The young Redwallers have a pillowfight which the Eurasian red squirrel Dwink (who was especially sceptical of Bisky's tale) started.

Griv leaves for the lair of the Doomwytes, of which she is a member, and tells the Wytes' leader, Korvus Skurr the common raven, about the jewels.

Bisky and Dwink are caught in their fight by the infirmary keeper Brother Torilis, who reports them to Abbot Glisam.

All three tell a similar account of Gonff stealing the jewels and offering them to Columbine, who refuses to have them because they have seen too much evil.

Korvus then makes a pact with the giant adder Baliss, the descendant of Asmodeus from the first book in the series.

The party searching for the jewels, which included Bisky, Dwink, Samolus, Skipper Rorgus, Foremole Gullub Gurrpaw and Gatekeeper Umfry Spikkle, attempt to solve Gonff's riddle, which leads them to the cellar and, from there, to a tunnel.

Bisky, Rorgus and Umfry go down one, Samolus, Bosie and Dwink go down another, and Foremole Gullub stays behind to guard the rations.

Tarul, having been starved and nearly deafened due to his hiding place near the belltower, finally sees his chance when two Dibbuns come and ring the bells.

Tugga Bruster and the Guosim arrive at Redwall and are from there guided to the Painted Ones' lair to rescue Bisky and Dubble.

The Redwallers and the Guosim see Baliss thrashing around in madness due to Corksnout's spikes, and are soon ambushed by the Painted Ones.

Zaran is digging above the Doomwytes' lair to make it collapse and cave in, suffocating the inhabitants inside.

Baliss has arrived at the Doomwytes' lair and has caved in a single entrance, blocking himself and the Wytes' inside.

In a panic, the carrion crows and rooks begin frantically eating their reptilian counterparts, with only Sicariss being spared.

Bisky and Spingo steal a Guosim logboat to sail down the River Moss and attempt to find Dubble.

Gonff's next clue frequently cites "Friar's Grace" which turns out to be a clay pot made by Goody Stickle.

To Brother Torilis' dismay, the searchers break the pot, revealing another green emerald and the next clue.

They inform the Redwallers about the situation above the Doomwytes' lair, and Friar Skurpul leads the moles to the rescue as Deputy Foremole.

Bosie, Zaran, Spingo and the mole Frubb collapse the Doomwytes' lair, crushing Baliss inside.

The Abbey mourns the death of Skurpul, Ruttur, Rooter and Grabul, the moles who died saving Spingo.

Abbot Glisam, seeing that the jewels have seen too much evil, buries them in the memory of the moles on top of the crushed Doomwyte rock.

Glisam, having retired as Abbot, becomes Abbey Teacher, teaching the illiterate Umfry Spikkle how to read and write.