THE CRIMSON BADGER - Chapter Forty-Two
After the three mice reported back to the Badger Lord, Urthblood sent two more otters out with extra rope to help tie up the searats and stand watch over them. Log-a-Log stood up top alongside the hatch for a few minutes, breathing deeply of the fresh evening air to clear his head, then went below once more; having nearly lost his son forever, he was reluctant to leave Pirkko's side, even if it meant braving the tart residue of Urthblood's sleeping gas.
The team aboard the searat craft soon had yet another member. Lorr had finally convinced Urthblood to grant him leave to inspect the vessel. The tinker vole was gleefully in his element, running his questing paws and his inquisitive gaze over every square inch of the interior. He produced a number of tools and instruments from his various pockets as he examined the ship, measuring and sampling and estimating and magnifiying and testing, all the while chuckling and muttering to himself like a youngbeast who'd been presented with the ultimate toy.
While the otters watched Lorr's antics with growing amusement, Log-a-Log went among the still-unconscious captives, checking to make sure they were all still breathing regularly. He reported back, "They're all okay. A few of 'em are even startin' t' grunt an' murmur some, so I guess they'll be wakin' up soon. How about this searat scum?"
"None o' these rotters seem t'be stirring yet," Warnokur answered. "Mebbe that sleepy gas hits rats harder'n smaller beasts. So, Cap'n, how many does that give us of the blighters?"
Saybrook did a quick count. "Lessee ... thirteen we hadta tie up, plus the one I slew, so this ship had a crew o' fourteen all told. Makes sense, since there's only a half-dozen bunks aft. Musta slept in shifts. The store of rations would scarcely support that size crew fer a voyage of any length. My guess is they weren't plannin' on feeding these slaves very well on the trip back to Terramort, or wherever they was goin'."
"That's another thing that was a-puzzlin' me," said Log-a-Log. "All these prisoners seem fresh-captured. Where was the slaves they musta already had? Don't see no galley neither, but there must be one, or else this boat wouldn't go nowheres. It sure don't got no sails."
Lorr overheard the shrew chieftain's remarks, and began tugging at Log-a-Log's sleeve, dragging him toward the aft of the cabin. "Funny you should ask about that, I was just inspecting that myself. Something brand new, unless I miss my guess, quite something, yes indeed, you really must see it, yes you must ... "
"Yes, I was lookin' at it before," said Saybrook, "but I wasn't sure what t' make of it. I'd like t' hear yer take on it, Lorr matey."
They all followed the bankvole back through the reviving captives, past the limited bunk and storage space all the way to the very rear of the craft. Here was a giant winch or crankshaft device, taller than Lorr was. The central axle disappeared through the rear bulkhead, as if it were sticking out into the water behind the vessel.
"See here, see here?" Lorr pointed. "Those handles are long enough so that three or four rats could crank it at once. The main shaft goes out through the back. Heavily greased, must see a lot of use, and I know what for, yes I do! A waterscrew, like some mills use, only this one isn't turned by the water, it's turned from in here to stir the water. Like an oar, or a whole bundle of oars, all together in one. The rats crank this shaft, the screw turns, the boat goes! Faster they turn, faster they go! Wouldn't need any slaves, why use slaves when you've got something that can make the labor of four rats equal to dozens of oarsbeasts? By the look of some of these brutes, they had enough muscle power to get them clear across the sea. Brilliant idea, absolutely brilliant! Burns me up, when I see an invention of such genius, and I didn't invent it myself!"
"What burns me up is knowing something like this is in the claws of serats," Saybrook said. "You reckon Tratton's got anymore like this one?"
"Dunno," mumbled Log-a-Log. "But I think Lorr's right, as usual. An' by keepin' their prisoners in the middle, between rats up front an' more stationed back here to run that crank, t'would make them easier to guard. If they started any trouble, they'd be attacked by rats from both sides." He glanced toward some of the wicked-looking curved cutlasses and jagged rapiers piled on the floor, the weaponry that had been stripped from the sleeping searats. "An' I wouldn't've given 'em very good chances."
"Me neither," Saybrook agreed. "This bucket might be a work o' genius, but it's a work of evil if y' ask me. Warny 'n' me only got a look at the front o' this big fish when we were swimmin' outside it. You can bet yer shrimpnets that as soon as it gets light enough tomorrow, every otter in Lord Urthblood's army is gonna want a close swim around this thing's backside, just to get a good look at whatever's out there."
The otter captain headed forward once more. "Well, we got these rats all trussed up properwise, an' yer fella shrews are startin' to come around. Let's start makin' ready to get this gang back topside an' their paws on dry land. I doubt they wanna spend the night in this stinkin' rat's nest."
"Aye," said Log-a-Log, falling into step behind Saybrook. "I don't plan on spendin' a moment longer down here than I have to, myself."
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Young Pirkko was one of the first shrews to come fully awake. His father was right by his son's side, and there was a tearful and joyous reunion that brought a smile to the otters looking on, and even to Lorr, who paused from his mechanical inspection to take in the touching scene. Log-a-Log and Pirkko embraced and sobbed and laughed, holding onto each other as if they would never let go; but at last the older shrew pulled away from his son and stood back.
"Well, spendin' two days on a slave line hasn't sapped yer strength none," Log-a-Log chortled, wiping at his eye with a paw. "You just sit still an' get yer head good 'n' clear while I tend to th' rest. Then we'll all climb outta here an' join the rest of the Guosim on shore."
Pirkko looked around. "Winokur? Warnokur? What're you two doin' here? An' who're these other otters? I don't recognize 'em."
Log-a-Log answered, "Wasn't just yer dear ol' Dad an' his Guosim who came to yer rescue this time, son. These Redwallers are travelin' with a Badger Lord who's got quite an army of his own. That badger's more to credit fer findin' you an' takin' care of these rats than anybeast. If t'weren't for him, alla you'd be spendin' the rest o' yer seasons in some slaverat's rowin' galley."
"Then we owe him our lives." Pirkko felt his way up the inner hull wall until he was standing on his own feet. Log-a-Log started to protest, but Pirkko silenced his father with an upheld paw. "No, I'm feeling recovered, really I am. I wanna help wake up the others. When that commotion broke out around the hatch, an' we saw one o' the rats fall slain, an' then the ship filled up with white smoke, we didn't know what was goin' on. I can't wait to tell everybeast we was rescued by a Badger Lord!"
The younger shrew's enthusiam was not to be denied. Log-a-Log relented, and moments later father and son were going from captive to captive, cheerfully spreading the news as each awoke that they were captives no more.
A gruff voice called down from the open hatch. "Hallo down there! Everything all right?"
Saybrook went to the ladder and looked up, but by now it was too dark outside to see whatbeast it was. "Fine as a fiddle. Who is that, by th' by?"
"Sergeant Kooblall. From Cap'n Perrett's regiment. Lord Urthblood wants t' know if you need any help out here?"
"Ah, a good stout beast, come to our aid! Actshully, Sergeant, we could use a strong pair o' paws topside. This lot's about ready to start comin' up, an' it'd be helpful havin' somebeast up there to lend a paw an' guide 'em across the gangway back to shore."
"Okay. Send 'em up!"
"Aye aye." Saybrook looked to the liberated shrews, mice and hedgehogs. "All righty, who wants to be first up?"
A shrew named Gloff pushed his way forward. "Me! Me! I'll go first!"
"Awright, liddle matey, up y' go, then!" Saybrook ushered the impatient shrew over to the ladder, and Gloff commenced climbing without further prompting. "Who's next?"
Pirkko guided forward one of the hedgehogs, a young maid just shy of adulthood. "Sir, this 'hog lady's been mighty terrified by this whole adventure. She should go next."
"No sooner said than done. Here y' go, lassie!" Saybrook showed the hogmaid over to the rungs, but she just stood there uncertainly. "Something wrong, m' dear?" Saybrook asked.
"Don't like ladders," she murmured in a soft, shy voice. "Make me dizzy."
"Well, this 'ere's just a short, liddle ladder. Tell you what, I'll climb up right behind you, so you won't have to worry 'bout fallin'. You just keep yer eyes on the rung in front of you, an' take 'em one at a time. I'll be there to catch you if you slip, so you'll be perfectly safe. Okay?"
"Okay," she whispered in a voice that could hardly be heard, and set her paws on the lowest set of rungs. Above her, the shrew Gloff was still struggling to gain the top hatch, slowed by the fact that this ladder had been designed for rats and not smaller creatures. When she was three rungs off the floor, Saybrook set a footpaw upon the lowest one, gripping the ladder on either side of her short legs.
"There y' go," he coaxed. "Easy goin' ... naught to - "
"Yah!" The cry came from above, as Gloff suddenly fell backward into the hogmaid. Gloff yelled again, this time in pain, as his backside connected with her headspikes. She, in turn, was knocked free from the ladder by the tumbling shrew and fell back into Saybrook, her tensed spines catching the otter captain full in the belly. The three of them landed in a tangled heap at the bottom of the ladder.
Log-a-Log chastised his fellow shrew. "Gloff, you clumsy oaf! You could've injured somebeast badly!"
"There's a weasel up there!" Gloff declared, pointing up toward the dark hatchway.
"Actshully, Sergeant Kooblall's a ferret," Saybrook winced, gingerly peeling the young hedgehog off his front. "Ooo, I've been prickled!"
Log-a-Log was clearly chagrined. "Uh, oh ... did I ferget to mention to all of you that this badger Urthblood's got some vermin in his army? Not t' worry, they're goodbeasts. They're on our side ... "
"Now 'ee tells us!" Gloff complained, rubbing at his tail.
The hedgehog maid looked to Saybrook with concern. "Oh, dear. Did I hurt you verra much, Mr. Otter sir?"
"Oh, just a few pinpricks, m' dear. Takes a lot to get through this thick hide of mine. Nothing to worry yer spikey li'l head about. Seen lots worse up in the Northlands. Now, shall we try this again? You there, Gloff matey, have another go at the ladder ... only this time, we'll wait 'til ye're all the way out before sendin' anybeast else after you!"
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Many torches were lit along the shore. The captives had all been liberated from their underwater prison without incident, and now sat with their rescuers on the riverbank. The presence of so many armed vermin mystified them and made them a little uneasy, but Log-a-Log assured them that these weasels, stoats and ferrets were all right, retelling the tale of how they had assisted in the liberation of the slaves. The Guosim leader, speaking as the chieftain of their clan, was able to put their fears to rest.
After a short time of relaxation, Log-a-Log announced that he was taking his son and the rest back upstream to rejoin the main encampment of the Guosim, since the freed prisoners were eager to see all their family and friends. The seven mice and two hedgehogs went with them too, for their best chance of being reunited with their own loved ones lay with the large band of traveling shrews. Also, although the thought was left unspoken, it was clear that they would be more comfortable in the presence of shrews than with the grim, red-armored badger and his vermin warriors.
"Let's get goin', Dad," Pirkko urged Log-a-Log. "I can't wait to see some familiar shrew faces, sing some shrew songs, hear some shrew arguments, an' put this whole nasty episode behind me."
"Hear, hear!" Gloff chimed in. "And I hope I never hafta look at another ugly rat fer th' rest of my life!"
"Uh, well, there's something else I gotta tell you folks," Log-a-Log said, as he led the group away toward the twin encampment, where over a hundred of Urthblood's rats awaited them along with the Guosim. "Don't want you fallin' off any more ladders, Gloff ... "
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The new day dawned with gentle tones of rose, muted birdsong, sparse sprinklings of dew and cool, clean air kept fresh by the swift river currents. Almost there was a hint of the approaching autumn, but when the sun finally did rise, its bright warmth was enough reminder that full summer still held sway over Mossflower country.
The searats had begun to awaken shortly after midnight. A rotating watch of otters and Abellon's swordmice stood guard down with the rats, just to make sure they didn't try to undo each other's bonds and retake the ship.
Urthblood was frustrated. He desperately wanted to inspect the searat vessel himself, but that was impossible due to the narrowness of the hatch. Instead , he would just have to rely on the detailed reports of Lorr and his own troops who could closely explore the craft both inside and, in the case of the otters, outside as well.
The survivors of the searat crew, however, were another matter. Those the badger warrior could examine firstpaw ... and he wanted to waste no time in doing so.
Abellon dropped through the hatch and down onto the wood floor. All thirteen rats immediately looked his way as the mouse captain struck a pose of authority, flanked by the two otter guards. The captive searats had all been moved forward of the ladder, kept together in one spot so they'd be easier to watch.
"Okay, listen up, you sodden fleabags!" Abellon addressed them in a commanding tone. "You are now the prisoners of Lord Urthblood of Salamandastron and the Northlands. He claims this vessel as his own. Whether you live or die is his choice, and his alone.
"Now, each of you will be released from your bonds one at a time, so that you can climb this ladder and get to shore. Once there, your paws will be tied again. The first rat who gives us any trouble will be slain instantly, and any who are still down here will be left to drown as we scuttle the ship."
"Scuttle her?" one searat cried out, confused. "You jus' said yer Lord claimed this ship fer himself."
"That he does ... which means it's his to do with as he sees fit. Think about it, you thickheads - what good is this tub to a badger who can't even fit through its hatch?"
This gave the rats pause. More than one glanced nervously at the body of their slain shipmate. They had no doubt that their badger captor would turn more of them into corpses without a second thought.
"Yeah, well, he'd 'ave trouble makin' this boat sink," another rat declared. "It's got pumps under th' floor that pumps out any water what gets in."
"Oh, does it really?" Abellon arched an eyebrow. "That's just the kind of thing Lord Urthblood would like to know. Maybe you sorry lot might be of some use after all."
The rat who'd revealed the secret of the pumps received a two-footed kick from one of his fellows. "Good goin', Skidpaw! Tellin' state secrets to th' enemy!"
"Don't worry," Abellon assured them, "you'll all have a chance to speak with Lord Urthblood personally. He'll insist upon it. Now, which of you bilgescum's the leader of this rabble?"
Norat spoke up, although most averted their anxious gazes from the proud mouse warrior's probing stare.
"Oh, now suddenly the cat's got all your tongues? No matter. Lord Urthblood will find out soon enough." Abellon pointed out the nearest rat to the two otters. "Let's start with him, boys. Cut his ropes and watch him closely as we bring him up. We don't want to keep Lord Urthblood waiting."
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Abellon stepped up to Urthblood. "They're all out, Lord. Didn't give us any trouble, once I laid down your law to 'em. What do you want done with them?"
The mouse and badger stood a short way up the riverbank from the submarine. The thirteen rats were grouped together where the gangway met the shore, their paws once more securely tied so that they could neither flee nor wield a weapon.
But Urthblood's gaze lay upon the waters around the craft, and the numerous otter heads that showed above the surface. Winokur and Warnokur were out there with Saybrook and the others, as curious as anybeast about the strange craft.
"No Redwaller should see what I may have to do to some of those rats. My methods of interrogation would no doubt seem brutal to them. But there are things I must know."
His gaze travelled back to the prisoners in question. At last he said, "Tell Captain Mattoon to pick half a dozen weasels, ferrets and stoats to help him escort these rats deep into the woods, far enough so that their shouts would not likely carry to this shore. He will know which are best suited to such detail. He will wait with them until I arrive."
"Aye, sir." Abellon heaved a silent sigh of relief. The mouse captain had witnessed a few of his master's interrogations firstpaw and heard accounts of many others; he had no desire to witness this one. "They shouldn't have to walk too far," he said helpfully. "These rushing waters will help drown out any screams."
"Nevertheless, they should be far enough away so that Winokur and Warnokur will not be likely to come across us if they should happen to take a stroll in the nearby woods."
"I'll tell Mattoon to keep that in mind ... and I'll have Saybrook keep those two Redwallers occupied. Otters are great storytellers, and I've got a few yarns of my own. Between the two of us, we should be able to keep them from wandering away from the riverside. If they ask outright, I'll just tell them you'd rather not be disturbed while you're, uh, speaking with the rats."
"Very good," Urthblood nodded. "Once again, you remind me why I made you captain."
"Uh, thank you, Lord. Um, what about the dead rat down in the ship? Now that your sleep vapors have all cleared out, it's starting to get a little ripe down there, if you know what I mean."
"Haul him up and throw him overboard. Give his body to the river, once you've searched it again to make sure there are no documents or charts hidden on him. He can feed the fish. He was a harmful beast while he lived; maybe in death he might actually serve some good."
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Urthblood watched Mattoon's selected squad lead the terrified searats away into the woods, marking well the path they took so he would have no trouble following and finding them. If the expressions on the pirates' faces were any indication, some of them at least must have had an inkling of what lay in store for them.
All morning, runners had been going back and forth between the two camps, relaying status reports. The Guosim at the main encampment had stayed up nearly through to dawn, celebrating the return of their stolen comrades and kin, and were now sleeping the day away. A few more otters had come here from the main camp upon hearing about the ship that ran beneath the water. Except for Mattoon, Saybrook and Abellon, all the other captains and the vast majority of Urthblood's force were still at the upstream encampment with the Guosim, awaiting word from their master on when to move out, and where to.
Taking one last report, and satisfied that all was well at both locations, Urthblood stalked into the woods after Mattoon's squad. He was not to return until much later in the day.