoples these days! They are being so…"

The defenders stared speechless as the Spanish-speaking pilot ranted on.