"But that's Snufkin!" Moomin burst out of his chair, unsure of what to do with himself at this new, horrid information. "It has to be! But…" He clutched his head as he tried to puzzle things together. "But he would never put a garden on fire! He only pull up signs!"
"Yeah, Moomin's right! Not even I would do something that!" said Little My. "Anyway though, knowing that my brother has broken out of prison before…"
But Moomin didn't feel any calmer. He turned to the inspector.
"But you said this prison was modern and super safe!"
"That's right…" confirmed the inspector.
"Wait a little now", Moominpappa finally got the chance to interfere. "If my memory is correct, you talked to this other inspector only yesterday?"
"That's right."
"And when did this fire occur?" asked Moominmamma cautiously.
"Uhm… Friday one month and two days since now. Something that unfortunately adds to my suspicion that it is indeed Snufkin they've caught. If it takes about two days to travel by foot from the town to here..."
"Then…!" Moomin cried out, but abruptly stopped to count for himself. "But then he would have been here on time had he been let to continue!"
"Yes, that was my thought as well", the inspector sighed tiredly. "He's usually here on the first day of spring, right?"
They all nodded and hummed in agreement.
"Then I take it he was caught right after the fire?" asked Moominpappa.
"More or less so. The following morning, if I understood the fellow right. They found him in the nearby forest, sleeping under a bush."
"And he's still in prison…" Little My concluded. She picked ferociously at her remaining waffle with her knife, like she imagined it was the officer who arrested Snufkin. "Because I suppose that inspector wouldn't have been so boastful about it had it been otherwise?"
"No, I suppose not."
Little My's knife made an excruciating squeak against the porcelain. The others covered their ears in agony.
"My!" Moomin glared at her. Why did she always had to be so unbearable?
"Yes, that was very unnecess-" Moominpappa started, but Little My cut him off:
"Maybe, but Snufkin's in prison. Isn't that quite unnecessarily too?"
"Of course it is, love", Moominmamma agreed and Moomin could tell that she was trying to keep her voice calm, but was really very worried herself. He was too. They all were.
"Inspector", Moominmamma said. "Do you think there is any way we can get him out?"
"We can do a break-in!" Little My suggested before the inspector had a chance to reply.
"Oh, come on, that's ridiculous!" cried Moomin. "If Snufkin haven't been able to break out yet, we could surely not break in."
"I could." Litte My crossed her tiny arms over her chest.
"And besides", Moomin went on, "we don't want to be hunted by the police for the rest of our lives."
Someone was hushing them. They turned around and were embarrassed to see Moominmamma pointing at a very thoughtful inspector. He was staring up at the ceiling, a paw tapping his snout in a steady rhythm.
"Um, hum…" he muttered to himself. "I'm actually not certain you could get him out. I mean, if he's already got his sentence…"
"And for how long is that!?" Moomin fighted the urge to grab the inspector by the shoulders and try to shake it out of him. "How long is he meant to be there?"
"I don't know. But damaging property like that, and the major's property of all people… and plus the assault… I fear you could get quite a punishment for that."
Moomintroll was sure he turned considerably paler. White as a sheet. He didn't want Snufkin in prison. It wasn't right and he was absolutely certain that Snufkin had done nothing to deserve it, whatever the claims were.
"But I suppose you could go there and try", the inspector added after a bit of thought. "You know, they might have the wrong conclusions."
"They must have!" Moomin shouted.
"There'll be a bit of traveling though. That town is about two days from here."
"Well then", Moominpappa cut in, matter-of-factly. "I shall go and look around for a cart to borrow. Will you come with us, inspector? You seem to know the way."
"You're going?" said the inspector.
"We're going?" cried the eager voice of Moomin.
"Of course we are", said Moominpappa. He turned to his wife:
"Will you prepare some food for this roadtrip?"
"On it, dear." She was already by the stove, pouring ingredients into a bowl to make pancakes. "Moomin and Little My, go and pack your things. But only what's most necessarily!"
Little My jumped down from the table.
"Alright! I'll bring card games!"
And then she was off and ran upstairs. The inspector offered to help Moominpappa with finding a cart and the two of them disappeared as well. Only Moomin lingered a little by the stove and watched absentmindedly as his mother whipped the ingredients together.
"You really think we can bring him back?" he asked quietly.
Moominmamma put a bit of butter in the frying pan.
"Yes, I do", she answered in her usual calm manner. "You know, I find it strange that they would put such a young person into prison like that. Something must have gone wrong, I'm sure."
"But uhm, mamma… me and Snorkmaiden were put into prison once. That midsummer, you remember?"
"Yes, I remember. That was very unfair of that park keeper! But even so, it wasn't a proper prison, my love. Not like the one the inspector just talked about just now. And Snufkin's punishment for pulling up those signs ended up very light. Very well, go and pack now, before Pappa and the inspector comes back."
She loaded another pancake on the plate, were the delicious stack slowly grew. Then she turned her head and gave her worried son a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. We'll get him back."
About an hour later, Moominpappa and the inspector were back. With them they brought a large four wheeler and two horses. All rushed out to inspect the cart, which soon showed to be perfect. There was a tent you could put up as shelter and all of them would surely fit in there to sleep, even though it might be a bit tight. The horses were on the alert and eager to go, which was also a good sign. Moominpappa told them that the inspector had in the end promised to go with them.
They began loading the cart with mattresses, blankets, pillows and food. All the while Moominmamma reminded them that they had to count with one more individual on the way back. She herself brought out the pancakes, jars of jam, sandwiches, coffee, the coffee pot, matches, fruits, soda, different kinds of cookies and a lot more tasteful goodies. Among all those baskets and boxes, there could also be seen a small, mysterious fabric bag, containing something soft.
"It's for Snufkin", Moominmamma said simply when somebody asked.
Moomin had made sure two bring a double of almost everything. Two pillows, two blankets and so on. Yet it felt sad. He didn't know if he dared to hope. What if they'd have to return without Snufkin? Then those extra, unused pillows and blankets would lay there staring miserably at him on their way back. As a way to both distract himself and out of his own good will, he offered to take the reins. Moominpappa let him do it somewhat reluctantly. Obviously he had wanted to take the reins himself.
They ended up with Moominmamma and Little My making themselves comfortable in the big cart while Moomin steered them off through the thick woods. Moominmamma picked up her knitting while Little My found a comfortable spot in the basket where Moominmamma kept her balls of yarn.
Moomin sat in the middle, between the inspector and Moominpappa and stared far ahead of them. The inspector pointed out directions for him, but oh, how he wished they could be faster.