"No, no, it's all right," said Bigwig impatiently. "Anyway, we're here now."
They turned away and went down into the Honeycomb and through it to the sleeping burrows, where the first rabbit they came upon was Holly.
"Everything all right down at the bottom, Hazel-rah?"
"Yes, fine. This is Flyairth, by the way. She's joining us. What I need just at the moment is to talk to Vilthuril and Fiver. Can you get hold of them, Holly?"
As soon as Vilthuril and Fiver joined them, Hazel and Bigwig took them back into the Honeycomb, to avoid meeting anyone else before they were ready. Flyairth came with them.
"This is going to be a surprise for you, Vilthuril," said Hazel. "Who do you think this is? You'll never guess, so I'll tell you. Flyairth, from Thinial."
Fiver was as much surprised as Vilthuril.
"Why has she come here?" asked Holly. "Does she know about us?"
"No, but she'll tell you all about it herself later. I've told her she can stay, and a few other rabbits she brought with her. What we have to do just now is to get everybody in here ready to go down to the holes at the bottom. Will you tell them?"
The rabbits gathered in the Honeycomb, full of curiosity as Hazel's news spread.
"Who are the other rabbits with her?" Hyzenthlay asked him.
"I'm not sure yet, but just her own family, I think. Her last litter."
"Has she told you how she got here? Or how she's come to be here at all, for the matter of that?"
"It's too long a story to tell now. You can ask her tomorrow. Is everyone here? Let's get on down the hill."
He went across to the mouth of one of the runs, Flyairth and Bigwig following him. As soon as he had got his head outside, however, he stopped dead, listening tensely.
"What is it, Hazel-rah?" asked Bigwig. "What's the matter?"
"A hrududu," replied Hazel, "coming straight up here, very fast. See the lights?"
As he, Flyairth and Bigwig peered from the mouth of the hole, the hrududu approached, bouncing and skidding up the track toward them. Flyairth, trembling, turned and would have bolted back among the rabbits below if Bigwig had not restrained her.
"We're not in danger," said Bigwig sharply. "Pull yourself together. This is no time to go tharn, with everybody wondering what's going on. Keep still."
Flyairth, though she seemed half crazy with terror, did what she was told as the hrududu reached the trees and came to a stop a few yards away.
"It's because of that man lying in the snow," said Bigwig. "They've come for him. That's what it is."
Even before the hrududu had slithered to a halt and begun reversing, two men jumped out and ran over to where the man was lying.
"Get his shoulders, David. I'll take his legs."
"But is he alive?"
"Don't know. Let's get him into the jeep first."
Between them, the two men managed to lift their heavy burden into the jeep.
"Not too fast going back, Alan. I want to have a look at him. Anyway, we don't want to shake him about more than we can help."
The hrududu set off in the direction from which it had come, and quiet returned. It was a considerable time, however, before Hazel and Bigwig took the other rabbits out onto the Down and toward its foot. Flyairth was staggering and could hardly keep up: it was only with the encouragement of Hyzenthlay that she was able to reach the concealed holes at the bottom.
Hazel took several of his veterans into the one where he had left Bluebell and Pipkin. Hyzenthlay, with Flyairth, followed him. The burrow was now crammed full, but no one complained or tried to leave.
Hazel lay down in the dark beside Hyzenthlay. After some time, Vilthuril, close by, whispered to him, "Is Flyairth really here?"