Redwall

The defenders of Redwall are unaware that Cluny has ordered the construction of a siege tower. He intends to position it after dark on the corner of the southeast wall, where defenses are weakest while everyone else is battling at the main gate.

That evening, Cornflower brings vegetable soup to the woodlanders stationed on the wall. When she reaches the southeast corner, she spies a rat climbing over from the tower. When she screams, another mouse accidentally sends a mug of hot soup flying at the rat’s face. He screams and falls backward onto the siege tower. Cornflower smashes her lantern against the tower, setting the entire contraption on fire.

Cluny is furious, and his men drag him back to his tent while the rest of the rats retreat. Cornflower becomes the hero of the hour: “In the Abbey kitchens Cornflower stirred the oatmeal and checked on the bread baking in the oven. She smiled to herself. What would Matthias have thought of it all? Last night’s heroine. This morning’s cook!” (304).

At the quarry, Matthias and Log-a-Log enter the snake’s den to rescue Guosim. They split up to travel through its winding passages. Matthias eventually enters a large cavern and finds Guosim already dead. He hears the snake’s voice echoing all around him. Exploring further, he enters another chamber where Asmodeus is fast asleep: “Matthias stared in mute fascination. The snake’s eyes were not shut but filmed over in sleep. It was breathing slowly and regularly. The huge muscular scaly body was coiled in no recognizable pattern” (308).

Matthias spies Martin’s sword among Asmodeus’s other stolen treasures. He is able to take it and sneak out of the chamber without disturbing the snake until Log-a-Log comes running toward him, crying that Guosim has been killed. The noise wakes Asmodeus.

Back at the abbey, Cluny’s tunnel workers have completed their job. When they break through to the surface, they find Constance waiting for them with two vats of boiling water. She tips the vats over, scalding the rats and flooding the tunnels. Cluny’s army is once more forced to retreat. Back in camp, Cluny tries to sleep but suffers from more nightmares of the mouse with the sword. He is frightened and flees from the phantom figure. Outside his tent, his soldiers are afraid to awaken him and tell him of their latest failure.

In the snake’s den, Matthias and Log-a-Log flee but end up in a blind tunnel. Asmodeus is confident that he has them trapped. Matthias tries digging through the quarry wall with his sword and strikes a tree root. He instructs Log-a-Log to crawl in and pull him through the small opening by the feet. The plan succeeds, but Asmodeus rams his head through the tiny aperture. His eyes are hypnotic, and he briefly paralyzes Matthias with his gaze until the inner voice of Martin urges him to strike: “Suddenly the spell of the snake was broken. The young mouse’s eyes snapped open, clear and bright. He swung the ancient sword high and struck at the giant adder” (320). Matthias decapitates Asmodeus with Martin’s sword.

The following afternoon, Matthias arrives in Julian’s barnyard accompanied by a contingent of shrews. The cat examines Martin’s sword and warns Matthias that any weapon can be used for good or evil. It is only as good as its wielder. Then, they all go to visit Captain Snow in his tree. The owl is surprised and annoyed that he has lost his bet with Matthias. He is forced to publicly declare that he will never eat another shrew or mouse, will return Basil’s medal, and will apologize to Julian. For his part, the cat apologizes too, and the two friends go back to share lunch together in the barn.

Cluny summons Plumpen, the leader of the dormice he has captured. He threatens to kill the entire family unless Plumpen agrees to infiltrate the abbey and open all the small doors in the wall that night. The unsuspecting woodlanders welcome Plumpen as a volunteer: “The dormouse felt the good food turn to ashes in his mouth at the thought of his betrayal of fellow mice, but there was no alternative if he wanted to save his family” (327-28). Under cover of darkness, Plumpen opens the doors, allowing Cluny and his entire horde to invade the abbey and claim it as their own.

Elsewhere, Matthias and his friends nap after a grand feast in Julian’s barnyard when Warbeak arrives with terrible news. The abbey has been taken. Since she is now queen of the sparrows, she vows the support of her entire flock. The shrews also promise to help Matthias. They set off on the double to save the abbey: “One thing Matthias was certain of as he strode swiftly through the trees: it would be he and he alone who faced Cluny the Scourge at the bitter end” (333).

While Matthias and the shrews hurry back as quickly as possible, the sparrow army has already assembled at the abbey. After nightfall, they work secretly to open all the small access doors in the walls.

Unaware of all this covert activity, Cluny and his army swagger about, proclaiming their victory. They promise dire vengeance against all those who defied them. After dawn the next day, Cluny assembles the prisoners in the great hall and has a chair brought in as a kind of throne. He mocks the tapestry of Martin, saying that Redwall has no defender now: “Cluny was the picture of barbaric power, geared for war from his poison tail tip to the frightening battle helmet. He looked every inch the conqueror” (339).

The rats threaten Basil, Constance, and the other captives. Furious that the abbot will not bow to him, Cluny attacks the old mouse with the poison barb on his tail. At that moment, Matthias enters the hall and challenges Cluny to hand-to-hand combat. While they battle, the sparrow army floods into the hall along with the shrews, all armed to the teeth. This distraction gives the defenders time to free themselves to join the resistance.

Cluny and Matthias duel up the stairs until Matthias is chased to the top of the bell tower. Cluny takes Friar Hugo hostage and makes Matthias promise to come down or Hugo will be killed. Matthias severs the bell cord and sends the giant bell crashing down onto Cluny. Then, he keeps his word and comes down. As the rat army flees the abbey, they are killed by Captain Snow and Julian, so very few of Cluny’s horde escapes.

Once the fighting ends, the woodlanders learn that Abbot Mortimer is dying due to Cluny’s poisoned dart. As he slips away, the abbot names Matthias the protector of the abbey and encourages him to marry Cornflower instead of joining the Order of Redwall. The abbot appoints his successor, welcomes the sparrows and shrews as allies, and dies peacefully, surrounded by his friends.

A year later, Redwall is flourishing and once again prepares for a great victory feast with everyone invited who participated in its defense. Matthias and Cornflower are married and now have a son. Silent Sam has finally learned how to speak. All the other inhabitants and friends of the abbey go about their lives peacefully. The recorder concludes by saying,

“The crops are growing well. The fruit trees and bushes in the orchard show much promise. The old gatehouse is now a beautiful rambling cottage. The grass is green, the sky is blue, and the honey sweeter than ever before” (351).