The unexpected arrival of Hannah instantly had the group on their feet with excitement; one moment they were in a hopeless situation, prisoners to the enemy, their future grim, but now their hopes had been momentarily restored. Hannah, it turned out, had survived the weir by clinging inside the air pocket of the overturned raft, which had miraculously remained intact after capsizing and continued drifting on downstream until it had been washed up onto the riverbank further downriver.
Finding herself alone, and thinking her friends had all drowned, she had wondered around aimlessly for hours, lost and with no idea where to go; she would never be able to find Watership Down on her own, small as she was, and she couldn't exactly return to Thinial anymore either. Then she had spotted a squad of mean-looking rabbits, which matched the description of the Efrafans, leading along a caravan of prisoners, towards their warren. By eavesdropping, she had realised, to her utmost dismay, that they were the Watershipers, which the Efrafans had captured after seizing their warren.
She had tried following them, hoping they would lead her to Efrafa, where the rest of the Watershipers were presumably being held, but she hadn't gotten very far. Whilst crossing over a deep canyon on a log bridge into Efrafan territory, suddenly, a catastrophe, the likes of which she had never witnessed before had befallen the group. Who would have expected that the strange 'shiny cylinder' – which, unbeknownst to her, had been one of the canisters of nitroglycerine the Efrafans had stolen from the HAB on Robbins' instruction – one of the guards had been carrying strapped to his back, to suddenly burst into a massive ball of fire.
Several rabbits, including some of the prisoners, had barely made it across the bridge before it had collapsed, sending those who hadn't been annihilated by the blast plummeting into the river below, to their deaths. One of the Efrafan officers – Captain Campion - left stranded outside the border had been ordered to double back to the 'captured warren' immediately and put the rest of their troops stationed there on alert, until a new bridge could be set up, and reinforcements could be dispatched to transport the rest of the prisoners.
Unable to help those held in Efrafa anymore, she had followed Campion instead, who had led her all the way to Watership Down. Although it was clear by now that Hazel-rah's group hadn't fared well, from what she had been able to make from the escort guards' talking, there were still some prisoners left, held in their own warren – which wasn't their anymore -, waiting to be deported. Although fully aware it could mean suicide going there, Hannah had nothing left to lose; her only hope was to try and rescue the remaining Watershipers before they were all moved to Efrafa, where they'd be beyond help, just like the rest of their friends.
Upon reaching Watership Down however, she had walked straight into the midst of the havoc Jamie's group had stirred up with the lendri, just in time to see her friends, alive and well, infiltrate the captured Honeycomb, apparently on the same reckless escapade she had been intending. In the confusion, she had managed to make her way down into the HAB unnoticed, just in time before the place had been ordered into lockdown. With the Efrafan Owsla sweeping the place, chasing after Jamie's group, she had barely managed to evade capture by slipping away into the air ducts, which had eventually led her to her friends' prison…
"We thought you were dead!" exclaimed Jamie, reaching through the grillwork with his fingers and caressing Hannah's small head, which the mouse accepted with pleasure, "We lost Ash and Nightshade out on the plains… It's so good to see you, Hannah!" In spite of their joyful reunion however, it quickly dawned on them that they were still prisoners to the Efrafans, with time quickly running out for all of them. And meanwhile, Celandine's declining health was becoming another major issue to consider… They had to escape this place and fast! But how?
Jamie tried forcing the grillwork open but it wouldn't budge; and there was nothing in their makeshift cell strong enough to use as a lever. Hannah tried undoing the nut bolts from her side, on Jamie's instruction, but they were too tight for her small hands. What they needed was a screwdriver to get the vent open. Jamie examined the tight screws; his Swiss Army multitool would do nicely, but it was currently in Robbins' possession, no good to him when he needed it the most. Unless, of course, someone stole it back for him; someone small and undetectable…
"Hannah, I have a little job for you," he said, turning to his little friend, and whispering instructions in her ear, in case there was a guard outside listening. Although it was foolish – not to mention risky in the extreme - to send her anywhere near Robbins and those brutish Efrafans, who were likely to kill her on sight if they caught her, it was their only hope. Surprisingly enough, Hannah volunteered whole-heartedly, in spite of Jamie's insistence that nobody would hold it against her if she didn't want to take the risk.
"You think I'm going to just leave you here until those rascals return to finish you off? Those poor rabbits I saw out there were being marched off to certain death…!" she said incredulously, "Not a chance!" Jamie smiled at his little friend's determination to put her neck on the line, to get them out of this death trap. Speedwell, who had gone tharn when hearing about those prisoners being transported to Efrafa to be killed, spoke up.
"Was there a rabbit called Hazel-rah among them? Or Bigwig? Or Fiver? Any of these names sound familiar?" he asked. Hannah shook her head. "No, I only remember seeing a doe called Hyzenthlay," she said, struggling to remember, "And another rabbit called Hawkbit, I think. There were no ithel among them either…" Jamie sighed in relief, glad to know that his father had not been one of them…unless, of course, he had been part of another prisoner transport group.
After giving instructions to Hannah and wishing her luck, the group settled down, hoping she wouldn't be too late, or rather, hoping she would make it back at all. If she got caught, not only would they kill her, but also they might take it out on them, perhaps torture them for any other secret accomplices they might have. Regardless of Campion Campion's promise that nobody would be harmed, the words of that sadistic rabbit Vervain had made it clear that the Efrafans were anything but merciful. It was simply a matter of either postponing the inevitable, or giving it their best shot and trying to escape this nightmare.
Turning to Celandine, Jamie saw that she wasn't doing very well at all; her fever had gone even higher, leaving her barely conscious, the Myxomatosis having gained a hold on her system and attacking her full force. Now it was only a matter of time before the virus caused permanent damage to her eyesight and sense of smell, leaving her to die a slow, lingering death. Jamie looked at his companions, thinking; although it seemed foolish even to suggest it, he couldn't be so cruel, not when help was literally within reach.
"If Hannah can get us out of here, then we should try and find some help for Celandine before we make a break for it." He walked over to consult a plan of the HAB on the wall; tracing his finger from the red dot pinpointing their location in the small utility room, along passageways and down stairwells, he found a room marked 'Veterinarian Infirmary' on Level 3A, two storeys beneath them, "See, there is an animal medical bay, probably for the livestock they kept down here…" Unfortunately, his companions were all but keen on the idea.
"Absolutely not!" shouted Hickory, "We'd be lucky to get out of here alive as it is! We made a big mistake coming here in the first place. Besides, we can't take her with us like that…" Beside him, Marigold wanted to say something more sympathetic but then decided against it, probably not wanting to waste her words on, what most of them thought to be, a hopeless case. The boys looked appalled.
"Why you miserable, selfish…!" hissed Kenny, furious at the thought of leaving the ailing doe behind while she was still alive, simply because she would be a liability to them all, "How could you say such a thing…?" But Speedwell, who knew how to be more tactful, took the boys aside.
"Young buckos, you do realise that even if we do get out of this, Celandine will have to stay behind. She wouldn't get very far in this condition, not to mention she would be a great danger to us all. The White Blindness makes no distinction between victims…"
"But we can't just leave her here to die!" protested Kenny, who had come to like Celandine like a foster mother, "She's pregnant…" Speedwell's face fell in silent sadness, yet remained firm on his decision.
"I am truly sorry lad, but, but, as much as I hate to say this, we can't risk it. It wouldn't do her much good anyway; once a rabbit contracts White Blindness, it's already too late. My parents both died this way, along with hrair of their friends who gave in to their sympathy and tried to help them, only to also get infected in the process. We can't risk exposing ourselves to the plague…"
"My point exactly," said Jamie, thinking up another way to make Speedwell see reason, "As it stands, you've all already been exposed to the Myxomatosis, possibly even infected; anyone could start getting sick next, any time now…" This last sentence instantly had the entire group on the verge of a panic.
"Oh Frith, we're all going to die!" cried Marigold, as she huddled up close to her mate, sobbing miserably, thinking all was lost. But Jamie reassured her.
"That is why we need to get to that infirmary. This is the only place where we can hope to find a cure for this bug; and it has to be done before the disease enters its final stages," he said, stressing the fact that unless they administered Nobivac – the Myxomatosis vaccine he knew from his mother - soon, the disease would cause irreversible damage to Celandine's eyesight and sense of smell. They'd be no point in this, if they were left to babysit a helpless, blind rabbit.
Realising Jamie's argument was sound, and not willing to risk losing another rabbit to the White Blindness out there, Speedwell finally decided it was worth a shot and gave in. This, in turn, brought them to the next question at hand.
"Okay, suppose we do make it out of here with our skins still in one piece," said Kenny, "Where exactly do we go? All this time, we've been struggling to make it this far, and now we're just setting off again? To where?" Jamie looked at his friend, thinking hard.
"Anywhere," he said, "We make it out of here, and then get as far away from here as we can, where the Efrafans will never find us." His mind flashed back to that plane they had seen earlier that afternoon, out on the meadows, "Hopefully, some of my father's group also managed to escape from Efrafa; we can still find them…maybe." Although hardly a sound plan, at least it was something.
They sat, waiting anxiously for Hannah, hoping she wouldn't let them down. Kenny placed Celandine's head on his lap, urging her to hold on just a little longer, as he tenderly poured sips of cognac from the hipflask he had found in the time capsule down her throat, to relieve her suffering. Jamie glanced up at the grillwork where he had last seen his little friend, wondering how she was doing. Hurry Hannah, please hurry…
Meanwhile, Hannah was making her way along another air duct like one of the mice of NIMH, trying to navigate the HAB's AC system. Making her way along another vent overlooking the interior of the control room, she glanced through a broken grillwork and saw Robbins and Vervain conversing alone. A collection of books and papers lay strewn all over the disused chart table before them.
"…It seems the human race didn't destroy its treasures after all. It merely hid them away in safe havens around the globe, called the Crypts of Civilisation," Robbins was saying, whatever it was he was talking about, "We may have discovered something other than a 700-year old bunker filled with cobwebs and junk after all…" Hannah suddenly noticed Jamie's Swiss Army knife, protruding from the pocket of Robbins' jacket, which lay tucked on the back of one of the rotating chairs.
"The legacy of all humanity," gloated Vervain, a hungry look in his eyes, "Imagine, all the secrets of their power, hidden away from the weak and the worthless all this time, almost as if waiting for the General to come along and claim them someday! And soon, it will all be ours! Why, we will be harnessing the power of Frith himself…!" The distasteful conversation was interrupted however by two guards standing at attention outside the door, announcing that Coltsfoot had arrived with an urgent message.
Cursing at being interrupted by a 'lowly commoner', one who was already in his bad books nonetheless, Vervain turned and bellowed at the young trouper, standing at attention in the doorway, waiting for permission to enter, "Well, what is it? Can't you see we're busy, you fool?!"
Cringing, Coltsfoot explained, "Begging your pardon sir, but the watch at the shaft reports Captain Campion has returned with the General. You better come at once." Although utterly annoyed at being interrupted from - unbeknownst to Hannah – their deciphering of Dr Drake's journal with the secrets of the future world, neither Robbins or Vervain dared object; Woundwort expected Owsla formalities to be observed at all times, under penalty of demotion, including formal greetings, when all officers present would line up and salute whenever he entered a burrow – or in this case an old human bunker.
They hurried out, Robbins leaving his jacket, which was too warm to wear indoors, hanging on the chair. Hannah seized the chance. Using one of the fluorescent light fixtures hanging from the ceiling to swing down from the vent, she hurried over to the chair, going for the knife, all the while glancing nervously over her shoulder at the door, in case someone came back and caught her here.
Sliding out the beautiful gadget from the pocket, straining with its weight, she hurryingly carried it across the control room over her shoulder, eager to be gone from this place now that she had what she came for. Then came another problem: although she could climb back up to the air duct on the ceiling easily – her agile body being adequate for the most amazing acrobatics -, she couldn't do it when laden down with the heavy knife she was carrying over her shoulder. And she couldn't go back to her friends without it either.
Looking around frantically, she spotted a length of loose wire torn from one of the dismantled panels, lying on the floor. Remembering how Jamie always improvised everything he needed using anything available, she figured it was the best moment as any to follow his example. Securing one end of the wire around her waist and the other end through the key ring on the knife, she climbed back up into the open vent. Then, heaving against the wire, she began pulling the knife up after her. It was nearly there, when suddenly, she heard voices approaching.
"…One of my best squadrons annihilated by that weapon thing of yours, leaving us trapped in our own warren; then the outsider ringleaders escape; and now Campion tells me you've got nothing to show for it?" a deep, sinister voice was saying, "Well, Robbins, my patience is running out on you…"
Glancing down at the door, she saw Robbins and Vervain return, escorted by Captain Campion, Coltsfoot, and another ferocious-looking rabbit with the most horrific appearance imaginable, whom she figured, had to be the infamous General Woundwort she and her friends had been hearing so much about. The evil Efrafan dictator furiously rounded on Robbins. Apparently, he was very angry about that mishap Hannah had witnessed earlier today.
"You do realise that you almost got us all killed today? That thing could have gone off right inside Efrafa… You better explain yourself!" True, Robbins had known this would happen, having secretly tempered with the canisters before sending them on their way, although he had hoped it would have been right in the heart of Efrafa, which would have annihilated Woundwort and his key Owsla and Owslafa officers, all in one go, leaving him to assume command of the remaining troopers stationed here. Unfortunately, that was not meant to be…not by a long shot.
Ever since Alan and some of their group had escaped from Efrafa, the General had been pressuring him hard, making him desperate to find a way to escape – which was why he had been repairing Jamie's glider in secret -, or otherwise get rid of that monstrous rabbit he now called his leader.
"I am afraid General, that was an unfortunate accident," he explained, somehow managing to remain calm, quickly thinking up a good excuse to appease the General and cover up his blotched-up assassination attempt, "I had outlined to officer Charlock precise instructions and safety rules. He chose to be careless, so the entire wretched episode was his fault. Simple as that."
While an Efrafan commoner making such a bold accusation against one of the General's best officers would mean arrest for treason, and while Woundwort suspected Robbins might be playing him false, his 'ally' was currently too valuable to him, if he was to fulfil his ancestors' dream of acquiring humanity's long lost legacy. He surveyed Robbins for a few minutes, his single red eye like that of a snake's having cornered a rat, deciding whether or not to strike.
"Very well, I will take your word for it this time," Woundwort finally said, yet the menacing tone in his voice, making it clear that any further 'mishaps' and he would be made to answer to, not going amiss to Robbins. "Now then, tell me, what is this I hear about you having captured that young ithe from Cowslip's warren…?
Hannah however didn't wait to hear the rest; heaving Jamie's multitool over her shoulder, she hurried back the way she had come. Woundwort had arrived early and would soon be calling upon her friends locked up downstairs, to deal with them. She had to hurry!
Meanwhile, up in the control room, Robbins, Vervain and Campion had finished giving their report to the General, explaining how Jamie's group had attempted to infiltrate their outpost using an attacking lendri as a distraction – resulting in the deaths of the two Owsla sentries in the process -, and how they had managed to detain them before they could cause any further trouble.
"Outstanding," said Woundwort, "So, we have a visitor come to pay us a call; one who might be able to lead us to the rest of our escaped outsiders. Now then, time to greet our guests and outline to them their rights. Bring me the boy!" Vervain smiled nastily at this, but Campion frowned; Woundwort's definition of 'outlining a prisoner his rights' was another way of saying, 'either corporate peacefully and stay alive or be coaxed under torture'. Either way, it always ended badly; those who feared Woundwort were only allowed to live to be slaves, whilst those who dared defy him were killed with no exceptions.
Campion felt his heart sink at the thought of Hazel-rah's group, whom he had secretly befriended, now held back in Efrafa, dreading what the General had in store for them. Woundwort wasn't known for his patience; how long before one of them gave up the location of their Chief and their human protector – wherever they had fled to - under torture? He already knew that that rabbit Silverweed, whose psychic powers had come to his mad Chief's attention, was going to be used as an instrument of war, to forcefully extract information from prisoners' minds…
Those outsiders, who had helped him see the error of his ways, and presented Efrafa with a chance of escaping the dark path of war and tyranny Woundwort was paving for them, were paying the price for his insane Chief's cruelty; and now these boys, who had nothing to do with this, were next. And after he had promised them that they wouldn't be harmed… Ever since he had made that secret pledge to save his people from slavery and oppression, he had been endlessly tormented by his inability to live up to his promise.
When his outsider friends had been captured, he had considered turning to some of his closest Owsla comrades, and enlisting their help to start a rebellion against Woundwort. But the sense of fear for the General, which lingered in the hearts of everyone under his rule – whether it was officer or slave -, not to mention, Vervain was now watching his every move, hoping to catch him in the act, made it impossible. If he even tried talking to anyone, his secret would soon leak out and that would be the end of his career, which would do neither him nor the outsiders any good whatsoever…
Downstairs, Hannah had returned to her friends with the news that Woundwort had arrived and was coming for them. Jamie and Kenny wasted no time and got to work undoing the screws, stuck fast after all these years, which held the grillwork in place. Working frantically, they were almost done, when they heard footsteps outside the door.
Hurryingly making sure the grillwork was still firmly fixed in place, showing no signs that it was coming loose, and hiding the screws they had removed in the shadows under a pipe, the group assumed neutral positions, trying not to appear too conspicuous. At that moment the door swung open, and their captors entered. Vervain looked extremely gleeful.
"Good news, scum," he sneered, his sickening expression chilling, "The General has arrived and is waiting…to deal with you face-to-face!" Robbins drew his gun.
"All right, you boy, come with us!" he barked, gesturing at Jamie to walk over to him. The thirteen-year-old felt his blood curdle; were they marching him out to kill him or torture him for information he didn't have? Speedwell stepped forward, "If you have any honour, you leave the boy out of this! I will talk to Woundwort…" But Vervain cuffed him hard across the face, sending him sprawling on the floor with a bloodied nose.
"Don't you talk back to us, you filthy outsider!" he shrieked, spitting down at Speedwell, "We are the ones who decide who is to speak and when! Honour, huh? Just another trait of weakling simpletons! Here, it is only power that matters!" However, in the midst of Vervain's insane ranting, Jamie seized the opportunity to pass his pocketknife to Kenny behind their backs, mouthing to him to get the others out himself. Kenny seemed to want to protest but thankfully held his tongue as they marched his friend out.
"You walk in front of me boy, and no tricks, or you'll be spitting gum out through your forehead!" Robbins warned Jamie, shoving him forward, Campion leading the way. Vervain paused for a moment, glancing at the rest of the prisoners suspiciously, almost as if sensing they were up to something. But seeing nothing out of the ordinary – including the sick Celandine lying under Kenny's jacket -, he turned and followed his associates out, Robbins slamming the door behind them and bolting it securely.
"Come on you guys, we have no time to lose!" said Kenny, hastily getting back to work on the grillwork, the footsteps of their captors fading away outside. He struggled with a particularly stubborn screw, firmly jammed from age, "Come on, give, you little motherf-…"
"What about Jamie?" asked Marigold, glancing in the direction of the door, where they had taken their young leader.
"Trust me, I've got a plan," said Kenny, without looking up from his work. I least I hope I do…
Robbins, Vervain and Campion led Jamie upstairs to the control room. Robbins roughly shoved the boy through the door; Jamie cringed as he came face to face with the very same rabbit Alan Johnson had met under similar circumstances, not so long ago. Woundwort's monstrous and utterly revolting appearance, with his tar-black fur and mismatched eyes – one white and sightless, the other a glowing red orb of evil -, for an instant had Jamie petrified, wondering if he had just walked into a living nightmare. And he had!
He was snapped out of his trance however by a painful cuff against his bicep from behind, sending him down on his knees, nursing his leg painfully, "Ow! What did you do that for, you…!"
"Learn to bow low when standing in the General's presence!" growled Vervain viciously, as if Jamie had openly insulted him rather than Woundwort, "Staring at Him as if he's a lowly simpleton like you… Where are your manners, boy? Then again, what can one expect from the likes of you…" This time however it wasn't Campion who cut off Vervain's racist remarks, but Woundwort.
"That will do Captain Vervain. I am sure our young friend gets the message," muttered the evil dictator coolly, motioning to his Captains and Robbins to step outside, to give them some privacy. Vervain seemed hesitant to leave his Chief alone with the human.
"But Sire, surely someone looking out for your safety would be best? If you recall, ithel are cunning and dangerous! The last time you requested a private audience with the likes of him, he caught you by surprise and…" Before he could finish his sentence however, Woundwort rounded on him in a fit of rage.
"Silence Vervain! Out now, all of you, and no interruptions, or I'll kill you!"
The one thing that Woundwort hated most in life was failure, especially when it was of his own doing, going to extreme lengths to cover any such incident up, either by burying the truth, or punishing those responsible. One such incident had been his failure to take over Sandleford several years prior, losing his one eye in the process, instead resorting to using White Blindness in retaliation. Likewise, the rabbit responsible for that failure – Campion's late father, Captain Hedge – had been executed for his treachery, but the truth twisted round, making it seem as if he had been killed in the line of duty, fighting hostile outsiders - and protecting Woundwort's reputation.
That failure had not come close however to when he had met Alan Johnson face-to-face; not only had that miserable human known all of his secrets, but also - as much as Woundwort hated to admit it even to himself – had proven to be a threat to everything his ancestors had struggled to achieve. Caught by surprise, Woundwort had narrowly escaped dying by Johnson's hand – an attempt that Robbins had accidentally thwarted. It was then, for the first time ever, that Woundwort had come to realise that even his superior strength and colossal Owsla were still vulnerable. The only way to eliminate that threat was to track down that escaped human and each and every one of his comrades at all costs, and eliminate them without mercy. And if this boy knew anything of their whereabouts, he would get it out of him, one way or another.
Jamie cringed as Woundwort fixed his unbending gaze on him, his sinister stare so cold and menacing, that, for an instant, he thought the temperature in the room had plummeted several degrees. Any second now, he thought Woundwort was going to raise one of his gigantic paws and kill him, but he didn't. Instead he spoke in a softer, but no less chilling, tone of voice.
"Well, young ithe, I believe introductions are in order. I am General Woundwort, leader of the Efrafan dominions, and master of these lands, at your service. Welcome to my domain!" However Jamie didn't return the 'friendly' greeting, having seen enough to know that Woundwort was only toying with him like a child, and he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction so easily. The Efrafan dictator frowned slightly at the boy's impudence but didn't lose his temper, as he tried reasoning out with him.
"I understand my Owsla's reception of you wasn't exactly welcoming; we happen to be in a war situation, so we tend to take ourselves a little too seriously, especially when it comes to admitting strangers…"
"So I've noticed," scoffed Jamie, "Like when your goons butchered Acorn? What, you think I'm dumb? Well, I'm not!" Although close to exploding at Jamie's lack of respect, Woundwort made one more attempt to gain the boy's trust.
"I am truly sorry about your friend, young one, but, in case you've forgotten, you got two of my soldiers killed with that lendri you set on them. They were merely acting in an act of provocation and self-defence…" But the boy only rolled his eyes.
"And what about Ash and Nightshade?" snapped Jamie acidly, "And the rabbits of Thinial? Is that your idea of self-defence…?" Realising he was getting nowhere, Woundwort decided to cut his gentle approach short and speak plain. His somewhat soft expression suddenly turned hard.
"I understand you've come here looking for your father boy, who is my custody," he said coldly, causing Jamie to gasp, realising Woundwort knew where his father was, "Well, if you agree to my demands, you have my word that you and your father will be spared, and allowed to go free."
"What kind of demands?" Although desperately wanting to see his father again after coming all this way, the idea of agreeing to do any of this scoundrel's dirty work in exchange, didn't sit well with Jamie at all. Sure enough, Woundwort gave him a nasty smile.
"I want that ithe Johnson, whom your father was aiding; and I also want that so-call Chief Rabbit of the outsiders, Hazel-rah, and that oaf Captain of Owsla of theirs, Thlayli. Those heretics plotted to overthrow my domain and hand it over to mankind's rule, and I intend to see each and every one of them punished for this! So far they've managed to evade capture; but maybe not for much longer, now that you've come along…"
"So you expect me to lead you to Johnson and his friends?" said Jamie, finally realising where Woundwort was getting at: he was asking him to sell out the reminder of Johnson's party, which had escaped from Efrafa, to him, in exchange for his father's release. Satisfied that he had finally spiked Jamie's interest, Woundwort went on.
"My battle with the outsiders isn't your business, and you needn't through your life away over it. This is my final offer, ithe: reveal to me the whereabouts of the outsiders and Johnson, and you and your father will be reunited and free to return back to your own time, or wherever you choose to go, as long as you never come back. What do you say?"
For an instant, Jamie felt tempted to agree; after all, it was true that he had no business in this future world, where he didn't belong. He had only come here to find his father and bring him home, not lead a revolution on behalf of these humanoid rabbits. To have his father back and be free to return to his home time seemed the best he could ask for… But then, he realised he couldn't do this; even if he knew where Johnson was – which he didn't –, and even if this monster kept his end of the bargain, it would mean selling out his newfound friends for slaughter, betraying them outright, which was against everything his parents stood for.
The thought of all those who had died helping him get this far – Ash, Nightshade, Willow, Nose-in-the-Air, Snitter, Acorn – made him feel disgusted of even considering trading their lives for his father's and his own. He even thought of Dr Johnson and the secret feelings his mother had had for that man. His parents would never forgive him for this… No, he wasn't going to take the easy way out and leave his friends to their fate; they were all in the same boat from the start, so they would see this ride through together. He shook his head at Woundwort.
"Never, you low-life bastard!" he shouted, spitting in the evil rabbit's face, which twisted with rage. Before he knew what was happening, a powerful blow on the side of his face sent him flying across the room like a discarded rag doll. He crumpled to the floor, his face bruised and bloodied with a three-notch claw gash, as he struggled to stay conscious, for an instant thinking his brains had been bashed into his skull. Looking up, he saw Woundwort tower over him like a wild animal going for the kill.
"Have it your way, you impudent little brat! Very well then, the deal is off; but bear in mind that your friends will be the first to suffer the bitter consequences of your choice!" he thundered, his red eye glowing hungrily at the death threat. Robbins, Vervain and Campion came hurrying in, alerted by the commotion. Vervain cackled nastily at the sight of Jamie lying battered on the floor.
"That's right General; teach this cringing bit of filth a proper lesson in obedience…!" Campion, however, giving Vervain a disgusted glare, hurried over to help Jamie to his feet, giving him a comforting smile as he did so. In spite of his pain and dreading of what Woundwort intended to do to his friends, the boy muttered his thanks at the Efrafan Captain. Vervain sneered at them both.
"That's right Campion, waste your sympathy on the lowly filth you rub shoulders with. You claim to be a patriot to Efrafa, yet you don't even have the courage to admit that you're actually in league with the outsiders…!"
"That will do Captain Vervain!" snapped Woundwort, "I am telling you for the last time, your accusations against Campion are wrong, based on nothing but your personal feud, just like when you mistook him for dead and left him at the mercy of the enemy. I don't wish to hear another word about it!" Vervain fell silent but continued to glare at Campion, frustrated at having no way to expose his nemesis' traitorous scheme, desperate for an opportunity to get back at him.
Woundwort turned to Jamie, whom Robbins held at gunpoint, "Bring the boy along; I want the rest of his friends to bear witness to their little ringleader's fate. We'll offer each of them the same deal. Move out!" With Robbins and Vervain dragging Jamie along, the latter tormenting the boy by gloating on how his father had died a fool alongside Johnson, and how he and his friends would soon follow. Jamie however walked like a zombie, not even bothering to retort, his mind pondering on his grim fate.
He had come too late to save his father – or so that scumbag Vervain said anyway -, and now he and his friends were going to be killed as well by these cutthroat Efrafans. And it was all because of him; if he had thought of coming here alone in the first place, then they wouldn't be in this fix now. Even if Hannah could get them out in time, where would they go, when there was a whole army standing guard above ground? His mind flashed back to when he had first met them back at Sandleford; why hadn't he simply let them go their own way then, rather than invite them on this death ride?
Unbeknownst to him however, someone else in that room was feeling for his misery and determined to do something about it. Campion, finally having had enough of his Chief's ruthlessness, had decided it was time to take drastic action. Although Hazel had made him promise not to blow his cover until the last possible moment, he couldn't just sit around and watch the boy's group being slaughtered simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. For all he knew, that rabbit and his ithe friend were already dead, and any plans they had had to overthrow Woundwort had gone to Inle. Now it was up to him and him alone…
Meanwhile, down in the cell, Kenny, with Hannah's help, had just finished getting the AC vent open. Pulling the last screw free, he grasped the grillwork by the edges and easily pulled it off; their path to freedom was open! Although Jamie was still upstairs, probably being interrogated those scoundrels, Kenny still had an obligation to try and get the rest of their group out of here while he still could. Reaching into his pocket, he took out their single flashlight – their only means of lighting their way through the pitch-black ventilation system. Speedwell called the others forward.
"All right chaps, we're getting out of here. Everyone form a line and climb up, one at a time. Kenny, you're first. Hurry now!" Climbing up into the vent beside Hannah, Kenny reached out to help pull each of their companions up after him, as they climbed onto Speedwell's back to reach the opening. Soon, Hickory and Marigold had crawled inside the duct, which led off into opposite directions throughout the HAB, in complete darkness.
"All right, Celandine, you turn!" called Speedwell, "Well, come on…!" But the doe lay curled up onto the floor, unconscious, burning up from the fever caused by the infection. Kenny leapt down from the vent and hurried over to her. Turning her over, he saw her eyes and nose horribly bloodshot and swollen. She was beginning to go blind.
"Come on Celandine, wake up, please!" shouted Kenny, slapping her across the cheeks to revive her. Her swollen eyes slowly opened, focusing on him, as she muttered, "Just leave me here…I am too tired…save yourselves…" Kenny felt his insides curl up; it was as if the doe he had come to look up to as a foster mother was saying her final goodbye.
"No, you've got to keep moving! Come on, on your feet! Ata girl!" With colossal effort, and with Kenny supporting her, Celandine managed to stand, head hanging low in pain and fatigue, the illness having drained her of all her strength, as she literally dragged herself towards the vent.
"I can't do this… I can't…" she moaned, but Kenny would hear none of it.
"Don't think about it; think of your unborn children! Just suck it up one more time, damn it! I'll get you to that infirmary even if I have to drag you there by the ears! Now come on!" Before he could get her up into the vent however, suddenly they heard footsteps outside.
"Damn, they're coming back already…!" Kenny looked around frantically for something he could use to bar the door with, but there was nothing but pipes, valves and circuit panels. Before they knew what was happening, they heard their captors unlatch the locked door to their prison cell, and swing it open, catching them in the act…
The Efrafans and Robbins led Jamie back downstairs to the utility room, where the rest of his friends were being held, to have them all killed together as a group. Woundwort had ordered several savage-looking rabbits, the size of oxen, which Jamie guessed were to be their executioners, to escort them. Vervain kept gloating with sickening delight as they marched the doomed boy down death row.
"Like father, like son," he was saying, "Did you little fool know that Johnson abandoned your father at our mercy to save himself, like the coward he was? Only, he didn't get very far…" In spite of his grief, Jamie felt his blood boil; he wanted to turn round and punch Vervain on the nose, but he knew it wouldn't do him or his friends any good, and he wasn't about to give that slimeball of a rabbit the satisfaction. His father would have shown more dignity than that even when he was about to die.
They stopped outside the cell; handing Jamie over to Campion and Vervain, Robbins removed the crowbar he had wedged across the latch of the door, barring it shut, and opened up for the executioners to enter and finish off the rest of the boy's companions. Woundwort called them all to order.
"Robbins, you take care of the boy. I believe there is nothing more to be said. Campion, Vervain, you round up the rest of that miserable lot inside and bring them out so they may bear witness to their little hero's demise. Hop to it then!" Jamie caught a glimpse of Vervain ushering the executioners inside the cell, before Robbins grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and took him aside to carry out the order.
Pinning him against the wall by the throat, he drew his revolver and brought it up to Jamie's face. The boy felt his insides turn to ice; for an instant he wanted to plead for his life, but somehow managed to retain his cool, intent on living up to his father's courage to the last. Robbins sneered, a hungry gleam in his eyes.
"You ought not to have messed with us boy. The likes of us are dangerous!" He brought the revolver up to Jamie's forehead, preparing to fire. Jamie shut his eyes, bracing for the deadly blow, when suddenly…
"Escape! The outsiders are escaping!"
Both Robbins and Jamie turned their attention back to the cell door at the sound of Vervain's voice, who had entered the cell, only to catch the rest of their prisoners in the midst of their escape. This, ironically, was what saved Jamie's life, who, finding himself free of his would-be murderer for a split second, seized the opportunity. Reaching for a fire extinguisher hanging on the wall beside him, he slammed it down hard onto Robbins' head, who crumpled to the floor, clutching his skull in agony.
Discarding the battered fire extinguisher, Jamie sprinted for the cell door; if he could only get inside and lock it behind him, cutting them off from the Efrafans, he could join the rest of his companions in their escape… Before he could get there, however, he suddenly found his way blocked by Woundwort who jumped between him and the door.
"Going somewhere, you little fool?" the Efrafan dictator snarled menacingly, "Nobody escapes General Woundwort that easily! Least of all, a pitiful little mouse like you…" Before Jamie could lament on his seemingly foiled chance, wishing he had held onto that extinguisher a little longer, much to everyone's surprise, someone came to his rescue. Woundwort was caught by surprise when he was suddenly rammed in the side and thrown sideways by non other than…
"Campion?" the General gasped in surprise, his minions likewise stunned in disbelief at what had just happened. Captain Campion, the most loyal and dedicated officer in Woundwort's Owsla, strike his own Chief? What was going on here? Woundwort finally found his voice again, "What are you doing?"
"What I should have done long ago, sir," replied Campion coldly, jumping in a protective stance between Jamie and his advancing comrades, "Your tyranny has gone far enough!" Vervain, also coming to his senses, went hysterical.
"You see, Sire?" he shrieked, "I told you he was a traitor all along, just like his wretched father was! It was he who helped the outsiders infiltrate Efrafa! And now he's helping this bunch! I knew it from the start…!" But Woundwort roared at him to shut up, before turning to Campion, unwilling to have to declare his best Captain of Owsla a traitor to Efrafa.
"Campion, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you are out of your league! You've served me loyally for hrair seasons, so I am giving you a chance: put aside this madness and I'll forget what just happened. You have my word that they'll be no punishment. Now stand aside!" But Campion's mind was made up.
"I have indeed served you loyally long enough sir, when I should have started a rebellion against you the day you made me Captain of Owsla," he said, his eyes narrowing in hate; although he had often suspected there had been something more behind his father's death, it had never crossed his mind that he had died a traitor. But Vervain's big mouth always spoke the truth; it had been Woundwort who had done his father in on that mission to Sandleford, all those seasons ago, and then lied to him about it, fuelling his distrust of outsiders, and turning him into another of his loyal puppets. But not anymore. Sure enough, as if reading his mind, Woundwort spoke again.
"Yes Campion, your father, just like you, let his sentiments get the better of him and betrayed me to the enemy, for which he was punished appropriately. Efrafa would have expended beyond the Dark Territory long ago if it hadn't been for his weakness! And you will be sharing his bitter fate if you don't stand aside now!" The time for talk was over.
"Run lad!" Campion shouted to Jamie, who, realising he couldn't help Campion, turned and bolted towards the door, only to find himself set upon by several of the guards, who had circled around while they had been talking, catching them by surprise. Woundwort smiled nastily.
"You see Campion? Resistance is foolish and futile. Final chance: kill the boy and you'll be pardoned. Refuse, and you die with him!"
"Over my dead body!" snarled Campion indifferently. He knew his Chief well; once someone got into his bad books, there was no turning back. He had just thrown away his life as a respected Efrafan Captain forever. But it felt good; after hearing the truth about his father, he knew he had made the right decision. But would he live long enough to fulfil it? He was a great warrior all right, but there were too many of them, and Woundwort alone was no simple opponent to say the least… But then, suddenly, help came in another unexpected form…
"Let him go, you scoundrels!"
They all turned in surprise and saw Celandine, who, seeing her friend about to be killed, had broken free of Kenny and Speedwell's grasp, her diminished strength suddenly renewed by anger, and now stood facing the savage Efrafans, which, surprisingly enough, seemed to cower at the sight of her. In an instant, Jamie realised why. With the Myxomatosis now in full force, the dreaded symptoms clearly visible, she was using the disease to scare off the assailants, just like Nose-in-the-Air had done back at Cowslip's warren.
"What's the matter?" she sneered reproachfully, "Afraid of getting a taste of your own poison Woundwort? You had no qualms is condemning the rabbits of Thinial to misery and death. Now it's your turn!" She seemed ready to pounce straight into the mob of Efrafans, which would require no effort whatsoever; it was common knowledge that even brief direct contact with an infected rabbit was all it took to pass on the White Blindness to another. Catching the hint, Woundwort drew back in alarm.
"White Blindness! Plague carrier!" he shouted, "Get back you fools! Get away from her now!" The entire Efrafan squad, including Campion, draw back, looking utterly terrified; their bulging muscles were no good against the White Blindness. They couldn't touch Jamie's party now; for all they knew, the entire group was infected and dangerous. Woundwort however, despite being fully aware of the danger, was not willing to let his prisoners escape now. And he didn't need to endanger himself or his Owsla to accomplish it.
"Robbins, shoot them! Kill them all!" he ordered. The man, still recovering from the blow, and feeling extremely vengeful, retrieved his revolver, preparing to fire. But Jamie was faster; grabbing Celandine, he darted back inside the room, slamming the door behind them, where Kenny wedged the crowbar in the latch, bolting it shut from the inside. They heard several shots being fired, hitting the door outside, but unable to penetrate the steel. The jammed latch rattled as Robbins struggled to force it open, but it held tight. Woundwort's hysterical blows and cursing followed, but even his strength wasn't enough to punch through. For the moment, they were safe.
"Come on guys, we have to get moving," Jamie said, giving Celandine a hug of gratitude for saving them with her quick thinking. For an instant, his mind also turned to Campion, who was now in the hands of his own comrades and bound to feel Woundwort's wrath for helping him. But there was nothing they could do for him now.
Hurrying over the vent, the boys helped Celandine climb up inside and then followed suit. With Jamie in the lead, flashlight in one hand and the HAB's diagram in the other, Hannah, Speedwell, Hickory, Marigold, Celandine, and Kenny behind him, the group made their way through the maze-like ventilation system. Crawling on their knees along the narrow duct, Kenny urging the semiconscious Celandine along, Jamie made for the infirmary, where they hoped to find the vaccine to save his friend – all of them for that matter – from the White Blindness.
Outside the sealed cell door, Robbins and Woundwort gave up trying to force it open. Through the small observation porthole, they had seen their prisoners escape into the ventilation system. For the second time, Woundwort had let a group of captured enemies wriggle right out of his grasp – and he was going to make sure the rabbit responsible paid dearly for this! He rounded on Campion.
"I looked up to you Campion; but it seems I was a fool to believe you'd expiate your father's sins. You disappoint me. Because of your actions, Efrafa's greatest enemies are now still at large…"
"The only enemy to Efrafa, General, is you!" Campion blurted out, refusing to let Woundwort's words bring him down. Woundwort was furious.
"Silence, traitor!" he growled dangerously, "For your despicable display, you shall soon feel the harshness of the sentence of a court-marshal, mark my words!" Campion however remained unconcerned; most likely Woundwort would have him made an example of, like with Blackavar, which was just fine with him, given that his sacrifice would only encourage revolution amongst his fellow Efrafans who adored him. Woundwort, however, had a different idea in mind.
"No Campion, you won't die…not yet. Not before you've watched your newfound friends we've rounded up interrogated and killed, one by one, with you forced to watch!" he muttered nastily, "You thought you could use your popularity to plot against me? Well, you and your outsider associates will soon learn how General Woundwort is unbeatable and unstoppable!" He turned to the guards.
"Campion is hereby stripped off his command, charged with high treason. Escort him back to Efrafa and lock him up with the rest of the outsiders. He is, henceforth, not to be addressed with any formal military salute and he's not to be permitted any privileges beyond that of a convicted prisoner. Captain Vervain is hereby promoted to Captain of Owsla, with Corporal Moss as his acting deputy…" Campion only scoffed.
"Consider this my highest honour, sir!" he sneered, mocking Woundwort's title, causing Woundwort's face to twist with rage.
"Get him out of my sight, before I kill him myself!"
With an ecstatic Vervain, who looked as if Frith's Eve had come early, leading the way, several guards dragged Campion out, the former finally free to vent all those seasons of hate and despise towards his nemesis.
"You see Campion? Thought you could keep your little secret forever? Well, think again! Now you're going to watch you new friends suffer and die alongside you! Haven't you heard, misery loves company? Hah, just like you deserve, you filthy, outsider-loving traitor…! But Campion paid him no heed, as he marched proudly along, satisfied that at least Jamie and his friends had escaped. Or so he thought…
Woundwort watched as his guards took Campion away, before turning to Robbins, "I want this place locked down at once! Nobody gets out or comes in until further notice! Then I want a thorough search for those miserable plague-carriers. I want them all dead! And Frith help you, if you let any of them escape…" But Robbins, who knew how to use his logic better, other than simply making threats, had a plan.
"Actually General, I think I know how to lure them out," he said, thinking hard, "What we need is some bait…"
Author's note: My sincere apologies for the lengthy delay, but I was experiencing writer's block. I will try and upload the next chapter sooner, but I can't promise anything. Currently, I have my military service coming up next month, at which point all my stories will be placed on temporary hiatus until next summer. Sorry! Meanwhile, I will try and submit at least one more chapter for each story before putting them on hiatus. ENJOY AND PLEASE REVIEW!