away.'
Hamnpork looked both ways along the pipe. It went on for a long way, and was just about high enough for a human to crawl along it. Lots of smaller pipes hung near the ceiling. 'It's warm here,' he said.
'Yes, sir. Peaches has been reading the guide-book. Hot springs of water come up out of the ground here and they pump it around to some of the houses.'
'Why?'
'To bath in, sir.'
'Hrumph.' Hamnpork didn't like that idea. A lot of the young rats were keen on taking baths.
Darktan turned to the squad. 'Hamnpork wants that poison buried and widdled on and a marker on it right now !'
Hamnpork heard a metallic sound beside him. He turned and saw that Darktan had drawn, from his web of tools, a long thin piece of metal. 'What the krckrck is that?' he said.
Darktan swished the thing backwards and forwards. 'I got the stupid-looking kid to make this for me,' he said.
And then Hamnpork realized what it was. 'That's a sword ,' he said. 'You got the idea out of Mr Bunnsy Has An Adventure !'
'That's right.'
'I've never believed that stuff,' Hamnpork grumbled.
'But a spike is a spike,' said Darktan, calmly. 'I think we're close to the other rats. It'd be a good idea if most of us stay here… sir.' Hamnpork felt he was being given orders again, but Darktan was being polite. 'I suggest that a few of us go on ahead to sniff them out,' Darktan went on. 'Sardines would be useful, and I'll go, of course'
'And me,' said Hamnpork.
He glared at Darktan, who said, 'Of course.'
CHAPTER 7
And because of Olly the Snake's trick with the road sign, Mr Bunnsy did not know that he had lost his way. He wasn't going to Howard the Stoat's tea party. He was heading into the Dark Wood.
- From Mr Bunnsy Has An Adventure
Malicia looked at the open trapdoor as if giving it marks out of ten.
'Quite well hidden,' she said. 'No wonder we didn't see it.'
'I'm not hurt much,' Keith called up from the darkness.
'Good,' said Malicia, still inspecting the trapdoor. 'How far down are you?'
'It's some sort of cellar. I'm OK because I landed on some sacks,'
'All right, all right, no need to go on about it, this wouldn't be an adventure if there weren't some minor hazards,' said the girl. 'Here's the top of a ladder. Why didn't you use it?'
'I was unable to on account of falling past,' said the voice of Keith.
'Shall I carry you down?' Malicia said to Maurice.
'Shall I scratch your eyes out?' Maurice responded.
Malicia's brow wrinkled. She always looked annoyed when she didn't understand something. 'Was that sarcasm?' she said.
'That was a suggestion,' said Maurice. 'I don't do "picking up" by strangers. You go down. I'll follow.'
'But you haven't got the legs for ladders!'
'Do I make personal remarks about your legs?'
Malicia descended into the dark. There was a metallic noise, and then the flare of a match. 'It's full of sacks!' she said.
'I know,' came the voice of Keith. 'I landed on them. I did say.'
'It's grain! And… and there's strings and strings of sausages! There's smoked meat! Bins of vegetables! It's full of food! Aargh! Get out of my hair! Get off ! That cat just jumped onto my head!'
Maurice leapt off her and onto some sacks.
'Hah!' said Malicia, rubbing her head. 'We were told that the rats had got it all. I see it all now. The rat-catchers get everywhere, they know all the sewers, all the cellars… and to think those thieves get paid out of our taxes!'
Maurice looked around the cellar, lit by the flickering lantern in Malicia's hand. There was, indeed, a lot of food. Nets hanging from the ceiling were indeed stuffed with big, white, heavy cabbages. The aforesaid sausages did indeed loop from beam to beam. There were indeed jars and barrels and sacks and sacks. And, indeed, they all worried him.
'That's it, then,' said Malicia. 'What a hiding place! We're going to go right away to the town Watch, report what we've found, and then it's a big cream tea for all of us and possibly a medal and then-'
'I'm suspicious,'
Hamnpork looked both ways along the pipe. It went on for a long way, and was just about high enough for a human to crawl along it. Lots of smaller pipes hung near the ceiling. 'It's warm here,' he said.
'Yes, sir. Peaches has been reading the guide-book. Hot springs of water come up out of the ground here and they pump it around to some of the houses.'
'Why?'
'To bath in, sir.'
'Hrumph.' Hamnpork didn't like that idea. A lot of the young rats were keen on taking baths.
Darktan turned to the squad. 'Hamnpork wants that poison buried and widdled on and a marker on it right now !'
Hamnpork heard a metallic sound beside him. He turned and saw that Darktan had drawn, from his web of tools, a long thin piece of metal. 'What the krckrck is that?' he said.
Darktan swished the thing backwards and forwards. 'I got the stupid-looking kid to make this for me,' he said.
And then Hamnpork realized what it was. 'That's a sword ,' he said. 'You got the idea out of Mr Bunnsy Has An Adventure !'
'That's right.'
'I've never believed that stuff,' Hamnpork grumbled.
'But a spike is a spike,' said Darktan, calmly. 'I think we're close to the other rats. It'd be a good idea if most of us stay here… sir.' Hamnpork felt he was being given orders again, but Darktan was being polite. 'I suggest that a few of us go on ahead to sniff them out,' Darktan went on. 'Sardines would be useful, and I'll go, of course'
'And me,' said Hamnpork.
He glared at Darktan, who said, 'Of course.'
CHAPTER 7
And because of Olly the Snake's trick with the road sign, Mr Bunnsy did not know that he had lost his way. He wasn't going to Howard the Stoat's tea party. He was heading into the Dark Wood.
- From Mr Bunnsy Has An Adventure
Malicia looked at the open trapdoor as if giving it marks out of ten.
'Quite well hidden,' she said. 'No wonder we didn't see it.'
'I'm not hurt much,' Keith called up from the darkness.
'Good,' said Malicia, still inspecting the trapdoor. 'How far down are you?'
'It's some sort of cellar. I'm OK because I landed on some sacks,'
'All right, all right, no need to go on about it, this wouldn't be an adventure if there weren't some minor hazards,' said the girl. 'Here's the top of a ladder. Why didn't you use it?'
'I was unable to on account of falling past,' said the voice of Keith.
'Shall I carry you down?' Malicia said to Maurice.
'Shall I scratch your eyes out?' Maurice responded.
Malicia's brow wrinkled. She always looked annoyed when she didn't understand something. 'Was that sarcasm?' she said.
'That was a suggestion,' said Maurice. 'I don't do "picking up" by strangers. You go down. I'll follow.'
'But you haven't got the legs for ladders!'
'Do I make personal remarks about your legs?'
Malicia descended into the dark. There was a metallic noise, and then the flare of a match. 'It's full of sacks!' she said.
'I know,' came the voice of Keith. 'I landed on them. I did say.'
'It's grain! And… and there's strings and strings of sausages! There's smoked meat! Bins of vegetables! It's full of food! Aargh! Get out of my hair! Get off ! That cat just jumped onto my head!'
Maurice leapt off her and onto some sacks.
'Hah!' said Malicia, rubbing her head. 'We were told that the rats had got it all. I see it all now. The rat-catchers get everywhere, they know all the sewers, all the cellars… and to think those thieves get paid out of our taxes!'
Maurice looked around the cellar, lit by the flickering lantern in Malicia's hand. There was, indeed, a lot of food. Nets hanging from the ceiling were indeed stuffed with big, white, heavy cabbages. The aforesaid sausages did indeed loop from beam to beam. There were indeed jars and barrels and sacks and sacks. And, indeed, they all worried him.
'That's it, then,' said Malicia. 'What a hiding place! We're going to go right away to the town Watch, report what we've found, and then it's a big cream tea for all of us and possibly a medal and then-'
'I'm suspicious,'
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