5. Ad Hoc Committee Acting in Loco Parentis

[multiplemint]

Think of waves on the shore. Or the rustling of a wheat field in summer. Or trees gently swaying with spring breezes. Paten's voice echoed in Gentian's mind as the hurricane of conversation whirled about Cavern Hole, beasts whipped into a frenzy as the meeting spun out of her control.

"Excuse me, abbeybeasts. Guests."

The din raged on, her small voice drowned out by larger and louder tongues. Confusion. Indignation. Distrust. Chaos.

She inhaled sharply, again trying to focus on the mantra. Deep breath in. Steady breath out. Pretend you're keeping a blade of grass aloft above you, and you can only use your breath. Deep. Steady.

"Sister Paten, if you please..." She called out.

The hare gave two sharp kicks to the door jamb, a loud thonk thonk reverberating through the rock below them. Beasts quieted at that and looked up, first to the door, then to the head of the table. To her.

"Thank you. Everyone, please be calm and be seated."

She moved to the stricken chef, addressing him first. "Friar Timothy, is it possible that your godson is simply up to his usual tricks? Didn't he just earn a trip to the infirmary?"

"He did, but --"

"And wouldn't it be like him to play another prank like he did a fortnight ago to Sister Susan, when he stuck preserved plums in her sandals?"

"I suppose, but --"

"And it's only been scarcely an hour since --"

"Mother Abbess, please!" The friar stomped a paw, his voice rising in pitch as he cut her off. "I know you can't understand..."

She snapped her jaw shut at that, biting back a retort.

"...but he's like my own! I'm not -- I can't risk something happening to him."

She sucked a short breath in and forced her eyes from narrowing in irritation. A metallic tang washed over her palette, and she focused on the sting from the inside of her cheek, the fresh bite a price paid for her lapse of patience.

"I understand your worries, Friar, but with the current tensions and their parties here," she trailed off and indicated the assemblage of beasts with a wave of her paw, "I'm reluctant to send our beasts out on a forest-wide search."

"If I may, ma'am," Ash stepped forward, "I'm more than happy to lend a paw to find him. We're in no hurry."

A crease formed on her brow. And suck up to your mediator no doubt.

She replied in a strained tone, "Weren't you the one who wrote to me with, and I quote 'the urgency of a flash flood'? I'm --"

"A missing young un's no small matter, Abbess!" Rubtus butted in, stepping a hair's breadth closer than his rival did.

A second crease formed, furrowing deeper.

The new Log-a-log continued, "Why, if one of ours was missing, we'd drop everything to find them. Conferences and papers can wait."

Gentian smoothed her whiskers and snuck a glance out the corner of her eye to Paten, who was still off to one side. The haremaid gave an almost imperceptible nod, and that was that.

"Fine." Gentian's curt line cut through the room, and the ripples of conversations stilled. She took a moment to focus on each muscle in her face, forcing them to relax into bland neutrality once again. "If all parties are amenable to tabling the talks, we can do so in order to search for Acer."

Timothy sighed and opened his mouth to speak, but stilled when she leveled a finger his way. "Friar. You have a kitchen full to bursting for this evening's feast, do you not?"

"I - I do, but Arthur's more than competent enough to fill in for me."

Arthur... Arthur... "He's barely out of his novitiate isn't he?"

"But full of promise! If I leave him instructions --"

She cut him off with a wave. "Very well. But remember that soups cannot simmer forever. I would rather this delay be as brief as possible." And because I trust these two as far as I can throw them.

She continued, "Now, let's be smart about this. Who was the last beast to see Acer?"

"Me, I suppose," Bo rumbled, his paw inching into the air. "When Miss Peri was giving her instruction, he was away from the group, makin' a snowbeast when I noticed this strange frog was eying him up."

Oh hell's whiskers...

"A toad?"

"Aye. I scared it off, and we went back to the lesson."

"And then..." a voice that made the squeak of warped window jambs sound pleasant called out, "...we got back and he was missing at roll call."

Gentian nodded weakly at the Badgermum, a litany of curses coursing through the back of her mind. "And where have you already searched?"

"The path back to the front doors."
Piss and vinegar did Slink actually try something--
"The bits of the garden that are still green."
I'll flay their sodding hides if--
"Around Sticky's hives."
Make a new pair of boots from them --
"Please, it's Bo, Mum."
Maybe with these two and their crews here we can murder those scabrous, slimy--
"Fine, fine. And I told Friar, so he must not be in the kitchens..."

"Genny," a soft tone in her ear snapped her back to the present. Paten had sidled up next to Gentian, the haremaid leaning close. "Don't get lost thinkin' about the worst. Rein 'em back in."

Gentian clapped twice to get the assembled beasts' attention once again.

"Very well. We'll form two groups, then. One to search outside the walls, especially where the field trip was, and one to search inside the walls. The orchard, yard, gardens, and outbuildings."

A low murmur wound its way through Cavern Hole as beasts turn to one another.

"There's one more thing," Gentian called out, waiting for the waves of conversation to recede once again. "Brother Bo seeing a toad was no coincidence. Some of you are, no doubt, familiar with the troubles we've had with them this season."

"Aye, a couple snuck in and pilfered half my elderberries," grumbled the gardener, Jaskia.

"Well, they recently came to us for aid, and I refused, given their behavior over the past year." The tide of half-whispers rose again at this revelation. "While there's no proof that's where Acer is --"

Timothy let loose a worried groan at that.

"-- I want any of you that go outside the walls to be alert. They've gotten in fights with some of our foragers and scouts, so keep an eye on each others' backs."

"Mother Abbess," Rubtus addressed her, but turned to the assembled beasts, "Redwallers. Our own Log-a-log, my mentor, Orpah's father, was recently killed by vermin scum. So you can be sure I won't let the same thing happen here."

Martin and all the Abbesses, give me the patience to deal with this posturing, populist, pr--

"And that goes double f'r us!" Her inner critic was interrupted by Skipper Ash doing a very rough approximation of a booming sea captain's voice. "Redwall's always been 'ere in our time of need, so we'll do our part now."

"What an excellent idea, you two." Gentian was suddenly all smiles, and slid between the two leaders, "Skipper Ash, Log-a-log Rubtus, you and your crews can work together to search outside the walls. Since Peri and Bo were with the original field trip, they can lead you there."

"Oh, well--"

"I'm not sure--"

She cut off their replies with a small clap to each of their backs. "Ah, what spirited cooperation. Why, with two capable beasts such as yourselves, I'm sure we have nothing to worry about."

She took a hold of the backs of their tunics and lowered her voice, hissing to them under her breath and behind a plastered smile, "And I'll make sure to tell him to keep order between you two if it's needed, understand?"

"Now!" Her voice rose back to a normal tone, addressing the rest of the meeting. "Badgermum Susan can stay here with the rest of the dibbuns. I'll have Brothers Elias and Nettle organize a few beasts to comb the building proper."

She walked along the table, calling out names as she passed them. "Friar Timothy, you can take... Jaskia, Foremole Flowers, and Cellarhog Nibs and check the abbey grounds, orchards, gardens, and outbuildings for any sign of Acer."

She paused in her circuit, ears pricking at the sound of quill on paper.

"Sister Elsine?"

"Yes, Mother Abbess?"

"Why don't you accompany them."

"I -- what? Are you sure?"

"Someone of your... stature may come in handy. And, besides, what better way to chronicle something than to live it firsthand."

"I suppose. All right."

Gentian continued through the room. "It's decided, then. The three groups will split up and search. I'll stay here, and if any of you find something, report back. If Acer has been found, we'll sound the alarm bells again, so the other groups know to return."

Like spilled grains, the beasts began to trickle out of Cavern Hole. Some found their own tables just outside the doors to confer, to discuss possible hidey holes, nooks, or niches the mouse pup may have secreted away to. Soon, the room's only sounds were a soft crackle from the hearth and echoes from the opened Great Hall doors.

Gentian felt a familiar presence behind her and leaned back onto the haremaid's ever-supporting shoulder.

"Timothy didn't mean it like that, you know." Paten's voice was a balm after the day's events, a soft, soothing tone to wash away the built-up irritations.

"I know. He was upset and would've said anything to get me to agree with him."

She then took a more playful tone. "It's still not too late to make his words false, you know?"

She pulled a face at Paten's suggestion. "Can you see me chasing a dibbun at this age? I can barely chase down a meal."

"Who are you trying to fool, missy? I know exactly how much energy you still have."

A very un-Abbess-like giggle escaped her lips, and she took a step forward, slipping onto the nearest seat. "I'm sorry the feast might be delayed, dear. If I'm honest, half the reason I pushed back against the search was so you wouldn't miss the champagne contest."

Paten shrugged and moved into the seat next to her. "I know where the kitchens are; I won't go hungry. And the champagne can keep for a few more hours. There's no rush." The hare reached a paw out and pushed on one of the furrows that was etched onto Gentian's brow. "Remember what we've worked on. You need to take those long, cleansing breaths."

"I have been."

"And make your muscles relax."

"I was trying, I promise."

Gentian enjoyed the massage in silence before asking, "Do you think I went too far with the toads?"

Paten was silent for almost too long. "I don't know, Genny. After all we've seen, I don't think so. Beasts like Slink only respond to power. But..."

"Yeah." She didn't have to finish, Gentian knew what the rest of her reply was.

If I provoked them into hurting his godson, Timothy would never forgive me. And neither would I.

"Do you think our esteemed cellarhog would notice if a firkin of brandy went missing?" the mouse asked. "I think I need something stronger than your paw to get me to relax until this is over."