Duncton Rising

  DUNCTON RISING

  As Privet, scholar and scribemole, and her adopted son Whillan escape from Duncton Wood in search of the Book of Silence, the Newborn Inquisitors seek to take over the system.

  Only old Stour, Master Librarian, and the timid aide Pumpkin can defend Duncton and the precious holy Books of Moledom against the Newborn moles. But time is running out as Privet journeys in search of the lost and last Book. To find it, she and her friends must go to Caer Caradoc, centre of the Newborns’ power, and face Thripp himself; there, too, she must reveal the secrets of her past and give up all hope of reconciliation with the only mole she has ever truly loved: Rooster, Master of the Delve.

  But it may all be too little, too late for Duncton Wood itself, as its brave moles struggle against the Newborns’ oppression, with only their faith, the Stone and their hope in Privet to sustain them.

  DUNCTON RISING

  WILLIAM HORWOOD

  Volume Two of

  THE BOOK OF SILENCE

  Fontana

  An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

  Fontana

  An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

  77-85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith,

  London w6 8JB

  First published in Great Britain by

  HarperCollinsPublishers 1992

  987654321

  Copyright © William Horwood 1992

  These ePub, Mobi and LIT editions v1.0 by Dead^Man Sept 2011

  The Author asserts the moral right to

  be identified as the author of this work

  ISBN 0-00-223941-8

  Set in Linotron Caledonia

  Printed in Great Britain by

  HarperCollinsManufacturing Glasgow

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  Moles who appeared in Duncton Tales,

  Volume One of The Book of Silence

  AVENS A young and aimless would-be scholar from Avebury.

  BANTAM A Duncton female who becomes a Newborn. Sadistic and vindictive, and a friend of Snyde.

  BARRE Newborn Senior Brother Inquisitor, of a bullying sadistic kind.

  CHAMFER Drubbins’ young brother and a keeper of the peace.

  CHATER A journeymole working for the Duncton Library, and mate of Fieldfare.

  CHERVIL A powerful and senior Newborn Brother.

  COBBETT Master Librarian of Beechenhill, and brother of Stour and Husk.

  COMPLINE Senior Delver of Compline Chamber of the Charnel.

  DRUBBINS Elder of Duncton Wood at the time of Privet’s arrival, and a close friend of Stour.

  DRUMLIN Daughter of Gaunt and mother of Glee.

  FETTER A Newborn Senior Brother Inquisitor sent by Thripp to ‘cleanse’ the Duncton Library of blasphemous texts. He travels in company with his colleagues Law and Barre, among whom he is first among equals.

  FEY Kindly female who helped her mate Tarn care for Shire in Crowden.

  FIELDFARE Middle-aged female who befriends Privet on her arrival at Duncton. Resident of the Eastside and mate of Chater.

  FIDDLER A young warrior mole of the Rollright system.

  FIRKIN Copy Master of the Duncton Library.

  GAUNT The leader, known as Mentor, of the lost delvers of the Charnel Clough. Father of Drumlin.

  GLEE Albino female contemporary of Rooster in the Charnel Clough, close friend of Humlock.

  HILBERT Legendary last known mediaeval Master of the Delve. Founder of the Charnel Clough delving tradition.

  HUME A Senior Delver of the Charnel, and Rooster’s mentor.

  HUMLOCK Blind, deaf-mute contemporary of Rooster in the Charnel Clough; close friend of Glee.

  HUSK Reclusive Keeper of Rolls, Rhymes and Tales, brother of Stour and Cobbett. Killed by the Newborns at the end of Duncton Tales.

  LAVENDER Drubbins’ mate.

  LAW Newborn Senior Brother Inquisitor, in Duncton with Fetter and Barre.

  LIME Privet’s spiteful sister by Shire, and the favoured one.

  MAPLE Nephew of Lavender, much respected for his strength and fighting knowledge; but essentially a gentle mole. Has not yet come into his own.

  NONE Female Senior Delver of the None Chamber of the Charnel.

  PRIME Dwarf Senior Delver in charge of Prime Chamber of the Charnel. Half sister of Gaunt.

  PRIVET Scribemole born at Crowden in the Moors. Daughter of Shire, granddaughter of the infamous Eldrene Wort. Is in search of the Book of Silence, the last of seven Books of Moledom. She is now middle-aged and once ‘loved and lost’ Rooster.

  PUMPKIN Library aide who works closely with Stour. Now elderly but fiercely loyal to his Master and entrusted with the task of helping to resist the Newborns.

  RED RATCHER Rapine leader of the Ratcher Clan of the Charnel Clough. He fathers Rooster by Samphire, the only one of his mates he cannot dominate.

  ROOSTER Son of Red Ratcher and Samphire, born in the obscure Charnel Clough high on the Saddleworth Moors. Believed to be a Modern Master of the Delve, the first in centuries, but a wild, massive, ugly, unpredictable mole. Once Privet’s beloved.

  SAMPHIRE Rooster’s mother. Originally abducted from Chieveley Dale by Red Ratcher.

  SANS Foster-mother of Shire, a cold disciplinarian.

  SEDUM Mother of Humlock.

  SEXT Senior Delver of the Sext Chamber of the Charnel.

  SHIRE Privet’s mother, and herself daughter of Wort.

  SNYDE Unpleasant hunchbacked scholar and scribemole who has clawed his way up to be Deputy Master of the Library.

  STOUR Master Librarian of Duncton Wood and regarded as the greatest scholar and librarian in moledom. Now near the end of his days, and an out spoken enemy of the Newborns. He is in secret retreat in the Ancient System.

  STURNE Unsmiling librarian, one of the Keepers in the Library. Trusted before all others (but Pumpkin) by Stour, who has always appeared to reject him. He alone knows of Stour’s final retreat, and its purpose. Nomole knows that his affiliation to the Newborns is a courageous pretence.

  SWARD Known as Sward the Scholar. A wandering scribemole of the Moors.

  TARN An aide in the Crowden Library, who befriended Shire. Mate to Fey.

  TERCE Senior Delver of the Terce Chamber of the Charnel.

  THRIPP Sinister but charismatic leader of the Newborns, originally of Blagrove Slide, now resident at Caer Caradoc. He is Chervil’s father, but little else personal is known about him.

  TURRELL A grike mole living in seclusion on the Moorswith his mate. Myrtle.

  WESLEY Scholarly Newborn who helped form Newborn cell in Duncton’s Marsh End. His coming warned Stour how dangerous the Newborn sect might be.

  WHILLAN Parents unknown. Fostered by Privet after being mysteriously discovered by Stour at the cross-under into Duncton Wood, his newborn siblings dead, his unnamed mother dying. Trained inscribing by Privet and Pumpkin. As yet untried and untested.

  WORTHING A Newborn Brother who lives in the Marsh End.

  Characters from The Duncton Chronicles

  referred to in Duncton Tales

  BALLAGAN Sometimes called the ‘First Mole’. His story has not been told but he is thought to be the founder of the Seven Ancient Systems, and father of moledom.

  BRACKEN D
uncton mole from the Westside who is hero and leader against Mandrake in Duncton Wood. Lover of Rebecca.

  MAYWEED A great route-finder and aide and friend to Tryfan and Spindle.

  SPINDLE Former aide at Uffington, befriended by Tryfan, to whom he became a brave and loyal assistant.

  TRYFAN Bracken’s wise son, born at the end of Duncton Wood. He becomes leader of the followers against the moles of the Word.

  WORT The ‘Eldrene’ Wort was an evil ally of the moles of the Word in Duncton Quest and Duncton Found who caused much harm to the followers. She escaped to the Moors, sought the Stone’s forgiveness, and gave birth to Shire.

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  PART I

  Prayers and Pilgrims

  PART II

  Privet’s Tale

  PART III

  Into Darkness

  PART IV

  Caer Caradoc

  PART V

  Duncton Rising

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  So, mole, you lost no time finding your way back to me here in the Clearing by the Duncton Stone!

  Though from your appearance this early morning – the rough look to your fur, the bleariness in your eyes, the unsteadiness of your paws – it seems you have had little sleep.

  No, no, tell me not about the revelries of last night, of the food eaten and the tales well told; least of all of the new friends you’ve made, whose company, no doubt, you’ll go scurrying after just as soon as you’ve heard the tale I promised to tell you today.

  It’s not that I am not interested in life down in Barrow Vale, but rather that my mind is already filled with moles aplenty, and tales, and a time of special trial and tribulation in this system of ours when such triumphs as we had were so hard won.

  You see, whilst you made yourself so busy through the night with living moles, I made myself busy too, remembering moles who though no longer here in body, are hereabout in spirit; and thinking how it is that their faith, their courage, and their loyalty to each other and the Stone have lived on through the days and years of time to imbue this Stone with something of its special Light.

  That you make the effort despite so long a night to come in time to see the rising of the sun is most appropriate, in view of the nature of the tale that we are about to embark upon. For was it not at this very time of day – though it was a winter’s morning, not a summer’s – and in this very Clearing, that Duncton found its strength and pride again so long ago? It was! And that is what I wish to speak about.

  But if you want to hear this new tale, find me food again, indulge my meanderings of thought, and scribe as you have never scribed before, imagining yourself to be not the scribemole taking down the text but the very text itself come into being as I speak.

  Since our tale begins at dawn here by the Stone, and for all you may know will end here too, I suggest you call it ‘Duncton Rising’. Yes, yes, scribe it down, mole, scribe that down...

  Good. You have scribed it. It will be so then for ever more: Duncton Rising. Most suitable and apt.

  Even better, you’ve got me some worms, and you’re watching with a worried frown to see that I eat at least a few, almost as if you doubt that I can cling on to life much longer. Be of greater faith, mole, for I am a Duncton mole, and therefore I cling on until the rightful end, trusting that my faith in the Stone, and my love of mole, will see me through.

  Let us be silent for a time; let us listen to the light wind in the trees and the rustling resonance of the High Wood about the Stone; let us wait here where we are, which is always the best place to begin a tale, for before long, if we have faith enough, my memory and your trust will surely bring to life a mole whose coming will begin our tale for us.

  Aye, listen, mole! Can you not hear it now, the sound of somemole approaching? Stance down and be quiet, get your scribing paw ready again, for I do believe that our tale has found its own beginning, and whatmole can speak of the wonders to which it may yet take us!

  See, here he comes, there, just by the Stone itself...

  A timid, elderly, unassuming kind of mole, isn’t he? With less fur than he once had to cover his worn body! But don’t dismiss him – as brave moles go, he is among the very best and most courageous.

  I might have known he would be the one! For what would Duncton’s rising against the Newborn threat have been without him? See him, listen to him, pay him respect, for we might wait on a hundred years before we found a better beginning to our tale this morning than he will give us, as the sun rises beyond the Stone and we venture back to a great time, to the company of great moles, and seek to learn at last to hear with them the Silence of the Stone.

  Based on Mayweed’s map found in Seven Barrows

  PART I

  Prayers and Pilgrims

  Chapter One

  November, dawn, and a hurrying mole.

  Dank malevolent flurries of wind harried the deserted reaches of the High Wood on Duncton Hill, rushing about the ancient beech trees and threatening at their roots before hurrying on; while overhead, between the leafless treetops, grey clouds dragged after each other across the sky and out of sight.

  Dull, poor light as yet; of a dreary, wintry kind, that did nothing to cheer the heart of the humble mole who had made his way up out of his isolated tunnels, across the slopes and now reached the Stone Clearing itself.

  Pumpkin, elderly Library Aide to the Duncton Library which had so recently fallen into the censoring paws of the Newborn Inquisitors, had come to say his prayers. It had long been his custom to do so daily, and these days he did so at dawn, for it was only then that he could be sure that the busybody Newborn guards and zealots would not be about, and he could make his way to the Stone unimpeded, free to say words and offer a faith whose daily ritual was his only strength in this time of doubt.

  Having journeyed through this particular wintry dawn and arrived at the Stone Clearing, his mind as full as ever of history, self-doubt, and growing fears for others, the mole Pumpkin struggled to cast all thoughts aside and begin his prayers. He stared up at the Stone, he stared away from it, he fretted at the ground, he sighed and turned to face the Stone again.

  “Harder, ever harder,” he whispered. “But now...”

  He began as he often did by asking the Stone to continue to offer its protection to all those engaged in the struggle against the Newborn moles, though doubts and small rebellions of faith were not far away. Indeed his petition for moles in general, sincere though it was, was usually but the prelude to matters that really concerned him more, and this particular dawn his thoughts turned to absent moles to whom, in better times, he might have turned for succour and support in his self-effacing way. Yet with the Stone, his courage fully summoned, his thoughts getting clearer by the moment, he dared be more direct.

  “If I may be so bold. Stone, you might keep a special watch on the following particular moles for whom, as you know, I have especial fondness. I hope you will not think it presumptuous of me to remind you of whatmoles they are, and what they have done for your cause, though no doubt your memory is infinite and all-embracing; but the fact is that in troubled times like these an ordinary mole like me finds it all too easy to forget that you are on our side...”

  He spoke in a puzzled, gentle voice, as if he did not quite like the rebellious direction in which his thoughts were taking him.

  “I cannot truthfully say,” he continued, “that you have showered the High Wood with what I might call hints or signs of encouragement in recent days. In fact a mole might even think that you had forgotten us altogether...”

  A certain acerbity now came to Pumpkin’s voice, and the semblance of a frown, though a weak one, marked his brow. Library Aide Pumpkin, it seemed, had grave doubts about the Stone and the unpleasant changes it had recently allowed (as it seemed to him) to occur in the state of moledom.

  “I urge you, Stone, to try to see things from a mole’s point of view and to appreciate that though we may have faith i
n your plans for the future, we have to put up with the present, and all the terrible things that are now going on in the Library, and in Duncton Wood as a whole. It makes even a cheerful mole like me feel dejected sometimes, and in need of encouragement which, lacking friends as I now do since they’ve all gone off in your name, I somewhat miss!”

  The dawn wind flurried about him, the wet leaves shifted and trembled on the ground and Pumpkin essayed a smile as if to say “I have moaned and whinged a bit, and feel better for doing so, but perhaps I should now get on with the important part of my prayer”.

  “Now, let me see, there’s quite a list of moles whom I wish to commend to your attention and care, beginning of course with the Master Librarian himself, Stour, who at this very moment is in retreat in the dangerous and forgotten tunnels of the Ancient System which lie here below the High Wood. I trust you’re keeping an eye on him, and making sure he’s not lonely or hurt in any way. Many’s the time in the past days I’ve been inclined to go down into the tunnels myself to see if he needs me, for no Master Librarian could have been more kind or more thoughtful to a Library Aide than him. No, none could have been...”

  Tears came to kindly Pumpkin’s eyes as he thought of the mole he loved so well, who had taught him all he knew about books, their cataloguing, and their conservation.

  “Well, Stone, I can tell you that if he hadn’t given such very strict instructions that he was to be left alone I would have gone to him before now, or at least tried to. But if ever you think I should go to Master Stour – if he’s in need, or needs support – you tell me in some way, for I’ll do for him all that I can.