Nokko fitted a shaft onto his bowstring. “Right, mate, an’ if’n just one snotty snout pokes outta there, we’ll show ’em the meanin’ of slaughter!”
The long ropes were in place, secured tightly to both trees. Bisky saw the debris of loose earth, pebbles and broken roots, showering out from two directions as the molecrews commenced their dig, Rooter and Soilclaw from one side, Grabul and Ruttur from the other. Friar Skurpul assisted Frubb and Burgy, dashing from one tunnel to the other, with pawsful of green willow boughs. These were quickly fashioned into rough frames, and forced into the sides of the diggings, shoring them against any sudden collapse.
Spingo was wakened from her semiconscious reverie by heavy snuffling, and a paw scraping her back. The Gonfelin maid squeaked in alarm as loose earth began cascading in on her. Then the reassuring rumble of a mole voice made itself known.
“Yurr, likkle miz, doan’t ee be a-frettin’, we’m soon have ee owt o’ yurr!”
The huge stone slab shifted above them, dropping lower as another mole enquired from the other side of Spingo, “Yurr, Grabul, have ee reached ee pore creetur yet?”
Grabul spat out sandy soil, gathering in the slack of the rope on his side. “Burr aye, she’m been a-sufferin’ down yurr. Oi’ll just get ee rope abowt ee, missy, doan’t ee be afeared, young un!”
Soilclaw burrowed through from the other side. In total darkness he fumbled about until he found Ruttur and Grabul. Soilclaw passed them the other rope. There was a rumble as the rock slab slipped even lower.
Realising there was no time left for further manoeuvre, Friar Skurpul dug furiously, pulling himself along by the rope from the left, hawking soil and bellowing, “Get ee owt! Save ee maid an’ you’m selves!” His last words were drowned out as the entire hole collapsed inward, soil, sand, stone, roots and the massive rock slab.
Pandemonium reigned in the vast, sulphur-clouded cave. Baliss was on the loose within. Crazed with agonising pain, the monster reptile charged around like a juggernaut, scattering heaps of bone and slime widespread, lashing the filth-encrusted walls with a whiplike tail. Insects and small reptiles were crushed beneath the thrashing coils as the adder went on in a quest to find cool water. All else was wiped from the snake’s senses, only water, to rest the hideously infected head in. Cold water to ease the torment of embedded hedgehog spines, suppurating pus from nosrils, mouth and blind eye sockets.
Regardless of the sanctity of Korvus Skurr’s inner retreat, frogs, toads, lizards, grass snakes, smoothsnakes and slow worms slithered into the rear cavern. Korvus Skurr, the great raven Doomwyte, was powerless to stop anything now. He cowered behind the broken stalagmite which had once been the perch he ruled from. From the other cavern he could hear Baliss charging about insanely.
Then an unearthly sound rent the air, something like a hissing screech. The snake had found water, but it was neither cool nor soothing. Baliss had dipped briefly into the boiling pool, recoiling swiftly, badly scalded. Storming off with lightning swiftness, the mighty adder came rushing into the rear cave.
Birds and reptiles stopped in their tracks at the sight of the disfigured snake. Then a strange occurrence took place. Baliss halted, the blind head reared, turning slowly back and forth. It was as if some sixth sense had taken over, letting the great reptile know relief was close by. Baliss came forward then, still weaving from side to side, but slithering inevitably toward the icy cold of the bottomless lake. Korvus Skurr watched, his beak pointing forward in anticipation, as he saw salvation from all his problems. The inevitable was about to happen. This was indeed the answer he sought.
Baliss found the water. At the first touch of its soothing, cold caress, the monstrous snake lowered its head deep. Korvus Skurr hurried out of range, as the coiled scales wrapped around the stalagmite he had been hiding behind.
Seeing food, Welzz moved at eye-blurring speed. The giant black catfish struck its prey, seizing the serpent’s head in a remorseless grip. Baliss went rigid, the snake’s tail anchoring itself tight about the rock as it heaved upward. There was an almighty splash, then a loud flop, as the fish was hauled clear of the surface, only to dive back down again.
Baliss repeated the process with ferocious strength. Yanking the fish clear of the lake again, the snake sought to release the hold Welzz had on its head, pulling back sharply as the fish tried to dive a second time.
An enormous slap echoed as Baliss slammed Welzz down hard upon the rocky cavern floor. The force of the impact caused Welzz to release its hold; the big fish flopped about, seeking to reach the safety of its watery lair. But Baliss was on it, like a hawk upon a dove. The eyes of Welzz popped wide, as reptilian coils closed around its body like a vise. The snake’s fangs sank deep into the smooth body.
Korvus Skurr saw his hopes dashed by the snake’s triumph. However, there was an alternate plan already forming in his fertile mind. He went, half-running, half-flying toward the big cavern, calling to the carrion, “Haaayaaaakkah! The tunnel is free to the outside!”
They followed him in a rush to leave the caves. Out from the gloom of the rear chamber, into the polluted atmosphere of the main cavern they went. Every inhabitant of that underworld who valued their lives rushed out to fresh air and away from Baliss. They were halfway through the sulphurous smoke when the roof caved in.
36
On the hillside, the earth suddenly collapsed into a deep depression. Bisky found himself unwittingly sliding in with it. He yelled, “Aaaah…. Heeeelp!”
Bosie was there like a flash. Throwing himself flat he grabbed the young mouse’s paws, yanking him back to safety. But the earth was still moving, the bowl-shaped implosion growing wider and deeper. Everybeast had left the lookout posts, hurrying to see the cause of Bisky’s alarm. Bosie pulled further back, calling out orders.
“Back now, all of ye, stay clear!”
Nokko strained to get past Bosie. “Wot’s goin’ on, mates? Me daughter, the molecrew, where in the name o’ blazes ’ave they gone?”
Another warning tremor shook the hillside as the Highland hare pushed the Gonfelin Chief back. “Och, Ah dinnae know where they are, stay clear unless ye want tae follow them. Wait, Ah’ve got an idea!”
Grabbing one of the molecrew’s spare ropes, Bosie lashed it around his middle. He tossed an end to Nokko. “Take the strain, mah bonny beasts, Ah’m goin’ tae take a look. Hang on tight tae the rope now!”
Paw over paw, the gallant hare lowered himself into the depression. The debris of sandy soil, pebbles and torn roots slid along with him. Then, with alarming speed, he disappeared into the shifting mass.
Nokko roared to the band of helpers, who were holding the rope, “Pull ’im outta there mates, cummon! Heave away!”
Backs bent almost double, the rescuers strained, shuffling backward. Bosie came out suddenly, like a cork from a bottle, leaving a hole, through which shot a small column of sulphured steam. The hare hopped, jumped and skipped his way back to firm ground. He expelled a mouthful of soil.
“Phwooff! Gi’ me mah sword!” Seizing the fabled blade, he sliced the rope from himself in a single slash, shouting hurriedly, “Och, there’s nae time tae gossip, a charge is the only thing for it. We’ve got tae get inside those caves below. Arm yersel’s an’ follow me. Quick as ye like, buckoes, there’s no a moment tae be lost!”
They thundered down the hillside en masse, with Nokko and Bisky tearing alongside Bosie. As they went, Bisky was yelling, “What is it, what did ye see down there?”
Bosie rushed on, grim-jawed as he muttered, “Ye’ll see for yerself soon enough, mah friend!”
It was a breakneck charge. Stumbling, dodging, they reached the bottom of the big wooded hill. Some leapt onto the streambank, others went straight into the water, but they recovered quickly, charging into the entrance tunnel.
Bosie, leading the way, was whirling his blade like a drum major, roaring out his warcry. “Eulaliaaa Bowlaynee! Eulaliaaaaaa!”
Bisky swung a loaded sling, Dubble waved
his rapier and Nokko held the shaft on his bowstring at the ready. Behind them, the beasts of Gonfelin and Guosim came, everyone armed to the teeth, blood racing, pulses pounding.
They poured out into the big cavern, straight into a mass of carrion birds and reptiles coming the opposite way. As both sides clashed, Bosie pointed through the green fog, calling to Dubble, Bisky and Nokko, “Over yonder, d’ye see? We’ve got tae help them!”
Bisky felt his stomach churn as he viewed the sight which had driven the hare on with such urgency.
Two ropes dangled from the cavern roof, which was so high that the length of the ropes only reached halfway to the floor. Hanging from the ropes were Soilclaw, Burgy and Frubb, holding on to the limp form of Spingo. On the floor, atop a soil heap, lay the still forms of Rooter, Grabul, Ruttur and Friar Skurpul. Unable to hold on to the ropes, they had fallen through the hole in the cave ceiling.
Nokko cast a quick glance upward, his face tight with fear. “Lookit, that big stone’s stuck up there, but it’s gonna come down any moment now!”
Sure enough, the huge, flat sandstone slab was lying on its side, held in the hole by the rubble, either side of it. But the loose earth was raining down, still widening the hole.
Nokko clapped a paw to his brow. “They’re stuck up there, wot are we gonna do?”
Dubble shook his head despairingly. “Nothin’ much we can do, mates, they’re too high up t’be reached, an’ that big stone’s about to drop. Fur’n’blood, wot a terrible mess.”
Behind them, a war to the death was raging, as birds and reptiles tried to break out through the ranks of Guosim and Gonfelins. Bisky faced the problem in front of them, blotting out the sounds of combat from his mind. He concentrated on saving those hanging upon the high ropes.
Suddenly he was acting. Even as the plan formed in his mind, he ran to the hill of rubble, which had fallen from the hole above. “Help me, mates, move these poor moles off this pile of earth, quickly now!”
All four moles were obviously dead. Bosie lifted Friar Skurpul gently, placing him to one side. “Och, the guid old beast, ’tis a cryin’ shame!”
Even though there was a huge lump in Bisky’s throat, he managed to speak firmly. “Time to cry later, Bosie, leave him now and start shoring this pile up. Move!”
Under Bisky’s direction, they pushed the pile into one mass, gathering loose material from around it. Flattening the top off slightly, the young mouse looked upward, gauging the distance.
Dubble looked up aghast. “Yore not thinkin’ of tellin’ ’em to drop down onto that, are ye?”
Bisky found himself roaring at the hapless shrew. “Well, what do you think we should do? Leave them hangin’ up there until that big slab falls down on their heads?” He immediately felt sorry that he had spoken like that to his Guosim friend, and apologised. “I’m sorry, mate, but we’ve got to do something quickly, there’s not much time.”
Bosie was keeping one eye on the battle over by the tunnel. “Och, but what d’ye intend doin’?”
Bisky explained, “We’ll pile this hill of soil a bit higher and flatten off the top. They might stand a chance if they drop onto to it one at a time.”
Nokko, who had remained silent so far, peered up at the creatures hanging from the rope. “But four of ’em are already dead from fallin’ that high. Wot chance ’as me daughter an’ those three brave moles got?”
Bisky replied, having worked it all out in his mind, “The four who died fell right from the ceiling, but our friends up there are already halfway down, they don’t have so far to fall. The soil heap should soften the impact, as long as they come down singly.”
Nokko began levelling off the top of the heap. There was a grating noise from high up; the big stone slab was slipping as more soil leaked away from its sides.
Cupping his paws around his mouth, Bisky yelled, “Burgy, Frubb, drop Spingo down to us!”
The two moles were glad to lose their burden. They released the Gonfelin maid. Bisky and Nokko threw themselves flat on the sides of the heap. Spingo plummeted through space, still senseless as her limp body thudded onto the soil, sending up a cloud of dust. Bisky and Nokko carried her aside.
Bosie nodded his approval. “Ah think the wee lassie took no hurt, ’tis a guid plan. Hi there, Frubb, wait’ll Ah smooth this heap again, yore next!”
Moments later, the mole came hurtling through the air, his eyes tight shut as he thumped onto the makeshift cushion. “Hurr, Oi did et, zurrs, Oi did et!”
Burgy came next—he, too, made a safe landing.
Bisky shouted up to Soilclaw, the last of the molecrew, “Come on, mate, let go of that rope!”
Soilclaw clung on tighter—he was far too scared to release his hold. “Ho, woe am Oi, zurrs, Oi’m gurtly afeared o’ heights. Oi’d loike to letten go of ee rope, but Oi can’t, ’tis a turrible long ways daown to ee floor!”
Dubble realised that the only way Soilclaw would release his hold would be through shock. So the young Guosim screeched up as loud as he could, “The big rock’s fallin’ on ye, mate, leggo o’ the rope!”
With a panicked bellow, Soilclaw let go. “Whooouuuurrr!” Shooting through space like a furry cannonball, he landed bottom-first on the heap. He stood up, dusting himself off as if nothing had happened. “Thurr naow, that diddent hurt Oi!”
Nokko lifted his unconscious daughter, draping her across his shoulders. “Got t’get my liddle darlin’ out inter the fresh air an’ wet ’er face with cold streamwater.”
Bosie took over. “Right, we’ll make a path for ye. Bisky, Dubble, get either side o’ him, we’ll fight our way through tae the tunnel. Eulaliaaa Bowlayneeee!”
Turning, they charged straight into the fray.
Reptiles, birds, Guosim and Gonfelins were locked, tooth to claw and beak to paw, in the tunnel mouth, driving one another back and forth in a wild melee. A sharp-billed chough fluttered down, about to stab its beak into Spingo. Bisky lashed out, breaking its skull with his stone-loaded sling. The Laird Bosie McScutta of Bowlaynee forged gallantly ahead, the light of battle in his eyes as he swung the blade of Martin the Warrior like a scythe, mowing a slaughtered lane through the foebeast. Dubble thrust left and right with his rapier, his battlecry mingling with those of his comrades.
“Logalogalogaloooog! Gonfeliiiin! Redwaaaaallll! Give ’em blood’n’vinegar! No quarter, no surrender!”
Bisky fought on in a crimson haze, biting, kicking, swinging his rock-loaded sling. The only thought uppermost in his mind—to get Spingo out, into clean air and safety.
Now they were into the tunnel. Slow worms, grass snakes and smoothsnakes hissed and snapped viciously in their struggle to escape the caves, only to be met by Zaran, the black otter.
She stood where none could pass, her double-bladed sword dealing out death and destruction to the creatures of Korvus Skurr. Any servant of the Doomwyte who ventured in range of her avenging blades was sent screaming to Hellgates with savage fury.
Bisky managed to shout to her above the hubbub, “We’ve got Spingo, she must get out of here, Zaran!”
The otter slashed her way through to Bosie’s side. “Come, friend, get the young one out, then we come back and finish this thing forever!”
The Highland hare laughed recklessly. “Och, yer a lassie after mah own heart. Aye, let’s do that, mah braw bonny!”
Dawn rushed in with a warm breeze, and a sky as blue as speedwell blossoms. The little party broke out of the fetid cavern fumes into a bright summer’s day. Nokko tripped and fell into the stream, dousing both himself and his daughter. Bisky and Dubble waded in to help them out. Spingo, wakened by the sudden shock of cold streamwater, yelled out.
“Whaaaa…. Phlooooey…. I’m bein’ drownded, ’elp!”
Bisky grabbed her paw, pulling her up onto the bank. He was shaking all over, and grinning foolishly.
Nokko spat out a jet of water, scowling. “Worra yew laughin’ at, cheeky gob?”
The young Redwaller held a paw to h
elp him out. “It’s a good day t’be alive, isn’t it mate?”
Nokko suddenly realised that Spingo was standing smiling at Bisky, awake and well. He accepted Bisky’s paw and waded to the bank. “Ha ha, ye can say that agin, bucko! Aye aye, where are ye off to, we’ve just got out!”
Bisky and Dubble joined Zaran and Bosie. Now that his warrior blood was roused, the Laird of Bowlaynee was trembling for action. “Stay here an’ care for yore bonny daughter, mah friend, we’ve got a battle tae attend to!”
The Gonfelin Pikehead sat Spingo carefully down on the bankside. “Are ye alright, me darlin’?”
She smiled prettily. “I’m fine, thank ye, Da!”
He pulled a thick driftwood billet from the stream and gave it to her. “There now, that’s me beauty. You rest ’ere an’ break the ’eads of any foebeasts ye sees comin’ out o’ there.” He cocked an ear to the tunnel entrance, scowling. “There goes that Gobbo agin, can’t keep his big trap shut fer a moment. Right, let’s go t’war, mates!”
Yelling blood and thunder, the five warriors charged back into the tunnel. Spingo picked a pink purslane flower, sniffing it daintily as she wielded her club and sat guard over the tunnel entrance.
Korvus Skurr was the Leader of Doomwytes, he had ruled his underworld domain with a stern claw. It had seen many seasons of his tyranny, but now he could see it was all finished. The big raven Doomwyte was many things, but he could never be called a fool. His cunning mind was ever at work, thinking up fresh ideas, devising new plans. The one uppermost in his self-centred mind now was survival—to escape Baliss, and get clear of the caves. His fear of the giant adder knew no bounds, he had seen what it could do. Any creature who could slay the Welzz, that dark monster which haunted the bottomless lake, was worthy of the fear of even the Doomwyte. A bird of his size and ferocity could establish himself anywhere outside, even beyond the bounds of Mossflower. When he saw the invading forces of woodlanders charging into his caverns, he knew a swift change of plans was called for.
Doomwyte (Redwall) Page 32