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 HarperCollins
Publishers

Fontana

An Imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers

77-85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith,

London w6 8
JB

First published in Great Britain by

HarperCollins
Publishers
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

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

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

B
ARRE
Newborn Senior Brother Inquisitor, of a bullying sadistic kind.

C
HAMFER
Drubbins’ young brother and a keeper of the peace.

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

C
HERVIL
A powerful and senior Newborn Brother.

C
OBBETT
Master Librarian of Beechenhill, and brother of Stour and Husk.

C
OMPLINE
Senior Delver of Compline Chamber of the Charnel.

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

D
RUMLIN
Daughter of Gaunt and mother of Glee.

F
ETTER
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.

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

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

F
IDDLER
A young warrior mole of the Rollright system.

F
IRKIN
Copy Master of the Duncton Library.

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

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

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

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

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

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

L
AVENDER
Drubbins’ mate.

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

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

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