That night, Lugworm, Borumm, and Vendace put their plot to kill Damug into motion. As planned, Lugworm drugged the two rat sentries guarding Damug's tent. Then he went to find his two fellow conspirators.

Borumm drew his curved dagger, impatient to go about his business. "Everythin' ready, mate, coast clear?"

Lugworm nodded fearfully. "Aye, 'tis ready, but go carefully, Damug's a light sleeper."

Vendace drew his blade, suppressing a snigger. "Light sleeper, eh? Well, 'e won't be after tonight!"

Lugworm edged away from the would-be assassins nervously. "There, I've done me bit, the rest's up to youse two. But remember, if you fail and get caught, then not a word about me!"

Borumm kicked out, sending Lugworm sprawling. "Garn, git outta my sight, stoat, yore in this up to yer slimy neck. The only consolation you've got is that we don't intend ter fail, or git caught. Now beat it an' keep yer gob shut!"

The weasel and the fox sneaked into Damug's tent. They slid by the two sleeping sentries, silent as night shadows. They tiptoed over to the bed, raised their daggers and brought them down upon the bulge under the blanket. But something was wrong. The blades went through too easily.

Vendace grabbed the bedcover and yanked it back. There was nothing but a pile of pillows under there! "We've been tricked!" he hissed.

Before Borumm could reply, they heard a whistle blowing. Peep! Peep! Ten heavily armed Rapmark officers rushed into the tent and surrounded them. They tackled Borumm and Vendace to the ground and hogtied them.

Damug came striding in. "Well, how do you like that? Seems your little plan failed."

"Lugworm must've double crossed us, mate!" Borumm said to Vendace.

Damug grinned wickedly. "Oh, you mean your co-conspirator? We got him too." Two more vermin guards came into the tent, dragging Lugworm between them.

Vendace was confused. "If it wasn't Lugworm who informed on us, who was it?"

"You'll never guess," said Damug. "It was that little Gem prisoner of ours. Who'd have thought she'd turn out to be the most trustworthy one here?"

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It was fine and sunny next morning, a perfect spring day. At Redwall, everybeast was eating breakfast in Great Hall when Craklyn, the squirrel Recorder, suddenly stood up.

"Everybeast, I have some exciting news," she said. "I think I've figured out where the spaceship in the yard came from!"

Abbess Tansy was intrigued. "Well, don't keep us in suspense. Where did it come from?"

"I've been searching through the archives," Craklyn said, "and I came across an old book that tells the story of how Martin the Warrior came to Mossflower and defeated Tsarmina." She held the book up to show everybeast.

Tammo spoke up. "I say, who's Tsarmina?"

"Tsarmina was the evil cat that used to rule Mossflower back before Redwall Abbey was built," Arven explained. "She lived in a castle called Kotir, which stood where the Abbey is now. A mouse named Martin the Warrior led a revolution to overthrow her."

"Kinda like your mom rebelling against the Diamonds, Tammo!" Amethyst said.

"I suppose so," said Tammo.

"Well, at some point during the war, an alien named Marvin came down to Earth in a spaceship, and he joined in the fighting on Tsarmina's side," Craklyn said.

"Marvin," Pearl repeated. "That doesn't sound like a Gem name. All Gems are female."

"No, he wasn't a Gem," said Craklyn. "He was some other kind of alien. Look, there's even a picture of him!"

She opened the book to reveal the picture. It depicted a little man clad in a kilt and helmet like an ancient Roman soldier.

"So, anyway, eventually Marvin was killed by a hawk, and his spaceship was left standing in the courtyard of Kotir Castle," she went on. "Martin and the other woodlanders finally defeated Tsarmina and her vermin army by rerouting the river Moss so that it flooded Kotir and buried it in a landslide. I guess the ship must have been buried along with it. They built Redwall Abbey on top of the ruins of Kotir. That means our garden must have been right on top of where the ship stood, and now we've uncovered it."

"Well, now I'm even more eager to get a peek inside that ship!" Tansy exclaimed. "It's part of Redwall history. Just think of all we might learn! But before we can finish digging it up, we have to fix our fallen wall."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Peridot saw Damug Warfang approaching her cage, with a key in his paw. Two other rats trailed behind him.

"Well, you were right," Damug told her. "Those three traitors did try to kill me last night, just as you said they would."

Peridot's eyes lit up with hope. "Are you setting me free now?" she asked Damug.

"I'm not letting you go just yet," he said. "There's something I'd like you to see first."

He unlocked the cage door, but as soon as Peridot stepped out, the two rats accompanying Damug took hold of her arms. "Lousewort and Sneezewort here will see that you don't try to run off," Damug said. "I want to show you the fate that will befall Lugworm, Borumm, and Vendace."

They escorted Peridot to the edge of camp, down by the stream. A crowd of vermin was gathered there.

Damug took up position on a knoll where he could be seen and heard. Whipping out his sword, he shouted, "Bring out the prisoners!"

Three pitiful figures, chained together at neck and paw, were led forward. It was Borumm, Vendace, and Lugworm, stumbling painfully against one another as they staggered to stay upright.

"Let these three wretches serve as a lesson to anybeast who thinks Damug Warfang is a fool," Damug said. "They were my officers and they turned against me. They are traitors and will get a traitor punishment. I'm going to send them to the lowest part of Hellgates! Throw them into the water!"

Borumm, Vendace, and Lugworm's guards did as they were bid. They slung the hapless weasel, stoat, and fox into the stream. The heavy chains pulled them down beneath the water. They had time for one short scream each, then they were gone.

Damug addressed the crowd. "If there is any more mutiny in this army, the culprits will receive an even worse punishment than those three got. I am Firstblade of all Rapscallions. I have spoken!"

The vermin began to disperse, heading back to their normal duties. Soon, the only ones left standing on the bank were Damug, Peridot, and the two rats holding Peridot's arms.

Damug turned to Peridot. "I'm indebted to you," he said. "You warned me of the plot against my life when no one else would. I don't say this very often, but thank you."

"You're welcome," Peridot said nervously. "Now will you let me go?"

"Well, hold on," said Damug. "I have a proposal for you, my dear. How would you like to take Lugworm's place as my adviser?"

Peridot's mind raced. Damug gave her the creeps, but perhaps she would be better off having him as a friend rather than an enemy. And, she thought, if she accepted the position, she would be able to influence Damug's actions. Maybe she could manipulate him and his horde into assisting her with the mission that had brought her to Earth.

"Okay, I'll take the job," she said at last. "On two conditions. One, I want my limb enhancers back. And two, I need to go back to my spaceship and collect some equipment."

Damug's eyes gleamed wickedly. "Done!" he said. He held his paw out to Peridot.

Lousewort and Sneezewort let go of Peridot's arms. Peridot extended her hand to meet Damug's paw and they shook.