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begged to get ye taken in? An’ this is all the thanks I gets for it!”
    Orkwil broke down then, he sobbed and hugged Granspike. “Oh Gran, Gran, I’m sorry!”
    She took his tearstained face in both paws. “Why, Orkwil, why? Wot made ye do it?”
    Abbot Daucus passed him a kerchief. “Come on, young ’un, blubbering doesn’t solve things. This isn’t the first time you’ve been caught thieving. Now don’t give me that injured look, you know as well as anybeast here, thieving is the only name for it. Sneaking away the property of good, honest Redwallers, and holding on to it for as long as you please. What other name is there for it? Why do you do it?”
    Orkwil Prink shook his head in bewilderment. “I don’t know, Father, whenever I see anything I like, well…well…I just have to have it, so I take it!”
    Fenn Bluepaw was heard to mutter, “It’s in his blood. From what I’ve heard his parents were both the same, shifty, feckless robbers!”
    Skipper interrupted her. “Yore wrong, marm. Robbers are those who hurts others to take wot they wants. Orkwil never hurt nobeast.”
    Marja Dubbidge was on Fenn’s side, she argued back, “Mebbe he didn’t beat us up t’get our goods, but he still hurted us. I was very hurted when he took my best knitted mittens. You did, didn’t you?”
    Orkwil nodded. “But I was going to give ’em back.”
    The watervole pointed an accusing paw at him. “Then where are they, eh? Yore a nasty, young sneak thief!”
    At this point, Abbot Daucus felt things had gone far enough. He stood up, kicking the stool aside and raising his voice. “Silence! This is not the way Redwallers are supposed to behave, stop all this bickering right now!” There were shamefaced murmurs of apology from some, then the peace was restored. Daucus waited until he had calmed down sufficiently to continue. “You will all receive your possessions again in good time. Orkwil, speak truly now. Is there anything you took which cannot be returned? Tell me.”
    The young hedgehog shook his head slowly. “Not that I can think of, Father, only food from the kitchens, and some cider from Mister Benjo’s cellar.”
    Benjo Tipps recalled the two flagons of Special Pale Cider, which he had been storing for the Midsummer Feast. He bit his lip, and held the silence. Then Daucus put the question to them all.
    â€œOrkwil Prink has admitted what he has done, it isn’t the first time he’s been caught stealing. We’ve never had any Redwaller thieving from his friends before. Now, what do you say we do about it? Other times I’ve put him to scouring pots in the kitchens, or confined him to the dormitory, but it seemed to have no effect on him. So I ask you, what is his punishment to be?”
    There was a momentary pause, then Marja Dubbidge was heard to whisper to Fenn Bluepaw, “I’d send that young villain packin’, away from our Abbey, ’tis all he deserves!”
    Granspike Niblo uttered a strangled sob. “Oh no, don’t say that, give ’im a chance!”
    Foremole Burff spoke, contributing his sensible mole logic. “Oi’d send ’im aways from ee h’Abbey, but only furr wun season. May’aps ’twill teach ee young ’un a lessing.”
    Abbot Daucus shook his mole friend’s paw heartily. “Thank you, Burff, that’s the ideal solution. Are we all agreed on that?”
    Everybeast held up their paws, with the exception of two, Fenn and Marja. The Abbot stared levelly at them, Skipper and Benjo glared at the pair, Granspike gazed pleadingly at them. For a moment, nothing happened. Then bit by bit, the Recorder and the Bellringer raised their paws. The Abbot gave a beaming smile.
    â€œGood, then that’s a full show of paws, thank you!” His face turned stern as he addressed the parolee.