"03 - Mattimeo UC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jacques Brian)

There was a murmured growl of assent.

Slagar climbed up into a ruined window frame. He sat gazing in the direction of Redwall Abbey.

"Scringe, bring me some decent food and a flask of wine from the cart," he commanded.

The servile ferret ran to obey his master.

"Threeclaws, station yourself outside at twilight. Keep an eye peeled for Vitch coming back."

The weasel saluted. "Righto, Chief."

The afternoon wore on, peaceful and golden. Now and then a small dust devil swirled on the path with the

summer heat.

Slagar ran a paw tenderly over the silk harlequin-patterned hood, smiling beneath it as a plan of revenge against Redwall revolved slowly in his twisted mind.

Vengeance had kept him going for a long time now. Sometimes he actually savoured the burning lances of pain that coursed through his face, knowing the day was approaching when he would pay back those he considered responsible for his injuries.

A beetle trundled out of the pitted, rotten woodwork of the window frame. Slagar the Cruel pierced it neatly with a single claw, watching the insect writhe in its death throes. "Redwall, heeheeheehee!" The fox's laughter sent shudders through every creature present.

18

"Mattimeo, Mattimeo!"

Cornflower wrung her paws distractedly. She took one last look around Cavern Hole before climbing the stairs to Great Hall. It was quiet and cool in the Abbey's largest room. Shafts of sunlight, multi-coloured from the stained-glass windows, lanced downwards, etching small pools of rainbow-hued light on the ancient stone

floor.

The mouse wandered outside, murmuring beneath her breath as she bustled along, "Where has the tittle snip gone this time, I wonder? Oh, Matti, you'll have me grey before my time."

John Churchmouse was climbing rather stiffly down from the west wall stairs with his book and quill. He almost bumped into Cornflower as she crossed the

grounds.

"Afternoon, ma'am. My, my, you look busy." Cornflower sat upon the bottom step and heaved a huge sigh. She fanned her whiskers with her paw. "Busy isn't the word for it, Mr. Churchmouse. I've spent the last hour looking for that son of mine. You haven't seen him, by any chance?"

The kindly recorder patted Cornflower's paw. "There, Acre, don't you worry your head, ma'am. If your tittle

Matti is anywhere, he'll be with my Tim and less. Young rips, they were supposed to be helping Brother Rufus to write out place names for the table. Ha, there he is now. Hi, Rufus, seen anything of Tim, Tess or young Matti

lately?"

Brother Rufus strode across, shaking his head. He waggled a scroll of birchbark parchment at them both.

"Ruined!" he exclaimed. "Just look at this list they're supposed to have written. I can't possibly use any of this forplace settings. Look, Abbot Mordalfus, speltwithone *b,' Basil Stag Hare, you'd think that was simple enough. Oh no, they've spelt Basil 'BazzerT and put an V on the

end of Stag!"