Matthias in the lead they pounded

The two mice hugged each other. They danced around amid the chaos of paper, chanting with joy,







"The gatehouse is the threshold, The gatehouse is the threshold."







The Abbot, who was passing by, heard the noise. He shook his head at Ambrose Spike who was coming from the opposite direction.







1 "Mayhaps they've been at the October ale a little too much, ; Father Abbot," said the hedgehog. <ii" The Abbot chuckled at the idea.In addition, different seed funding schemes have been established to support our students and graduates to kick start their businesses under the programmes. "Well, if it helps them on







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their mission of discovery, Ambrose, perhaps they ought to drink some more, eh?"







"Aye," Ambrose agreed. '"Tis enough to inspire any creature, good October ale. Perhaps it might inspire you one day to make me keeper of the cellar keys. Father."







Inside the gatehouse study the two companions were once more at work, trying to break the code of the Great Hall rhyme.







"Well, that's another piece of the puzzle in place," said Methuselah. "But we've jumped ahead of ourselves a bit. There are four lines before that to crack yet:







'Look for the sword In moonlight streaming forth, At night, when day's first hour Reflects the north the pavilia bay.'"







Matthias interrupted. "Those first two lines sound as if they could only be solved in the darkness. 'Look for the sword in moonlight streaming forth.'"







"I agree," replied Methuselah, "but the next line is of vital importance. It tells exactly when to look - 'at night, when day's first hour.1"







"Hmm," Matthias mused, "let's look at this logically. Go through it word by word."







Slowly they repeated the line together, "'At night, when day's first hour.'"







Methuselah slumped in his armchair. "I'm afraid it doesn't mean anything to me?







"Wait!" cried Matthias. "Midnight is the last hour of the old day, so by the same token, one o'clock in the morning is the first hour of the new day, but we still tend to class it as nighttime. It is as the rhyme says, 'at night when day's first hour.'"







"I believe you are right," said the old mouse. "'Day's first hour' is not when it becomes light. It's one in the morning, still dark."







Matthias leaned wearily against a stack of books. "But if the gatehouse is the threshold, where are we supposed to stand to see anything an hour after midnight?"







"That's easy," grinned Methuselah. "The rhyme says, 'from o'er the threshold seek and you will see.' It's simple! What is above our heads right now?"







Matthias shrugged. "The wall, I suppose."







Methuselah banged his paw down on the arm of the chair. "Exactly. And where is the only place you can stand on a wall but on top of it."







Suddenly it became clear to Matthias. "Oh, I see," he cried, "'From o'er the threshold' means that we must stand on the wall directly above the gatehouse ."







As fast as they could run, both mice hurried up the steps to the top of the wall. With along the ramparts. Matthias stopped above the gatehouse and stamped his foot upon the stones.







"I'd say about here. Would you agree?"







Methuselah looked a trifle doubtful. "It looks to be a very rough approximation."







Matthias had to concede. He looked sheepishly about. The stones where they stood were no different from any other part of the wall. The trail seemed to have gone cold again. Dejectedly Matthias sat down on a heap of rock and rubble that had been there since the invasion.







"Huh, what are we supposed to do now? Hang about up here until after midnight and wait for a miracle?"







The old gatehouse-keeper raised an admonitory paw. "Patience, young one, patience. Let us take stock and review the facts. Lend me your knife for a moment."