sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第15部分

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鈥渋鈥檝e　had　to　eat　in　the　kitchen　for　the　last　two　weeks；鈥潯�mogget　said　sourly；　as　two　sendings　approached　from　the　kitchen；　bearing　plates　that　signaled　their　arrival　with　a　tantalizing　odor　of　spices　and　hot　food。

鈥渋　expect　it　was　good　for　you；鈥潯�sabriel　replied　brightly；　taking　a　mouthful　of　wine。　it　was　a　fruity；　dry　white　wine；　though　sabriel　hadn鈥檛　developed　a　palate　to　know　whether　it　was　good　or　merely　indifferent。　it　was　certainly　drinkable。

her　first　major　experiments　with　alcohol　lay　several　years　behind　her；　enshrined　in　memory　as　significant　occasions　shared　with　two　of　her　closest　friends。　none　of　the　three　could　ever　drink　brandy　again；　but　sabriel　had　started　to　enjoy　wine　with　her　meals。

鈥渁nyway；　how　did　you　know　i　was　ing？鈥�

sabriel　asked。　鈥渋　didn鈥檛　know　myself；　till　。　。　。　till　father　sent　his　message。鈥�

the　cat　didn鈥檛　answer　at　once；　his　attention　focused　on　the　plate　of　fish　the　sending　had　just　put　down鈥攕mall；　almost　circular　fish；　with　the　bright　eyes　and　shiny　scales　of　the　freshly　caught。

sabriel　had　them　too；　but　hers　were　grilled；　with　a　tomato；　garlic　and　basil　sauce。

鈥渋　have　served　ten　times　as　many　of　your　forebears　as　you　have　years；鈥潯�mogget　replied　at　last。

鈥渁nd　though　my　powers　wane　with　the　ebb　of　time；　i　always　know　when　one　abhorsen　falls　and　another　takes　their　place。鈥�

sabriel　swallowed　her　last　mouthful；　all　taste　gone；　and　put　down　her　fork。　she　took　a　mouthful　of　wine　to　clear　her　throat；　but　it　seemed　to　have　bee　vinegar；　making　her　cough。

鈥渨hat　do　you　mean　by　鈥榝all鈥櫍俊�what　do　you　know？　what　has　happened　to　father？鈥�

mogget　looked　up　at　sabriel；　eyes　half…lidded；　meeting　her　gaze　steadily；　as　no　normal　cat　could。

鈥渉e　is　dead；　sabriel。　even　if　he　hasn鈥檛　passed　the　final　gate；　he　will　walk　in　life　no　more。　that　is鈥斺��

鈥渘o；鈥潯�interrupted　sabriel。　鈥渉e　can鈥檛　be！　he　cannot　be。　he　is　a　necromancer　。　。　。　he　can鈥檛　be　dead　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渢hat　is　why　he　sent　the　sword　and　bells　to　you；　as　his　aunt　sent　them　to　him；　in　her　time；鈥�

mogget　continued；　ignoring　sabriel鈥檚　outburst。

鈥渁nd　he　was　not　a　necromancer；　he　was　abhorsen。鈥�

鈥渋　don鈥檛　understand；鈥潯�sabriel　whispered。　she　couldn鈥檛　face　mogget鈥檚　eyes　anymore。　鈥渋　don鈥檛　know　。　。　。　i　don鈥檛　know　enough。　about　anything。

the　old　kingdom；　charter　magic；　even　my　own　father。　why　do　you　say　his　name　as　if　it　were　a　title？鈥�

鈥渋t　is。　he　was　the　abhorsen。　now　you　are。鈥�

sabriel　digested　this　in　silence；　staring　at　the　swirls　of　fish　and　sauce　on　her　plate；　silver　scales　and　red　tomato　blurring　into　a　pattern　of　swords　and　fire。　the　table　blurred　too；　and　the　room　beyond；　and　she　felt　herself　reaching　for　the　border　with　death。　but　try　as　she　might；　she　couldn鈥檛　cross　it。　she　sensed　it；　but　there　was　no　way　to　cross；　in　either　direction鈥攁bhorsen鈥檚　house　was　too　well　protected。　but　she　did　feel　something　at　the　border。　inimical　things　lurked　there；　waiting　for　her　to　cross；　but　there　was　also　the　faintest　thread　of　something　familiar；　like　the　scent　of　a　woman鈥檚　perfume　after　she　has　left　the　room；　or　the　waft　of　a　particular　pipe　tobacco　around　a　corner。　sabriel　focused　on　it　and　threw　herself　once　more　at　the　barrier　that　separated　her　from　death。

only　to　ricochet　back　to　life；　as　sharp　claws　pricked　her　arm。　her　eyes　snapped　open；　blinking　off　flakes　of　frost；　to　see　mogget；　fur　bristling；　one　paw　ready　to　strike　again。

鈥渇ool！鈥潯�he　hissed。　鈥測ou　are　the　only　one　who　can　break　the　wards　of　this　house　and　they　wait　for　you　to　do　so！鈥�

sabriel　stared　at　the　angry　cat；　unseeing；　biting　back　a　sharp　and　proud　retort　as　she　realized　the　truth　in　mogget鈥檚　words。　there　were　dead　spirits　waiting；　and　probably　the　mordicant　would　cross　as　well鈥攁nd　she　would　have　faced　them　alone　and　weaponless。

鈥渋鈥檓　sorry；鈥潯�she　muttered；　bowing　her　head　into　two　frosted　hands。　she　hadn鈥檛　felt　this　stupidly　awful　since　she鈥檇　burned　one　of　the　headmistress鈥檚　rose　bushes　with　an　uncontrolled　charter…spell；　narrowly　missing　the　school鈥檚　ancient　and　much…loved　gardener。　she　had　cried　then；　but　she　was　older　now；　and　could　keep　the　tears　at　bay。

鈥渇ather　is　not　yet　truly　dead；鈥潯�she　said；　after　a　moment。　鈥渋　felt　his　presence；　though　he　is　trapped　beyond　many　gates。　i　could　bring　him　back。鈥�

鈥測ou　must　not；鈥潯�said　mogget　firmly；　and　his　voice　now　seemed　to　carry　all　the　weight　of　centuries。

鈥測ou　are　abhorsen；　and　must　put　the　dead　to　rest。　your　path　is　chosen。鈥�

鈥渋　can　walk　a　different　path；鈥潯�sabriel　replied　firmly；　raising　her　head。

mogget　seemed　about　to　protest　again；　then　he　laughed鈥攁　sardonic　laugh鈥攁nd　jumped　back　to　his　stool。

鈥渄o　as　you　will；鈥潯�he　said。　鈥渨hy　should　i　gainsay　you？　i　am　but　a　slave；　bound　to　service。　why　would　i　weep　if　abhorsen　falls　to　evil？　it　is　your　father　who　would　curse　you；　and　your　mother　too鈥攁nd　the　dead　who　will　be　merry。鈥�

鈥渋　don鈥檛　think　he鈥檚　dead；鈥潯�sabriel　said；　bright　blushes　of　withheld　emotion　in　her　pallid　cheeks；　frost　melting；　trickling　down　around　her　face。

鈥渉is　spirit　felt　alive。　he　is　trapped　in　death；　i　think；　but　his　body　lives。　would　i　still　be　reviled　if　i　brought　him　back　then？鈥�

鈥渘o；鈥潯�said　mogget；　calm　again。　鈥渂ut　he　has　sent　the　sword　and　bells。　you　are　only　wishing　that　he　lives。鈥�

鈥渋　feel　it；鈥潯�sabriel　said　simply。　鈥渁nd　i　must　find　out　if　my　feeling　is　true。鈥�

鈥減erhaps　it　is　so鈥攖hough　strange。鈥潯�mogget　seemed　to　be　musing　to　himself；　his　voice　a　soft　half…purr。　鈥渋　have　grown　dull。　this　collar　strangles　me；　chokes　my　wits　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渉elp　me；　mogget；鈥潯�sabriel　suddenly　pleaded；　　reaching　over　to　touch　her　hand　to　the　cat鈥檚　head；　scratching　under　the　collar。　鈥渋　need　to　know鈥攊　need　to　know　so　much！鈥�

mogget　purred　under　the　scratching；　but　as　sabriel　leaned　close；　she　could　hear　the　faint　peal　of　the　tiny　saraneth　bell　cut　through　the　purr；　and　she　was　reminded　that　mogget　was　no　cat；　but　a　free　magic　creature。　for　a　moment；　sabriel　wondered　what　mogget鈥檚　true　shape　was；　and　his　true　nature。

鈥渋　am　the　servant　of　abhorsen；鈥潯�mogget　said　at　last。　鈥渁nd　you　are　abhorsen；　so　i　must　help　you。　but　you　must　promise　me　that　you　will　not　raise　your　father；　if　his　body　is　dead。　truly；　he　would　not　wish　it。鈥�

鈥渋　cannot　promise。　but　i　will　not　act　without　much　thought。　and　i　will　listen　to　you；　if　you　are　by　me。鈥�

鈥渋　guessed　as　much；鈥潯�mogget　said；　twisting　his　head　away　from　sabriel鈥檚　hand。　鈥渋t　is　true　that　you　are　sadly　ignorant；　or　you　would　promise　with　a　will。　your　father　should　never　have　sent　you　beyond　the　wall。鈥�

鈥渨hy　did　he？鈥潯�asked　sabriel；　her　heart　suddenly　leaping　with　the　question　that　had　been　with　her　all　her　school　days；　a　question　abhorsen　　had　always　smiled　away　with　the　one　word；　鈥渘ecessity。鈥�

鈥渉e　was　afraid；鈥潯�replied　mogget；　turning　his　attention　back　to　the　fish。　鈥測ou　were　safer　in　ancelstierre。鈥�

鈥渨hat　was　he　afraid　of？鈥�

鈥渆at　your　fish；鈥潯�replied　mogget；　as　two　sendings　appeared　from　the　kitchen；　bearing　what　was　obviously　the　next　course。　鈥渨e鈥檒l　talk　later。　in　the　study。鈥�

w锛穡锛氾紵



chapter　ix

灏彙ｈ�淬�倀/x/t澶�。鍫�
lanterns　lit　the　study；　old　brass　lanterns　that　burned　with　charter　magic　in　place　of　oil。　smokeless；　silent　and　eternal；　they　provided　as　good　a　light　as　the　electric　bulbs　of　ancelstierre。

books　lined　the　walls；　following　the　curves　of　the　tower　around；　save　for　where　the　stair　rose　from　below；　and　the　ladder　climbed　to　the　observatory　above。

a　redwood　table　sat　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　its　legs　scaled　and　beady…eyed；　ornamental　flames　licking　from　the　mouths　of　the　dragonheads　that　gripped　each　corner　of　the　tabletop。

an　inkwell；　pens；　papers　and　a　pair　of　bronze　map　dividers　lay　upon　the　table。　chairs　of　the　same　red　wood　surrounded　it；　their　upholstery　black　with　a　variation　on　the　silver　key　motif。

the　table　was　one　of　the　few　things　sabriel　remembered　from　her　childhood　visits。　鈥渄ragon　desk鈥潯�her　father　had　called　it；　and　she鈥檇　wrapped　herself　around　one　of　those　dragon　legs；　her　head　not　even　reaching　the　underside　of　the　table。

sabriel　ran　her　hand　over　the　smooth；　cool　wood；　feeling　both　her　memory　of　it　and　the　current　sensation；　then　she　sighed；　pulled　up　a　chair　and　put　down　the　three　books　she鈥檇　tucked　under　her　arm。　two；　she　put　together　close　to　her；　the　other　she　pushed　to　the　center　of　the　table。　this　third　book　came　from　the　single　glassed…in　cabinet　among　the　bookshelves　and　now　lay　like　some　quiescent　predator；　possibly　asleep；　possibly　waiting　to　spring。　its　binding　was　of　pale　green　leather　and　charter　marks　burned　in　the　silver　clasps　that　held　it　closed。　the　book　of　the　dead。

the　other　two　books　were　normal　enough　by　parison。　both　were　charter　magic　spell　books；　listing　mark　after　mark；　and　how　they　could　be　used。　sabriel　didn鈥檛　even　recognize　most　of　the　marks　after　chapter　four　in　the　first　book。

there　were　twenty　chapters　in　each　volume。

doubtless　there　were　many　other　books　that　　would　be　useful；　sabriel　thought；　but　she　still　felt　too　tired　and　shaky　to　get　more　down。　she　planned　to　talk　to　mogget；　then　study　for　an　hour　or　two；　before　going　back　to　bed。　even　four　or　five　waking　hours　seemed　too　much　after　her　ordeal；　and　the　loss　of　consciousness　involved　in　sleep　suddenly　seemed　very　appealing。

mogget；　as　if　he　had　heard　sabriel　thinking　of　him；　appeared　at　the　top　of　the　steps　and　sauntered　over　to　sprawl　on　a　well…upholstered　footstand。

鈥渋　see　you　have　found　that　book；鈥潯�he　said；　tail　flicking　backwards　and　forwards　as　he　spoke。

鈥渢ake　care　you　do　not　read　too　much。鈥�

鈥渋鈥檝e　already　read　it　all；　anyway；鈥潯�replied　sabriel；　shortly。

鈥減erhaps；鈥潯�remarked　the　cat。　鈥渂ut　it　isn鈥檛　always　the　same　book。　like　me；　it　is　several　things；　not　one。鈥�

sabriel　shrugged；　as　if　to　show　that　she　knew　all　about　the　book。　but　that　was　just　bravado鈥敗�the　inner　sabriel　was　afraid　of　the　book　of　the　dead。　she　had　worked　her　way　through　every　chapter；　under　her　father鈥檚　direction；　but　her　normally　excellent　memory　held　only　selected　pages　of　this　tome。　if　it　changed　its　contents　as　　well鈥攕he　suppressed　a