Chapter 6 – A Busy Sunday

Badger arrived home to find a couple of bored looking rabbits standing by his front door. As soon as they saw him one nudged the other and ran off. The other hung around, but disappeared into the darkness when Badger told him brusquely to "Hop it!"

His sleep was not disturbed that night, but Badger had hardly finished a very early breakfast when the doorbell rang. It was a squirrel he did not recognize who claimed to be a newspaper reporter, and was boldly asking Badger for a statement on reports that Badger had been seen consorting with known criminals. Badger was furious but tried not to show it – it does not do to get on the wrong side of the gentlemen of the press, even a little local once-a-week rag which would fold tomorrow without the financial support of its proprietor. Badger was proud of his quick rejoinder: "Known criminals? Be careful what you allege young squirrel. If you are referring Mister Toad you must know that he received a royal pardon; your paper made a big enough fuss about it at the time."

A good newspaper reporter is not easily daunted, and this squirrel had ambitions. "I was referring, sir, to the criminal Von Braun. You have been seen with someone fitting his description, there are witnesses."

Badger had had time overnight to consider how to deal with this line of inquiry. "Well these witnesses have the advantage of me, because I have seen no description of this Von Braun. Has he been found guilty of something?"

"Mister Badger, do you have a foreigner, a man, staying with you?"

"No I do not! And don't be ridiculous, how could a man stay in a badger's sett? Good day to you!" Before any more questions could be asked he closed his door in the squirrel's face. The squirrel did not ring again, but remained patiently by the door waiting for the visitor he knew was coming.

It was a good hour, but Otter finally arrived in his role as magistrate, with a trail of busybodies following behind him. They saw him ring, greet Badger like an old friend and be admitted together with two rabbits who were acting as special constables. Another hour passed and Otter and his constables emerged, shaking hands and smiling all round. The squirrel rushed up, asking Otter for a statement. Otter ignored him, and in a loud voice read out a prepared statement to the crowd which had gathered because of a rumour that he was going to arrest Badger.

"With the aid of these two constables I have established that no one is staying at Mr Badger's home. I have every confidence in Mr Badger, who is a pillar of the local community and a good personal friend of long standing.

"The wanted man, Radagast von Braun, is still being sort, though the authorities do not know whether he is still in the area. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should inform me or one of my constables. The public is asked not to approach him, as he may be dangerous.

"May I also make it clear that at this stage Radagast von Braun is wanted for questioning as a suspect, and that is all; no one should take the law into their own hands."

He glared at a group of rough looking stoats as he said this. "Thank you, that is all."

Brushing off the reporter with a hurried "No interviews now, I'm very busy" he strode off towards the Chief Weasel's residence. Badger had suggested that he make inquiries about the wizard's staff as "it could be vital evidence." He therefore spoke to two of the Chief's nephews, hinting that "should a walking stick or something like it belonging to the wanted man turn up, it might lead to at least a part of the award money being handed over." The weasels would give nothing away. As Otter said to Badger later "They didn't have it themselves or they would have said something. I reckon they know exactly who does have it and they don't want them getting the award."

The weasels did complain loudly about the stoats, telling him that as magistrate he should do something about them. He was sufficiently worried by this that after dismissing the two constables, who were eager to get to their Sunday lunches, he returned to talk to Badger again.

"Ever since being evicted so easily from Toad Hall the stoats, ferrets and weasels no longer trust each other, and the three communities keep themselves to themselves, even though they live cheek-by-jowl."

Badger nodded in agreement. "Each blamed the others" he said.

"Right," continued Otter, "and now the weasels say that the stoats are up to something and are keeping it a close secret. Whatever it is, the weasels say that they are desperate to raise some cash. They had hoped to do it by working at Toad Hall, and now they are determined to win that one hundred pounds prize, come what may. There could be violence, real violence, not just the usual brawling. There are armed stoats stationed throughout the Wild Wood and beyond, and they have coerced some of the rabbits into helping them. Be sure that wherever you go you will be secretly followed. Even that passage of yours to the edge of the wood may have its hidden watcher outside. What can I do, Badger?"

Badger pondered; things were getting complicated. He began to regret not showing Radagast the door as soon as he found him: taking his ease without a by-your-leave! Still, he was enjoying his game of dissembling with Otter, who probably understood exactly what was going on. "Tell that son of yours what you've told me, he'll know what to do. And one of us should talk to the stoats."

"I suppose it ought to be me," sighed Otter, "It is a public safety issue: I don't want rioting or worse in my area. I'll go now."

When Otter eventually got to sit down to a late lunch with his family, the conversation was all about the stoats. "They are up to something alright," said Otter through a mouth full of roast potato, "and they won't let on what it is. All I could get was that they were excited about it, and that it won't happen 'til they get the money to fund it."

Treacle tart and custard had just been brought to table when there was a knock at the door. Otter went to attend to it himself, wondering whether it was such a good thing being the local magistrate. On the doorstep was Fox; he was not his usual, supercilious self.

Fox was gently ushered into Otter's study and given a large medicinal brandy. At first his talk swung widely between blaming himself for doing something, and demanding that Otter do something. After the strong drink had calmed him down, a rare case of alcohol having a sobering effect, Fox was able to explain what had happened. He was expecting his guests to start leaving the following day, but they had that very morning boldly informed him that they all intended to stay, and that it was he who was leaving! They had then, with much laughter, expelled from the building him, Vixen and all their youngsters, together with the remaining stoats. Vixen and the others, he told Otter, had gone straight to their own home, hoping that it was in a fit state to receive them. Fox was furious at being tricked and humiliated, he was also conscious, he said, of having let down his friend Toad, whose ancestral pile was once again under occupation.

Otter was for taking up arms and marching on Toad Hall on his own that instant, but everyone else was against such a foolhardy action. Fortunately he had seen reason by the time one of the special constables had arrived, keen to earn more at Sunday rates. The constable was dispatched to ask Badger to come immediately to join Otter for a council of war. Portly, on his own initiative, took out the smaller of their two rowing boats, and headed down river to the see the Water Rats.

Badger took nearly an hour to arrive, during which time Fox alternatively sulked and fulminated, though another brandy and a large slice of the treacle tart did improve his mood a little. Fox and Badger greeted each other rather stiffly, and then Fox repeated his story to Badger and the special constable. Fox demanded that Otter, as magistrate, swear in a posse of Wild Wooders as special constables and evict the overstaying guests that very day. Otter refused, not because he was against such action. but because of the expense of so many specials on a Sunday. "Besides," he said, "it's pouring with rain now and will be for the next hour at least. By the time we've got the numbers you reckon are needed, it will be dark, and it's a good way on foot to Toad Hall. It must wait 'til the morning."

Badger supported Otter, and took him aside to talk quietly where they would not be overheard. "Otter, you are overlooking no less than three - no four - very important facts. The first is that we both know that Fox is not totally honest, at best what he says is coloured by his own interests."

"True," agreed Otter, "and your other points?"

"Well, Toad Hall is not Fox's, even he doesn't claim that; we can't be sure that Toad would want us charging in."

"Humph! History suggests that he would. Next?"

"History also suggests that once the Wild Wooders are in the Hall it might not be so easy to dislodge them!"

"Ah", conceded Otter, "that is a good point, but what else can we do?"

"Finally, may I remind you that as an impartial upholder of the law, you should at least talk to these foreigners before assailing them. My suggestion is that just the three of us - you, me and the good constable here - simply go up to Toad Hall and knock on the door. If we are offered violence then your case is made and we return in force."

Otter agreed to this, but as it was still pelting with rain they agreed to wait until the weather had eased off. Otter asked the constable if he knew what the stoats were up to.

"Well sir, it is true they are combing the Wood and here abouts for any sign of this wanted man; seemingly they are determined to get that handsome reward.

"But there is another thing as you should know sirs. I've overheard the stoats talking more than once, and some of them say that they won't go back to Toad Hall, even to work for Mister Toad himself. They say what the place is haunted, and those that say it are stout-hearted lads with their feet on the ground, at least when they're sober if you take my meaning."

Otter asked whether this was the reason that most of the stoats had stopped working at Toad Hall.

"Some of them sir, yes," replied the good rabbit, "but most of them say it was because they got into arguments with the guests, who they said was 'most hoity-toity'. Most of the other Wild Wooders say 'twas because they were caught filching the foreigners' belongings."

Before long the wind had dropped and the rain had turned to drizzle. Fox, still bad tempered, was persuaded by the combined efforts of the others that his first duty was to Vixen and his family, and strode off towards the village. Badger and Otter gingerly got the constable aboard Otter's other rowing boat. He had never been in a boat before, and this perturbed him more even than the thought of arriving at a haunted house in the dark. "He is not a happy bunny," thought Otter, struggling to keep a straight face.

Badger had more experience in boats, but was hopeless at rowing, and so it was all up to Otter, fortunately a well–muscled individual, to pull against the current all the way up to Toad Hall. By the time that they had moored by Toad's boathouse, and had the constable once more on dry land, it was a good deal brighter that when they had set out. The grounds seemed deserted and they walked up towards the house. The clock in the stable tower rang for six o'clock; there was not another sound.