The Song of the Winns (35 page)

On the way they met Solomon striding rapidly toward them.

Alex said, “Tobias?”

Solomon replied, “He's gone.”

“What about Alistair and Tibby Rose?” Alice's voice came out high and scared. “Were they there?”

Solomon shook his head gravely, and Alice fell to her knees, overcome by a wave of despair. They were too late.

It was a solemn group that gathered around a table in the cafeteria to work out what to do next.

After Alice and Alex had explained everything to Uncle Ebenezer, Aunt Beezer, Feast Thompson, and Slippers Pink, Solomon said, “So let's presume that Tobias has sent Alistair and Tibby Rose to Zanzibar's hiding place, and will then alert the Queen's Guards.”

“A logical proposition,” Aunt Beezer agreed.

“But where is Zanzibar's hiding place?” Uncle Ebenezer asked. “Maybe we can reach Zanzibar first.”

“Tobias said that it was a place known only to him and Zanzibar,” Slippers Pink said thoughtfully. “I had the impression that it was somewhere they knew from when they were children.”

“Is there anyone else who might know?” Solomon prompted.

Feast Thompson snapped his fingers. “There is one person,” he said. “Though I don't know where he is right . . .” His words trailed away and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

“Zanzibar's hiding place?” said a voice behind Alice. “That's too easy. Ask me another one.”

Turning, Alice saw a tall mouse with—she blinked and looked again. No, she hadn't imagined it: his fur was midnight blue, except for one arm and leg, which were a swirl of different colors.

“Timmy the Winns!” said Slippers Pink, laughing in disbelief. “Just when we need you the most, here you are. You're not some kind of mirage, are you?” She had risen from her seat and was hurrying around the table to where the midnight blue mouse stood.

“No more than usual,” he said, opening his arms to embrace the almond mouse. “So, it's Zanzibar's hiding place you're wanting? I know it, right enough, but I have to tell you, only a matter of life or death could persuade me to reveal it.”

“It is a matter of life or death!” Alice burst out.

Timmy the Winns gave her a shrewd look, then dropped to the bench beside her. “Explain it to me, little sister,” he said, “and then we'll see.”

So Alice did, finishing with: “And if we don't hurry, the Sourians will get there before we do.”

“If they haven't already,” Alex added gloomily.

Timmy the Winns was already on his feet. “Okay, how are we going to get there?”

“Where?” several voices chorused.

“The source of the Winns,” said Timmy. “Our grandparents' cottage.”

“Your grandparents?” asked Alice, puzzled. “You mean yours and Zanzibar's?”

“That's right,” said Timmy the Winns. “Zanzibar is my brother. Z and me and our sister used to spend our summers with our grandparents by the Winns. Tobias would come too occasionally.”

“That must be the cottage we saw near the spring,” Slippers exclaimed to Feast. “It's a long way from here though,” she said worriedly.

“We can take the balloon,” Solomon said immediately.

“Aye, that'll serve well,” said Timmy. “Let's go then.”

“You have to let us come,” Alice begged.

“I've rescued my brother before,” Alex added matter-of-factly (if not quite factually).

Solomon looked unsure but Timmy the Winns said, “Ah, come on, Sol.”

“All right!” said Alex, but Uncle Ebenezer shook his head.

“No,” he said. “You two stay here.”

Alice had never seen her easygoing uncle look so determined. “First Oswald comes back all battered and bloodied having been attacked by eagles, telling us he'd dropped Alistair and Tibby Rose somewhere on the Sourian side of the Crankens. Then Claudia comes back with the story of the dirigible's attack. We thought we'd lost all of you! Well, as far as I'm concerned, that's
it—I'm not letting you out of my sight again.” He crossed his arms stubbornly.

Alice shot her aunt an appealing look.

Beezer asked, “So how big is this balloon of yours, Solomon?”

Solomon gave a resigned smile. “Big enough.”

And so it was decided: Alice and Alex and their aunt and uncle would accompany Solomon and Timmy to the source of the Winns.

Alice just hoped they'd get there before the Sourians did.

23

Betrayed

B
ut, Oswald, we've just come from here,” Alistair said, when the owl had released them. “This is the source of the Winns.”

“I know where we are,” said Oswald sniffily, glaring down at Alistair over his hooked beak. “Better than you it seems.” He raised one feathered wing to indicate the path. “You go that way. I'll meet you back here after sunset tomorrow.”

“I don't understand,” said Alistair. “Where are we going? Who's the letter for?”

The owl looked at him steadily. “Zanzibar, of course.”

“Zanzibar?” Alistair repeated incredulously, hearing Tibby Rose gasp behind him. “Wait . . .”

But the owl was already beating his wings, rising steadily toward the treetops.

Alistair turned to Tibby Rose. “What do we do now?”

Tibby shrugged. “Follow the path, I guess. Perhaps Zanzibar's waiting for us farther along.”

It was hard to make out the path in the dark, so Alistair focused on the sound of the stream, gurgling through the rocks and rushing over the stony bed. This sound, too, was a song of the Winns, he realized.

It was only when they rounded the bend to see the stone cottage nestled in the hollow that Alistair understood that this was their destination. Tibby Rose put a hand on his wrist, and they stopped and gazed at the silent cottage. As before, there was no sign of life. No light flickered in the window, not even a solitary candle, and no one moved within.

“I suppose we should knock on the door,” Tibby murmured, and she led the way up the path to the front door. After a glance at Alistair, she lifted her hand and rapped on the wooden door. The sound echoed loudly. Alistair listened for any movement on the other side of the door, but there was none. Perhaps they had been wrong, and this wasn't Zanzibar's hiding place.

Tibby had just lifted her hand to knock a second time when the door was opened. A tall mouse stood in the doorway. His fur, Alistair noted, was not so much ginger as the color of burnished gold, rich and glowing in the moonlight, as if it had caught the sun's dying rays.

Gazing down at the two young mice on his doorstep, the golden mouse looked puzzled. “Who—” he began in a deep voice. He tilted his head to one side and frowned slightly. “What are you—” He stopped again.

Alistair stepped forward. “I'm Alistair,” he said. “And this is my friend Tibby Rose. We're sorry to disturb you, sir, but Tobias sent us with an urgent message for you.” He
held out the sealed letter. Zanzibar took it absently, but made no move to open it.

“Alistair,” he repeated. “And Tibby Rose.” He looked slightly dazed. Alistair supposed it must be startling to find two young mice landing unexpectedly on your doorstep when you were in hiding. Though wasn't he expecting them? Tobias had said that Zanzibar had ordered the mission, hadn't he?

Zanzibar shook his head suddenly, as if his thoughts had been far away. “Come in.” He laughed, a deep rumble in his chest, and stood aside so Tibby and Alistair could enter the cottage. “You caught me unawares, as you can probably tell.” He looked left and right before shutting the door.

“It's rather dark in here, I'm afraid,” Zanzibar said, “and it can get quite cold at night, but it's better than the Cranken prison.”

They were standing in a dim parlor. Zanzibar gestured for Alistair and Tibby to sit on the sofa while he himself sank into an easy chair.

“So what is Tobias up to, I wonder?” He stared down at the sealed message in his hand. Alistair thought he looked more apprehensive than curious, as if he already knew its contents. He tapped the letter on his knee thoughtfully, then said, “Tell me what you have been doing, the pair of you.”

Alistair felt himself starting to choke up at the memory of their failed mission to rescue his parents, so Tibby briefly outlined their journey to Atticus Island, and what they had found there.

Zanzibar gave a heavy sigh, and Alistair raised his head. “Do you know my parents?” he asked curiously.

“I know them very well,” said Zanzibar. “Very well. In fact—” But he was interrupted by an urgent pounding at the door. A look of concern flashed across his face, and he raised a questioning eyebrow at the two young mice on the sofa. “Did you tell anyone you were coming here?” he asked in a whisper. “Anyone at all?”

Alistair and Tibby shook their heads, but Alistair's heart was knocking in his ribcage. Could they have been followed? But there had been no one at the spring, he was sure of it.

Zanzibar put his finger to his lips then rose silently and padded toward the door.

“Zanzibar!” a thin high voice cried. “Zanzibar, I know you're in there. You have to let me in. I'm trying to save you.” The owner of the voice began to pound at the door again.

Zanzibar hesitated, then flung the door open.

Alistair cried out in shock and Tibby screamed at the flash of red as a Queen's Guard burst into the room.

Zanzibar took several steps backward and flung out his arms to shield Alistair and Tibby Rose, but the Queen's Guard raised both hands into the air and they saw that he was unarmed.

“I'm not here to hurt you—I'm trying to save you,” the young guard repeated. He was breathing hard, as if he had run a long distance. “You've been betrayed. There's a regiment of guards on the way,” he panted. “They're coming from over the mountain.” He pointed toward the
spring. “Now—tonight. Not far behind.” Unexpectedly, he dropped to his knees at Zanzibar's feet and bowed his head. “My mother is Gerandan,” he said. “I never told anyone. But I couldn't let them recapture you. I snuck away as soon as I heard what they were planning.”