Dawn's half light was barely peeping over the Abbey windowsills when Toran pounded on the Abbot's bedroom door. Pulling the coverlet over his head, Carol complained in a sleep muffled moan, "Go 'way, 'taint light yet, I've only just closed my eyes!"

But the otter persisted, thumping the door and shouting, "Father Abbot, there's vermin in the Abbey grounds, searats! Oh, please come quick!"

The Abbot jumped out of bed and threw on a dressing gown. He dashed out into the hallway.

Toran led him over to a window. The two of them watched the vermin sneaking around the lawn, trying to find a way inside. "How many of them are there?" Abbot Carol asked.

Toran replied, "Hard to count, but there's certainly more than two score of them. And I recognized some of the vermin from the other day among them, like that little fox Badredd. So, what do we do now?"

"We've got to keep 'em from getting into the main building at all costs."

Toran clenched his paws tightly. "The way I see it, 'tis those vermin who are keeping us in. Strange, ain't it, bein' kept prisoner inside your own home."

Raga Bol came sauntering up to the window. He saw the Abbot and Toran and waved up at them. "A good day to ye, messmates. Me name's Raga Bol. I'm 'ere to parley wid yore cap'n. 'Twould be a kindness if'n 'e'd speak t'me."

"There are no captains here," said the Abbot. "This isn't a ship. But I'm the one who's in charge here. What exactly do you want, sir?"

Raga Bol put his head to one side, almost managing to look coy. "Ho, a bit o' this an' a bit o' that. Nothin' fer you to bother yore dear old gray 'ead about, Father Abbot. I'm nought but a simple beast who likes pretty trinkets. I hear you've got a magic sword here."

"If you're talking about the sword of Martin the Warrior, it's not here right now," said Toran. "And even if it was, we wouldn't give it to scum like you."

"Is that the way ye talk to creatures wot comes in peace?" Bol wheedled. "A harr, ye wretches, I'll show ye the searat way o' fightin'. I'll burn ye out!"

Toran shouted back contemptuously, "Go on, then, let's see ye take Redwall from us!"

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The Abbot called an emergency meeting down in Great Hall and explained the situation to everybeast.

"I wish Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were still here," said Martha. "It's all my fault they're gone. They left to help me."

Toran patted her paw. "Don't blame yourself, young un. I know we ain't got many at Redwall of fightin' age, but we'll do at a pinch. We'll fight an' defend the Abbey, stave off any attacks. Even if that means we'll have t'fight all summer long."

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Out in the woods, Joshy Stag Hare was sitting around a fire he had built when the crocodile came rolling up to him. "Hello, little bunny," he said.

Joshy glanced up at the croc, expecting no mercy from him. "If you're gonna finish me off, make it quick, wot!"

The crocodile waved a dismissive paw. "Me no kill defenseless beasts. Me no searat. Me can tell you ain't no searat either. Me goin' after a searat who ran away from me. Had a taste of him already." He licked his chops.

Joshy calmed down. "My name's Joshy Stag Hare, pleased t'meet ya. I know the searat you're talkin' about. I've got a score of my own to settle with him. I'll go with ya. We'll find 'im afore tomorrow."

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Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, and the rest had left Cosbro's dwelling. They set off at a southerly tangent through the woodlands until they emerged onto an open plain. Up ahead, they could see a high cliff.

"I recognize this place," Scootaloo said. "That's the cliff Slagar made us climb."

Horty blinked. "I say you fellows, have we got to climb all the way up there? Looks like hard going, wot."

Rainbow winked at him. "Oh, it's not as hard as it looks."

When they got up close to the cliff, Horty saw there were steps carved into the rock. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, so we just have to climb up the stairs."

"Last time I came up this way, I was with Discord, the god of chaos," Rainbow Dash said. "He was the one who put those stairs there. He just snapped his fingers and they magically appeared." (See FATHERS AND SONS.) They all climbed up the stairs.

On top of the cliff, shimmering flatlands, devoid of vegetation or shade, rolled out before them. Small swirls of dust eddied in spirals on the hot breeze. Rainbow Dash squinted her eyes against the distance. "Miss Fenna, I'm putting you in charge o' the drinks, we'll have t'be stingy with liquid. It might be some time before we run across water."

Immediately after she mentioned drinks, Horty began feeling thirsty. "I say, Fenna old gel, pass me that canteen, there's a good little tree bounder. I'm parched!"

Fenna marched right on past him. "We'll drink at midday and not before, so forget about it and keep going."

"Oh, really, Fenna!"

Scootaloo grinned pitilessly at Horty. "What's the matter, are you thirsty already?"

The incorrigible hare clapped a paw to his throat dramatically. "Me flippin' mouth is like a sandpit, an' the old tongue feels like a bally feather mattress. A drink, for pity's sake, marm!"

Rainbow pointed a hoof at him. "You drink when Fenna tells you. If your mouth's dry, get a pebble an' suck it. That'll keep the thirst off as y'march."

Horty picked up a pebble, looked at it in disgust, then put it back. "Permission to sing, marm!"

"Sing yourself blue in the face for all I care, but forget about drinkin'."

Horty launched into a vainglorious ditty.

"I'm Horty of Redwall, you know, a mighty hare and famous;

The Abbot, gee! Compared with me, he's quite an ignoramus!

My spelling is a work of art. All languages I'm pat in.

You'd simply shriek to see my Greek, and hear my modern Latin!

If Nelson and Napoleon, and all the heroes splendid

Could be restored to life again and into one beast blended,

With just a dash of Cromwell, and of Rick from Rick and Morty,

The result would be, why simply me, the one and only Horty!"

"He sure thinks a lot of himself, doesn't he?" Scootaloo whispered to Springald.

Springald nodded. "He says he's a Rick, but I think he's more of a Jerry."