Rakkety Tam [Redwall 17] by Brian Jacques

Author:Brian Jacques [Jacques, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy, General, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Epic, Action & Adventure, Animals, Squirrels, Wolverines
ISBN: 9780441013180
Google: BTkM4D9OoLAC
Amazon: 044101318X
Publisher: Ace
Published: 2004-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

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Brian Jacques

The young shrew winked at Doogy. “They always fall for the seesawin’ log trick. Step on one end, an’ the other end swings up an’ belts ’em. Step over that tripcord—ye see it, that thing wot looks like a thick weed? Yore a goner if ye put a footpaw on that!”

The Highlander did not trouble the shrew for an explanation of the tripcord’s workings but made sure to avoid it studiously.

They mounted a disguised jetty as the reeds thinned out, where a long narrow Guosim logboat was waiting.

Ferdimond gazed around at the water meadows. “I say, this is a jolly nice place. Goin’ for a paddle, are we?” They sat in the logboat as Guosim shrews plied their oars expertly through the mighty maze of small islands, reedbeds and weeping willows. Doogy had never seen anything so magical or pretty. Huge water lilies and spikes of milfoil carpeted the surface; dragonflies with iridescent wings and pastel-hued butterflies were everywhere. Ferdimond trailed his paw in the water until a shrew cautioned him, “Pike swim round here, mate!” The logboat nosed gently beneath a bower of overhanging willows, which hemmed three low islands at the centre of the water meadows. The Guosim oarsmen tied up the logboat at a massive deck of floating logs spanning the inner pool. From beneath leafy awnings, their friends emerged to greet them.

Tam waved to Doogy. “Well, look what the breeze blew in! Did ye smell the food cookin’, Doogy Plumm?” Scrambling from the logboat, Doogy returned the wry greeting. “Aye, ah did, so ah hurried here afore some Border beastie ate it all up. How are ye, mate?” Tam spread his paws expressively. “Oh, still livin’ the hard old life an’ knockin’ myself about. And you?” Doogy shrugged. “Didn’t even get the chance tae draw mah blade. Lost four vermin in a swamp, though. Hi there, mate!”

Butty Wopscutt was bouncing a shrewbabe on his lap.

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Guosim cooks served everybeast a fine meal. There was a delicious watercress soup, followed by watershrimp dumplings and watermeadow salad, with apple and rhubarb crumble for dessert—all this topped off with hazelnuts, Guosim cheese and shrewbeer, which was dark, foamy and slightly sweet-tasting.

Ferdimond sat back with a satisfied sigh. “First-rate tuck, wot! A chap couldn’t grumble at scoff of that bloomin’ quality, eh Yoofus?”

Picking his teeth with a bulrush spike, the volethief nodded. “Sure ’twas a grand ould spread. Me stummick re-joiced at it!”

Ferdimond made his report to Tam and Skipper, telling them of how Yoofus led the vermin into the swamp.

Then the otter chieftain related the progress made by the main force. “When they were chasin’ us, I thought of these water meadows. We were in the area, so I led ’em on, knowin’ how much me ole mate Togey loves vermin.” The Guosim chieftain banged his tankard down. “As long as I’m Log a Log, there’ll be no vermin scum comin’

into my territory to loot an’ murder.

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