"Brian Jacques - Redwall 08 - The Outcast Of Redwall" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jacques Brian)

It was a warm old autumn afternoon of russet and gold, a time for legends and
stories of seasons long gone. Blue haze on the far horizon blended sea and sky
into one. On the pale sands of a silent shore, ebbing waves had carelessly
strewn a broken necklace of shells and pebbles along the tideline. Standing
tall and mysterious was the mountain, like some huge beast guarding the coast.
Salamandastron! Stronghold of Badger Lords and fighting hares. Once, when the
earth was young, it had spouted fire and molten rock. But the winds of time
had long since banished smoke from the monolith, cooling its stones. Now
Salamandastron was home and fortress combined, run through and honeycombed
with halls, caverns, corridors, chambers, tunnels, and secret places.

Midway up the west face on a broad rocky ledge tufted with shrubs and
wildflowers, a picnic lunch was set, close to the mouth of a tunnel entrance.
Half a score of leverets, young hares, attended by a fully grown harewife, sat
watching an

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ancient otter. Stooped and grayed by many seasons, he stood leaning on an ash
pole, shaking his grizzled head in disapproval, as old creatures often will
when faced with the young. When he spoke, his voice was surprisingly strong
for an old-beast.

"Hmph! Wish I was at die Abbey, those young 'uns at Redwall have proper
manners. Instead o' layin' about gawpin', first thing they'd do would be help
a body sit down!"

Stifling a smile, the harewife watched die leverets scurrying around the aged
otter, doing their best to show respect and concern as they assisted him.

"A seat, y'say, nothing simpler, old chap, er, I mean, sir." "Pop y'self down
here, sir, grass is nice an' soft, wot!" "Whoops a daisy! Easy does it, oF
sir!" "Lean y'back on this rock, that's the ticket!" "Righto, ancient one,
comfy enough now?" The venerable beast nodded slowly. "Well enough, thank ye.
Now, are you all goin' t'stand mere watchin' a pore creature starve?"

There followed a further scuffle as the young hares set food and drink before
their guest.

"Enough tuck to kill a duck here, sir!" "Summer Salad an' a beaker of Old
Mountain Ale." "How about fresh-baked carrot'n'leek flan?" "Some scones with
gooseberry jelly, very good y'know!" "Rather! Give the old chap a hot pastie!"
When the old otter was served, the harewife beckoned the young ones back to
their seats. "Good show, chaps, but mind y'manners or Mr. Rillbrook won't tell
you a story."

Beneath fuzzy brows, Rillbrook's old eyes glinted mischievously. He broke open
a steaming pastie and said, grumpily, "Story? Just stopped here t'rest awhile,