THE CRIMSON BADGER - Chapter Forty-Four
Urthblood's army at that moment was not nearly as close to Salamandastron as Vanessa supposed. Their successful detour through the south of Mossflower to retrieve the Guosim's stolen kin had already put them a full day behind schedule, and they had half a day's march ahead of them just to regain their westward path. They should have been well onto the Western Plains by now, perhaps all the way to the foothills at the southern end of the mountain range that separated Mossflower from the coastlands.
But Urthblood could hardly begrudge the fates for this delay. With the rescue of Log-a-Log's son, he'd opened the door to forging a strong bond and alliance with the Guosim shrews. And the discovery that the searat king Tratton now had underwater craft was of vital importance. In the ages-old struggle between the Badger Lords of Salamandastron and their searat foes, this was a new and terrible weapon that could raise the stakes of the conflict immensely. Tratton would have held a tremendous advantage if he'd been able to keep the existence of his new craft from Urthblood; now, the advantage belonged to the badger warrior.
Winokur, Warnokur and Saybrook were discussing just these matters, on the riverbank near the achored rat submarine. They'd just emerged from their latest swim around the astounding vessel. They had discovered that the propulsion device behind the craft was a circular arrangement of four giant steel blades, like a colossal iron flower, rather than any system of oars, or the waterscrew that Lorr had envisioned. That the searats had a new method of propulsion to go with their new type of ship was yet one more piece of information Urthblood would be eager to learn.
"I still can't believe a buncha stinky searats could build somethin' like this," Saybrook commented, sunning himself dry as he stood on the bank regarding the craft. "I don't reckon even an otter could've designed such a boat ... if you can even call it a boat. Wonder where nasty ol' Tratton got th' notion fer it. Buidlin' an' testin' it must've been a chore an' a half."
"Boggles th' mind, Cap'n, an' that it does," agreed Warnokur, then turned to glance inland toward the woods. "Hey, here comes Lord Urthblood an' his jolly crew. Shore been gone long 'nuff. Well, let's go hear wot 'ee's got to tell."
The Badger Lord emerged into the full sunshine from the distant forest fringe. Mattoon's squad of weasels, stoats and ferrets preceded him. They all looked physically tired, with dirty paws and sweaty clothes. Most carried shovels, which appeared to have seen good use. Their eyes were hooded, and they avoided the gazes of the others creatures waiting on the bank.
No rats were with them.
Urthblood called Saybrook and Abellon over to join him and the weasel captain; the two Redwallers tagged along.
"I have learned all I can here," he announced to his commanders. "Send word to the main encampment upstream to break camp and march down here to join us. I want to be underway for Salamandastron once more before the sun is down. But first, I wish to have a meeting with the Guosim and all of my captains, to discuss what has happened here. We will convene at this spot, and afterwards start north until we pick up our former trail."
Mattoon dipped his head toward Urthblood. "I'll get my fastest runner right on it, M'Lord." The weasel excused himself and backed away to do his master's bidding.
Winokur was looking this way and that, casting his gaze about for the searat prisoners. "Excuse me, My Lord, but, um ... where are those pirates you took into the woods this morning?"
"They were of no use to me," Urthblood replied calmly. "When I was finished questioning them, I gave them the end they deserved."
"You ... killed them?" the young otter said in disbelief. Warnokur laid a cautionary paw on his son's shoulder.
"Would you rather I'd let them loose in Mossflower so they could continue terrorizing and murdering goodbeasts? I could not have taken them with me to Salamandastron - they would have slowed us down too much. And if I'd turned them over to the Guosim, they would have met the same fate."
"Yes, but ... they were your bound prisoners! You had them at your mercy!"
"My mercy does not extend to such creatures. If it did, the Northlands would still be wild today, and I would have been destroyed long ago by my own kindness."
"Yes, but ... but ... " Winokur still could not believe that Urthblood had executed the searats when he had them unarmed and helpless. It was so foreign to the Redwall way, to everything Winokur had been brought up to believe in.
Urthblood's level gaze bore into the novice otter. "I have listened to their voices. I have looked through their eyes into their evil and diseased souls. And I saw the futures that they would have had if I'd allowed them to live. Believe me, there was no redemption for those beasts. It was for the best."
The badger turned away. Winokur was about to press the matter, but Saybrook joined Warnokur in taking the youngster aside. "Leave this alone, friend," the otter captain urged. "I know it ain't the Redwall way, but we're not at Redwall anymore, and these're beasts who'd destroy yer home an' yer way of life without battin' an eye. Naught to be gained by naysayin' Lord Urthblood now. He did what he hadta, an' it's on him now. Leave it be."
Winokur swallowed his protest, staring after Urthblood and wondering how any goodbeast could so coldly slay thirteen creatures, even if they were searats.
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When Urthblood said jump, his troops jumped. In short order, his entire army filled the wide banks by the searat submarine and spilled over into the nearby forest. All the Guosim had come too, even the complaining Snoga and his rebellious followers. That swelled the total number of creatures there to over eight hundred. It was hardly surprising that the riverbank was a tad crowded.
A giant semicircle of seated and standing beasts was quickly formed. Urthblood sat with his back to the broadstream. Immediately around him were the Guosim leaders and the Northlands captains, along with Winokur and Warnokur. Behind them were the rest of the Guosim and the smaller creatures of Urthblood's army. Finally came the vast ranks of otters, rats, weasels, stoats and ferrets, who could see over their shorter comrades to witness this meeting.
As the westering sun fell slowly toward the horizon, Log-a-Log withdrew a shiny black stone from a pouch at his waist and held it prominently displayed as he sat there.
"My troops and I will shortly be headed for Salamandastron again," Urthblood said to the shrew chieftain. "My business there cannot be delayed any longer. That is not to diminish the importance of the events that have occurred here. Indeed, I can think of no discovery that could have changed things more. I have learned that this vessel is one of two underwater craft that Tratton has in operation. But, he is building more. Perhaps many more, and not all of the same size. With a fleet of ships such as these, he could strike at any point along the coast, totally by surprise and without any warning. The tall masts and wide sails that used to herald the arrival of searats from afar would give way to hidden marauders that could disgorge scores of fighters upon an unsuspecting victim who does not even guess that danger and death is upon them.
"And the threat is not just to the seacoast. This ship we captured was on a trial run, and its mission was one of taking slaves. Imagine instead a procession of five or ten such vessels coming up the river at once, not with holds empty to carry slaves back to Terramort but rather filled with twoscore rats each - armed and trained fighters whose purpose is to conquer, not kidnap. They could overwhelm any region of Mossflower they wished. Tratton does not see himself as merely king of the searat pirates; he harbors ambitions of empire. I did not think he would directly challenge the creatures of the lands beyond the coast, but this new weapon extends the reach of his power far beyond that of any searat ruler who came before him. Tratton can now strike even into the heart of Mossflower, at any point that lies along a deep river connecting to the sea, and perhaps capture territory we thought was beyond his grasp. With luck on his side, he could establish strongholds in our very midst, riverside fortresses from which he could expand his conquests even more. It is my fear that we may be seeing an escalation in the ancient conflict between searats and land dwellers. We could be poised on the threshold of all-out war."
"Your prophecy," Winokur breathed. "But, My Lord, if this is true, then mustn't you put aside your differences with your brother? I mean, this is the real enemy, right here."
"The power of Salamandastron must not be divided in the face of this threat," Urthblood answered. "If I am convinced that my brother is unfit to command that stronghold or would vie for my leadership, I will assert my rightful claim as the older brother and take charge of the mountain for myself."
"Even if you have to use force to do it?" Winokur asked.
"That will be up to him."
Snoga snorted derisively. "I don't care 'bout no badger kings, they can fight it out amongst themselves fer all I care!"
Log-a-Log thrust out his laden paw toward the troublemaker. "I've got the black stone, Snoga! So don't be impudent an' talk outta turn!"
Snoga ignored Log-a-Log. "An' I don't care 'bout no searats neither! Now that we know they got these underwater boats, we'll just chuck lotsa stuff inta the rivers so's there won't be room fer 'em t' get by. That'll fix 'em, problem solved!"
"I was about to suggest the same thing," Urthblood said without missing a beat. "But, if these rats have vessels that can sail under the water, might they not also be able to secretly clear away blockages or even dredge the riverbottoms deeper, without anybeast on land being aware of it? No, it would not be enough to simply cast obstructions into the waters and think yourselves safe. The blockades would have to be clearly marked and constantly guarded, so that no searat vessels could attempt to clear away the debris. Even better would be real dams, that stand the full depth and width of these rivers. They could have spillways to prevent the waters from backing up and flooding the lands behind them. They could even be designed with locks and gates, so that honest boating creatures can be allowed to pass. Another idea would be to organize all the otters of Mossflower into patrols that would regularly survey the waters in the same way that the squirrels of Redwall patrol the forestlands. There may be other things that can be done as well. But the searat threat must be met by all the creatures of the lands, united and working together. Which is why I must hasten to Salamandastron and settle matters there as quickly as I may."
Urthblood nodded over his shoulder toward the mostly-concealed submarine. "The news is not all against us. The stolen woodlanders have been rescued, and this vessel is now in our possession. It is one of only two that Tratton has completed, and the full capabilities of these craft are still being tested by their builders. This vessel was commanded by one of his top captains and a select crew personally paw-picked by the searat king himself. The loss of both ship and crew will be a double blow to Tratton. Best of all, there is no way that word of these events could get back to him. He might think it was lost in some mishap out on the open sea during its voyage. It will probably be some days yet before its lateness will even be noticed; even if there are pirate ships waiting to rendezvous with it at the mouth of this river, they will still have to sail back to Terramort before Tratton can possibly know of its disappearance. He will have to guess whether this secret has been revealed to us, or if we are still safely ignorant of this new weapon of his. I propose that we keep him guessing. His uncertainty can only work to our advantage."
"We should alert Redwall about this as soon as we can, My Lord," Winokur said. "The River Moss runs about a day's march to the north and east past the Abbey, and that stream's easily deep enough for one of these new rat ships to navigate. Also, Alexander's Forest Patrol can help recruit otters from that part of Mossflower for river guard duty. The Sparra can help spread the news too."
"Perhaps the Guosim can dispatch a runner to Redwall," Urthblood said. "I can spare none of my troops for that purpose."
"That'll be no problem t'all, Lord," Log-a-Log assured the badger warrior.
"Good. Now, as for the searat vessel itself, it is of no use to me where I'm going ... I can't even fit through the top hatch. I would dearly love to have a season just to examine it and learn all of its workings, but this is not to be. Therefore, I freely give this prize to the Guosim, and their friend Lorr, who can probably make better use of it than anybeast in Mossflower. It is yours to do with as you will. Perhaps in time you will be able to learn how to operate it well enough that we can make it part of our defense against Tratton. It was your young ones who were held prisoners in its hold. It is only fitting that it should be yours, and only poetic justice if we can eventually use Tratton's own invention against him."
Log-a-Log bowed his head in gratitude toward Urthblood. "Now I'm doubly indebted to you, Lord. First, for saving my son an' the others, and second, for exposin' this danger to our homelands an' tellin' us how to fight 'gainst it. I dunno if this fur-forsaken ship'll do us any more good that it would've done you, but ye're right about Lorr here. This bankvole will take it apart in his head an' put it back together again in a dozen diff'rent ways. We accept this gift with honor. We owe you much. I don't really know what's goin' on 'tween yerself an' yer brother, but we'll march with you to Salamandastron, an' fight by yer side if it comes to that. You can consider the Guosim your allies from this day forth. If you need fighters, we're yours to command."
Snoga silently smoldered. Clearly he disagreed strongly with his chieftain. But many of the Guosim had had their kidnapped youngsters returned to them by Urthblood, and the cantankerous shrew realized that any protest he made would be shouted down by the majority of the Guosim.
Urthblood's next words must have given him much satisfaction. "Thank you for the offer," the badger said to Log-a-Log, "but I would rather you did not accompany us to Salamandastron. That is a personal matter, and one that I must settle on my own. It is more important that you remain here in Mossflower, to begin preparations against this new threat that has shown itself. Guard that vessel well, to make sure no evil creatures steal it back for their own wicked purposes. Show it to every goodbeast in this region that you can, so that they may recognize this danger if they encounter it on their own. Summon all the otters who will answer your call, and make them see that their help is vital. I do not imagine it will be difficult to convince them, once they see the ship for themselves."
"Nay, that it won't," Log-a-Log agreed. "Since you ask this of us, we'll do it, even though I myself would still rather go with you. But yer words make good sense. Mayhaps there'll be other battles to come when we'll be able to help you."
"Or I, you," said Urthblood. "Although I am working for the day when there will be no more battles, that day is not here yet. And in times of crisis, all creatures of good heart must be willing to aid each other."
"Well, then, I wish you good fortune on the rest o' yer march," said Log-a-Log. "When we meet next, I hope it's under better circumstances. But if it ain't, you'll know you can count on us fer whatever you need."
"And better allies I am sure I could not have. Lorr has examined the searat vessel as thoroughly as any of my otters have. He can explain its workings to you, should you decide to try to sail it anywhere."
"Although I daresay you'll prob'ly hafta hire some brawny otters to crank that propulsion shaft," Saybrook said. "'Fraid you shrewfolk ain't quite big enuff t' manage it."
The otter captain turned to Urthblood. "What I don't understand is why they were just sittin' there, anchored in one spot. They had as many slaves as they could hold, so there was no reason they shouldn't have been off an' away."
"There was one reason," Urthblood said. "You have seen the full size of the craft during your swims. Tell me, could it turn around to face seaward?"
"Well, ship me oars! No. No, it couldn't. The river here isn't wide enuff. Deep, but not wide."
"This was one of the things I learned when I questioned the searat crew. They hadn't intended to stop in waters so narrow, and they knew it would be a difficult maneuver to back out of them. They were planning to wait until full day, when the going would be less hazardous. We were fortunate to catch them when we did, right after they had received the last of the slaves from those foxes, but before it had gotten too dark for me to make out the hatch."
"Yes," Saybrook said, "I'd noticed there weren't any windows in the back of that thing. Whompin' bad design, I'd call it. So, how would they make it go backward?"
Urthblood opened his mouth to answer, but before he could say a word Lorr burst out, "By cranking the propulsion shaft in the opposite direction, of course, of course!"
Saybrook slapped his forehead. "Blimy, that would work, wouldn't it? Shoulda figured it out m'self. The blades are tilted, so they'd stir th' water both ways. Course, wouldn't be nearly as efficient goin' backways, with the bulk of the ship in the way ... "
"It would have taken the better part of a day for them to back downstream where they could turn about, even with the current helping them," Urthblood explained. "They were in unfamiliar waters in a new type of craft, so they decided to wait until morning to depart. It was a decision that cost them their lives."
"So, those villains are all dead?" Log-a-Log asked.
"Yes."
"They weren't of any use to him," Winokur added sardonically, winning a cautionary glance from his father.
"Can't say I'll shed any tears over 'em," Log-a-Log said. "Not after what they did to us, and woulda done to my son if'n they'd got away clean with him."
Urthblood stood, and his captains followed suit. "We are moving out, now," he announced simply, and within moments every creature in his army was shuffling toward the northward trail to assume marching formation. Log-a-Log stood with eyebrows raised, impressed anew by the hardcore discipline of the Badger Lord's Northland soldiers.
As the column of troops arranged themselves once more for the march through lower Mosflower, Urthblood had a parting word with the Guosim leader.
"Keep in mind, those slaver foxes are still on the loose. Even without their searat masters, they could still cause quite a bit of mischief."
"Oh, if we run across 'em, it'll be the end for them!" Log-a-Log assured his new ally. "An' if'n you happen to meet up with 'em first, give 'em my regards." He slapped his son Pirkko on the back heartily. "Mine, an' my son's!"
"I will leave their heads on pikes along the side of the path, where they will be easy to find."
"Fare ye well, Lord Badger!"
"And you, friend shrew."
Winokur and Warnokur took their turn shaking paws farewell with the shrew chieftain. "You watch yerself, Warny mate," Log-a-Log said. "An' you too, Wink. This is serious business you're mixed up in. Promise me you'll stick to your purpose, and stay outta any fightin' 'tween those two bagders. If the fur starts flyin', bail into th' nearest bush, an' no hesitatin'!"
"That's the plan fer Wink 'ere," Warnokur responded, "but I've been a soldier in Lord Urthblood's army fer the better part of a season m'self. If there's fightin', my javelin's his to command. No passes fer this old riverdog. You just keep that mealy-mouthed pipsqueak Snoga from givin' you too much grief."
"Oh, don't worry 'bout him, Warny. This whole searat thing should force a little cooperation from Snoga's bunch, an' keep his britches where they belong." Log-a-Log shook his head. "I swear ... searats in an underwater ship, right here in th' middle of Mossflower! When that ol' fussbottom Geoff hears about this, it'll be one fer the records, all right!"
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Urthblood and Captain Mattoon had discovered a fairly wide northward trail when they were in the woods with the searats. This was the path that the army took now. The sun was touching the western horizon, but since everybeast had had a day's break from the march, Urthblood announced that they would travel until they returned to the east-west path that they'd been following before their detour with the Guosim, even if it took until after dark. Urthblood wanted to make up for lost time.
A quarter of an hour into the march, the vanguard passed a mound of newly-turned earth, packed down tight and bearing shovel marks from the tamping. The pit that it covered looked of a size to contain thirteen adult rats. Winokur stared at it as they passed, but neither he nor anybeast else said anything.
And the army of Urthblood marched onward to Salamandastron.