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friends went about fishing, the warrior posted himself on guard to watch for their pursuers.
Dinny sat on the edge of the bank, immersing his paws in the shallows with exclamations of delight.
 Oo arr, oo bliss  n joys. Hurr, this be the loif, Gonffen!
The mousethief had cast a line baited with a tiny red mudworm. In seconds it was snatched by a
voracious stickleback.  Ha, look, matey, he called.  I ve got a bite! Come to Gonff, old greedyguts.
Martin crept up behind them. He placed a paw gently on each of his friends shoulders as he whispered
to them,  Ssshhh. Listen to me. We are in great danger. Don t make a sound, if you value our lives!
Chapter 23
Skipper sat inside the curve of a big hollow log. He faced a slim gray otter, trying hard not to look where
the strange creature s tail had once been.
 So then, Mask, how are you keeping, my brother? he asked.
The Mask nibbled at some otter delicacies that his brother had thoughtfully brought along.
 Oh, I get by, Skip. Sometimes I m a squirrel, sometimes a fox. Ha, I was even a half-grown badger for a
while.
Skipper shook his head in amazement, gazing around the hollow log where the master of disguises
lived alone. Many curious objects were carefully stowed there: make-believe tails, false ears, a selection of
various whiskers.
The Mask watched Skipper with his odd pale eyes. Seizing a few things, he turned his back and made
some swift secret adjustments. When he turned around, Skipper s mouth fell open in disbelief.
 Look, Skip. I m a squirrel again!
The otter chieftain marveled; this creature in front of him was surely an aged squirrel thin, graying
but undeniably a squirrel, from its bushy tail and erect ears, right to the two large front upper teeth.
 Strike me tops ls, Mask. How d you do it?
 Oh, it s no great thing, the Mask chuckled quietly.  Actually, I d look more like a treeflyer if I took a
little more time and care with this disguise. This is only a quick change to amuse you.
Skipper whacked his tail against the side of the log.  Well, you could fool me anytime, shipmate.
Mask tossed aside the false tail and ears. Spitting out the two false front teeth, he readjusted his body.
He was an otter again.
 Maybe I fooled you, maybe I didn t. But you re not fooling me, Skipper of Camp Willow. What do you
want me to do?
Skipper sat back, folding his paws across his chest.  I have a proposition to make to you, brother Mask.
Sit still and hear me out.
Tsarmina glared through the cell aperture at Gingivere. The imprisoned wildcat sat in the darkest part of
the cell. His fur was tousled, damp from the walls dewed his paws, his head dropped despairingly. Now
and then his eyes would flicker rapidly. The wildcat Queen brought her face close to the bars.
 If you know what s good for you, you ll tell me all about how those two hedgehogs made their escape.
Speak up. You must have heard or seen something they were in the cells either side of you.
Gingivere leaped up, his voice a cracked singsong shout.  Hahaha! You let them escape so you can
have their bread and water. I knew you wouldn t give me any. You re keeping it all for yourself. Oh, I saw
you, sneaking along the passage. You let them go so that you could have all that bread and water for
yourself. Heeheehee.
Tsarmina turned to Cludd.  Listen to that. He s completely crazy.
She swept off down the passage. Cludd stayed a moment, looking through the bars. He had never seen
a completely crazy wildcat before, although he had seen his mistress dangerously close to that condition
once or twice.
 No bread, no water, she s keeping it for herself. Gingivere continued his insane lament.
Cludd banged the door with his spear.  Quiet in there!
 Atishoo!
The sneeze came as Cludd was turning away. He whirled back.  Who did that?
Gingivere grabbed a pawful of straw and sneezed into it.  Atishoo, choo! Oh, I m sick and dying, sir.
The cold and damp down here. Please get me extra rations of bread and water or I ll die.
Cludd rapped the door with his spear again.  Enough of that! You get the rations Lady Tsarmina [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]