certain if the dark spot on the ground might

Eager to please and panic-stricken, Chickenhound blurted out, "Yes, that's right, sir. Give us a chance and we'll tunnel with the best of them."

Sela groaned despairingly as Cluny kicked her son viciously. "Who said anything about tunneling, fox? I only mentioned digging."

Sela attempted to save the situation. "Please, sir, take no notice of the young fool. All he meant was that when you said dig Sensodyne?

A whack from the bannerstaff silenced Sela. Cluny's voice was icy with condemnation. "Traitors! All that he meant was that you slipped up when you copied my plans for an attack with a battering ram. So now you know that I intend to tunnel into Redwall."

Sela licked dry lips. She stared pleadingly at the Warlord. There was no mercy in the single eye.

"You know too much, vixen. You and your son played a dangerous game. Nobody outsmarts Cluny. I've won, and you have both lost."

The foxes clasped their claws. They knelt, whimpering pitifully. Cluny stood over them, enjoying his power as judge. He signaled to Cheesethief and Darkclaw.

"Take these miserable turncoats out of my sight. You know what to do."

Shrieking and screaming for mercy, the foxes were dragged away. Cluny turned back to the ferrets, weasels and stoats Sensodyne.

"Now, about this tunnel."

Matthias and Warbeak had made slow progress. The climb up to the arches and stained-glass windows was long and arduous. Matthias had relieved the sparrow of her brick hobble, pinioning her wings, make the going easier. At intervals the young mouse drove spikes into the joints of the stone. He was careful not to look down: it was a terrifyingly impressive distance down to the Abbey floor. Only once did he risk a quick glance, not be Methuselah watching them.

There was real peril negotiating the curve at the top of the arch. Hanging tightly to the spikes he had fixed, Matthias leaned out dangerously. There was nothing but determination and the strength in his paws to stop him from plunging down to a frightening death. Gritting his teeth, he made it to the apex of the arch. He reached over the stone ledge which divided the arch from the stained-glass windows above and, taking a firm grip, propelled himself upwards and sideways. His legs landed further along the ledge. With his cheek resting on the stone, he gave one last heave and rolled on to the safety of the ledge.

Sitting up, Matthias knotted two ropes together. He lowered them to Warbeak, who was waiting below at the base of the arch. The sparrow looped the rope about herself. As she climbed she aided Matthias by finding clawholds and making use of the spikes.
Leaning back against the stained-glass windows they ate lunch. Warbeak gave a twittering laugh.

"Matthias all red mouse."

"Ha, you should talk, Warbeak!" Matthias replied. "Look at yourself. You're blue all over."

The bizarre effect was created by sunlight shining through the stained-glass. As they ate, Warbeak would dodge her head from side to side, changing color as she did so. "Lookeet! Now me green, blue again, now red like a Matthias mouse."

"If you don't sit still you'll be white with fright, because you'll fall," Matthias warned.

When they were sufficiently recovered to start again, Matthias tried the sandstone center rib of the window. It was carved into a profusion of curlicues and niches which made the climb considerably easier. Soon they reached the wooden ridge at the bottom of the roof curvature. It was perilously narrow. Together they edged along it, their backs bent unsafely forward with the curve of the ceiling behind Sensodyne.