Marlie and Pertie waited only a few minutes at the Preedleton nest for Patter to return from his foraging. It seemed like forever to Marlie as she could hardly wait to talk with Morley about Pertie’s tale. As it was, she decided not to mention the young mother’s outburst to Patter. Instead, she simply told him that his little mate needed some rest. She would let Pertie share the rest when she was ready.
“How’s Pertie?” asked Morley as Marlie returned.
“She’s resting, but I think she’ll be alright,” replied Marlie. The experienced mother looked around as she spoke and immediately noticed that their baby wasn’t around. “Where’s Nutter?”
“She’s off playing with Snuffles,” replied Morley. A regular playmate of Nutter, Snuffles lived just down the burrow, out of earshot, which meant Mama and Papa McClutter could talk freely for a few minutes.
“So, what have you heard?” asked Marlie, aware that her husband usually knew what was going on around the Glade. She also knew that he could sort through fact and fiction with the best of them. At the moment, Marlie desperately wanted Pertie’s ravings to be proven unfounded and was hoping Morley would do that just that.
“Not much, really,” said Morley. “Apparently, Looney the Limpkin bird saw something down along Boggy Creek. The whole Glade’s stirred up—says he saw a slitherer.”
“So, it’s true! There was a slitherer in the Glade!” said Marlie. Then, a bit quieter and more to herself, she added, “I guess Pertie wasn’t telling a story after all.”
Looking up again at Morley, asked, “So, did you see Thutter?” Like any other mother, the well-being of her own children was most important to Marlie.
“No, but my guess is that he’s down at the Eddy.”
“You don’t think—”
“Now, dear, don’t go jumping to conclusions,” interrupted Morley. “I’m sure Thutter is fine.”
But as Marlie looked into her mate’s eyes, she knew there was more. “What are you not telling me?”
Reluctantly, Morley answered. “Well, rumor has it that Looney saw something else. He claims he saw the Ruach. In fact,” continued the shrew, chuckling so as to encourage his mate to find the news as silly as he did, “the goofy bird said that the eagle picked up the slitherer and hurled it across the creek.”
Marlie said nothing. Instead, she began to pace back and forth across the nest. “Slitherers in the Glade? The Ruach? I don’t understand,” she said, as much to herself as to her mate.
Now to be sure, Reader, it was both absurd and disconcerting to the soft-spoken shrew mother. A snake wouldn’t dare cross into the Glade knowing what would happen to it, and day creatures, such as eagles, don’t make appearances after dark, especially not the Ruach, which no Glade-dweller had laid eyes on in a very long time. And yet, most troubling at the moment was the fact that her son was somewhere out in the Glade when all of these curious events supposedly happened.
“I’m sure Tut-Tut’s safe and sound, dear,” said Morley. “He’s probably just enjoying some grub down at the Eddy, like I said.”
“I know but … but he’s just a child. Maybe he’s too young to be out by himself. He never even told me where he was going.”
Morley moved closer to his anxious companion. “Marlie, dear, listen to me,” he said, gently rubbing his furry snout against hers. “Thutter’s with Patch and Scruffy. He’s okay. I’m sure of it.”
“I just wish we had taught him about things a long time ago. I mean if only we’d taught him about the Code.”
Morley bristled at Marlie’s words. “Why’d you have to bring that up?” he said, taking a step back. “What’s that have to do with all of this?”
“Well, you know how I feel about such things. I just wish we’d have taught him what our parents taught us, that’s all.” Marlie didn’t really want to rehash the age-old disagreement that had begun with their first litter, but it suddenly seemed relevant.
“Yes, I do know how you feel,” snapped Morley, “but that has nothing to do with this situation.”
“It has everything to do with our son, and with Looney’s story. Don’t you see? The slitherers? The Ruach?”
“Yeah, but it’s from Looney. Since when is he so dependable? He’s just an old coot, a gossipmonger, a tale-stretcher—like many of the other birds around here!” argued Morley.
“But do you really think Looney would have made up such a thing?” asked Marlie. “You know the Code. It teaches us that safety is found only inside the Glade. Looney’s story is proof of that.” Marlie’s voice grew quarrelsome, though she hardly would have thought so. “According to Looney,” she continued, “the Ruach protected the shrews. And that’s exactly what the Legend behind the Code teaches: ‘the Ruach dwells among us for our protection’,” quoted the fretful shrew.
“Yeah, but I hardly think Looney’s tale proves anything. It’s all a bunch of nonsense as far as I’m concerned.”
Morley started to walk away, but he took only a single step before his mate stopped him. Quietly, she rubbed her snout under his. And, for a moment, both remained still as they snuggled together.
Eventually, Marlie spoke, softly. “Morley, I’m worried. Would you please just find Thutter and bring him home for me? I just want everyone home safe tonight.”
His companion’s tender pleading only confirmed what the shrew father knew he must do. Talk of both a slitherer and the Ruach was indeed unsettling—even if it wasn’t true. So, after nuzzling another moment or two with the love of his life, Morley scampered down the corridor and back up into the once safe darkness of the Glade where he headed straight for the Eddy.