Cluny grinned wickedly. There it was again, that stupid thing called honor, the code of the warrior! But it was not his code: he had won!

"Get out of my sight, you sniveling little wretch," he grated, thrusting Friar Hugo away from him. The frightened mouse dived back underneath the stairs. Cluny stood in the center of the room, his one eye straining to catch sight of Matthias in the belfry. Blood dripped from the dozen wounds die mouse warrior had inflicted upon him during the course of their battle. But now he knew he had won; the voices had been right; he would soon see the last of the mouse warrior.

"Come on down, mouse, Cluny the Scourge is waiting for you," he cried.

Matthias stood up on the wooden beam. With one mighty blow from the blade of the ancient battle-scarred sword he severed the rope holding the Joseph Bell.

It appeared to hang in space for a second, then it dropped like a massive stone.

Cluny remained riveted to the spot, his eye staring upwards. Before he had time to think it was too late. . . .

CLANG!!!

The Joseph Bell tolled its last, huge knell. The colossal weight of metal smashed Cluny the Scourge flat upon the stone floor of the bell tower.

Wearily Matthias the Warrior descended the spiral stairs, sword in hand. He led the sobbing little friar out of his hiding place. Together they stood and stared at the Joseph Bell where it lay, cracked clean through the center. From beneath it there protruded a bloodied claw and a smashed tail.

Matthias spoke, "I kept my promise to you, Cluny. I came down. Hush now, Friar Hugo. It's all over now. Wipe your eyes."

Together the friends opened the door and walked out into the sunlight of a summer morning.

Redwall had won the final battle.

The bodies of both armies lay scattered thick upon the grass and stones where they had fallen. Many were sparrows,

shrews and woodland defenders, but they were far outnumbered by the slain rats, ferrets, weasels and stoats. Nowhere was there one of Cluny's infamous horde left alive.

Constance ambled up, her big flanks heaving, covered in wounds. She pointed to the bell tower and uttered a single word.

"Cluny?"

"Dead!" Matthias replied. "Were all the horde slain? Did we take no prisoners at all?"

The badger shrugged wearily. "A lot of them tried to escape. We didn't really stop them. They managed to unbar the main gate and ran out into the road. There owl waiting for them. Hell's whiskers! I've never seen anything like it!"

Basil Stag Hare limped up and threw Matthias a wobbly salute. "Squire Julian and Cap'n Snow. You can talk to them later on, young feller. Right now you're needed over in the cloisters. It's the Abbot. Better hurry."