until I do.”
CHAPTER FOUR
ROM THE SHADOW OF THE CLIFF , a figure stepped out—a hedgehog, glancing one way and another. A squirrel followed him—Urchin remembered her from his childhood. They glanced over their shoulders as if looking to someone for guidance. Mossberry must be there. Two or three at a time, more animals came out—two moles, three hedgehogs, and a number of squirrels, some of them carrying little ones or leading them by the paw.
Urchin watched steadily, his claws curling with tension. He understood why Crispin waited, but even so, he wished he’d do something. Every one of Mossberry’s followers had to be out in the open before Crispin would move; otherwise they would retreat into the hill. Once in the maze of tunnels on a night of flooding, they might never escape.
The animals were shuffling forward now, nearer to the lapping edge of the sea. Some glanced nervously at each other or hung back, but others had the same look of wild intensity that had been so disturbing on Mossberry’s face. Finally, as one squirrel tentatively put her clawtip into the waves, out from the hillside strode Mossberry. He walked proudly, his head high and his back straight, his cloak thrown back from his shoulders.
“Mossberry! Mossberry, our master! Brother Mossberry!” cried the animals, but their voices faded away as Crispin stepped from the shadows.
“Good evening!” he said calmly, and nodded to Urchin and the others, who took off their cloaks and stepped forward. “Were you all lost in the hill? It’s easily done. We came down to check if anyone was still near the coast. Good thing we did, you’re not safe here. We’ll take you to the burrows where you’ll come to no harm.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” said a hedgehog eagerly, who was immediately glared at by the squirrels gathering around Mossberry. Two more hedgehogs shuffled, almost imperceptibly, toward the king. Urchin was sure they knew that Crispin understood all about Mossberry’s plans. By pretending to think they’d been lost in the hill, he was offering them a way out of an awkward situation. Many of them would be glad of it.
Sepia stifled a gasp. “There’s little Twirl!” she whispered. “Her aunt has brought her here!”
The voice of Mossberry rang out, clear, strong, and passionate.
“Dearest animals!” he cried. “Stand fast, stand with me! Did I not tell you that this very thing would happen! They will not give you your freedom so easily! Have faith in me, and let me lead you to the true freedom that lies beyond the mists!”
“If you choose to leave the island,” said Crispin firmly, “you may do so, but I urge you not to attempt it tonight. Even the strongest of otters wouldn’t attempt to swim against this tide. I would be sad to lose any of you, and I can’t protect you if you go beyond the mists. You all know that if you leave you will never return.”
“That is the old lie!” cried Mossberry. “It’s the lie that they tell you to keep you imprisoned on this island! The Heart speaks to me, and the Heart has told me that we can travel freely in and out of the mists, even by water!” He whirled around to point at Urchin. “Hasn’t he done it?”
“That was an exception,” said Urchin.
“We are all exceptional!” cried Mossberry, stretching out his paws as if he wanted to embrace every one of them. “The Heart will protect us! Come to the boats, dear animals of Mistmantle. Let me lead you through the waters to the joys beyond the mists!”
“Islands with swans, islands with snakes,” said Crispin. “Other islands, much like this, but not so happy nor so pleasant. That’s what you’ll find beyond the mists.”
“The king and I have been there,” insisted Urchin. “We know!”
“They are lying!” cried Mossberry. “They have always lied! To the boats!”
Padra and Fingal had been turning this way and that, their noses and whiskers twitching. Padra turned to the king.
“Your Majesty, we
CHAPTER FOUR
ROM THE SHADOW OF THE CLIFF , a figure stepped out—a hedgehog, glancing one way and another. A squirrel followed him—Urchin remembered her from his childhood. They glanced over their shoulders as if looking to someone for guidance. Mossberry must be there. Two or three at a time, more animals came out—two moles, three hedgehogs, and a number of squirrels, some of them carrying little ones or leading them by the paw.
Urchin watched steadily, his claws curling with tension. He understood why Crispin waited, but even so, he wished he’d do something. Every one of Mossberry’s followers had to be out in the open before Crispin would move; otherwise they would retreat into the hill. Once in the maze of tunnels on a night of flooding, they might never escape.
The animals were shuffling forward now, nearer to the lapping edge of the sea. Some glanced nervously at each other or hung back, but others had the same look of wild intensity that had been so disturbing on Mossberry’s face. Finally, as one squirrel tentatively put her clawtip into the waves, out from the hillside strode Mossberry. He walked proudly, his head high and his back straight, his cloak thrown back from his shoulders.
“Mossberry! Mossberry, our master! Brother Mossberry!” cried the animals, but their voices faded away as Crispin stepped from the shadows.
“Good evening!” he said calmly, and nodded to Urchin and the others, who took off their cloaks and stepped forward. “Were you all lost in the hill? It’s easily done. We came down to check if anyone was still near the coast. Good thing we did, you’re not safe here. We’ll take you to the burrows where you’ll come to no harm.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” said a hedgehog eagerly, who was immediately glared at by the squirrels gathering around Mossberry. Two more hedgehogs shuffled, almost imperceptibly, toward the king. Urchin was sure they knew that Crispin understood all about Mossberry’s plans. By pretending to think they’d been lost in the hill, he was offering them a way out of an awkward situation. Many of them would be glad of it.
Sepia stifled a gasp. “There’s little Twirl!” she whispered. “Her aunt has brought her here!”
The voice of Mossberry rang out, clear, strong, and passionate.
“Dearest animals!” he cried. “Stand fast, stand with me! Did I not tell you that this very thing would happen! They will not give you your freedom so easily! Have faith in me, and let me lead you to the true freedom that lies beyond the mists!”
“If you choose to leave the island,” said Crispin firmly, “you may do so, but I urge you not to attempt it tonight. Even the strongest of otters wouldn’t attempt to swim against this tide. I would be sad to lose any of you, and I can’t protect you if you go beyond the mists. You all know that if you leave you will never return.”
“That is the old lie!” cried Mossberry. “It’s the lie that they tell you to keep you imprisoned on this island! The Heart speaks to me, and the Heart has told me that we can travel freely in and out of the mists, even by water!” He whirled around to point at Urchin. “Hasn’t he done it?”
“That was an exception,” said Urchin.
“We are all exceptional!” cried Mossberry, stretching out his paws as if he wanted to embrace every one of them. “The Heart will protect us! Come to the boats, dear animals of Mistmantle. Let me lead you through the waters to the joys beyond the mists!”
“Islands with swans, islands with snakes,” said Crispin. “Other islands, much like this, but not so happy nor so pleasant. That’s what you’ll find beyond the mists.”
“The king and I have been there,” insisted Urchin. “We know!”
“They are lying!” cried Mossberry. “They have always lied! To the boats!”
Padra and Fingal had been turning this way and that, their noses and whiskers twitching. Padra turned to the king.
“Your Majesty, we
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