sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第16部分

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　shiver；　and　told　herself　that　she　knew　all　that　was　necessary。

鈥渕y　first　step　must　be　to　find　my　father鈥檚　body；鈥潯�she　said。　鈥渨hich　is　where　i　need　your　help；　mogget。鈥�

鈥渋　have　no　knowledge　of　where　he　met　his　end；鈥潯�mogget　stated；　with　finality。　he　yawned；　and　started　licking　his　paws。

sabriel　frowned；　and　found　herself　pulling　in　her　lips；　a　characteristic　she　had　deplored　in　the　unpopular　history　teacher　at　school；　who　often　went　鈥渢hin…lipped鈥潯�in　anger　or　exasperation。

鈥渏ust　tell　me　when　you　last　saw　him；　and　what　his　plans　were。鈥�

鈥渨hy　don鈥檛　you　read　his　diary；鈥潯�suggested　mogget；　in　a　momentary　break　from　cleaning　himself。

鈥渨here　is　it？鈥潯�asked　sabriel；　excited。　a　diary　would　be　tremendously　helpful。

鈥渉e　probably　took　it　with　him；鈥潯�replied　mogget。　鈥渋　haven鈥檛　seen　it。鈥�

鈥渋　thought　you　had　to　help　me！鈥潯�sabriel　said；　another　frown　wrinkling　across　her　forehead；　reinforcing　the　thin　lips。　鈥減lease　answer　my　question。鈥�

鈥渢hree　weeks　ago；鈥潯�mogget　mumbled；　mouth　　half　muffled　in　the　fur　of　his　stomach；　pink　tongue　alternating　between　words　and　cleansing。

鈥渁　messenger　came　from　belisaere；　begging　for　his　help。　something　dead；　something　that　could　pass　the　wards；　was　preying　on　them。

abhorsen鈥攊　mean　the　previous　abhorsen；　ma鈥檃m鈥攕uspected　that　there　was　more　to　it　than　that；　belisaere　being　belisaere。　but　he　went。鈥�

鈥渂elisaere。　the　name鈥檚　familiar鈥攊t鈥檚　a　town？鈥�

鈥渁　city。　the　capital。　at　least　it　was；　when　there　was　still　a　kingdom。鈥�

鈥渨as？鈥�

mogget　stopped　washing；　and　looked　across；　eyes　narrowing　to　frowning　slits。　鈥渨hat　did　they　teach　you　in　that　school？　there　hasn鈥檛　been　a　king　or　queen　for　two　hundred　years；　and　not　even　a　regent　for　twenty。　that鈥檚　why　the　kingdom　sinks　day　by　day；　into　a　darkness　from　which　no　one　will　rise　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渢he　charter鈥斺�潯�sabriel　began；　but　mogget　interrupted　with　a　yowl　of　derision。

鈥渢he　charter　crumbles　too；鈥潯�he　mewed。

鈥渨ithout　a　ruler；　charter　stones　broken　one　by　one　with　blood；　one　of　the　great　charters　twi　。　。　。　twis　。　。　。　twisted鈥斺��

鈥渨hat　do　you　mean；　one　of　the　great　　charters？鈥潯�sabriel　interrupted　in　turn。　she　had　never　heard　of　such　a　thing。　not　for　the　first　time；　she　also　wondered　what　she鈥檇　been　taught　in　school；　and　why　her　father　had　kept　so　quiet　about　the　state　of　the　old　kingdom。

but　mogget　was　silent；　as　if　the　things　he鈥檇　already　said　had　stopped　his　mouth。　for　a　moment；　he　seemed　to　be　trying　to　form　words；　but　nothing　came　from　his　small　red　mouth。

finally；　he　gave　up。　鈥渋　cannot　tell　you。　it鈥檚　part　of　my　binding；　curse　it！　suffice　to　say　that　the　whole　world　slides　into　evil；　and　many　are　helping　the　slide。鈥�

鈥渁nd　others　resist　it；鈥潯�said　sabriel。　鈥渓ike　my　father。　like　me。鈥�

鈥渋t　depends　what　you　do；鈥潯�mogget　said；　as　if　he　doubted　that　someone　as　patently　useless　as　sabriel　would　make　much　difference。　鈥渘ot　that　i　care鈥斺��

the　sound　of　the　trapdoor　opening　above　their　heads　stopped　the　cat　in　mid…speech。

sabriel　tensed；　looking　up　to　see　what　was　ing　down　the　ladder；　then　started　breathing　again　as　she　realized　that　it　was　only　another　charter　sending；　its　black　habit　flopping　over　the　rungs　of　the　ladder　as　it　came　down。　this　　one；　like　the　guards　on　the　cliff　corridor鈥攂ut　unlike　the　other　house　servants鈥攈ad　the　silver　key　emblazoned　on　its　chest　and　back。　it　bowed　to　sabriel；　and　pointed　up。

with　a　feeling　of　foreboding；　sabriel　knew　that　it　wanted　her　to　look　at　something　from　the　observatory。　reluctantly；　she　pushed　her　chair　back　and　went　over　to　the　ladder。　a　cold　draft　was　blowing　in　through　the　open　trapdoor；　carrying　with　it　the　chill　of　ice　from　further　up　the　river。　sabriel　shivered；　as　her　hands　touched　the　cold　metal　rungs。

emerging　into　the　observatory；　the　chill　passed；　for　the　room　was　still　lit　by　the　last；　red　light　of　the　setting　sun；　giving　an　illusion　of　warmth　and　making　sabriel　squint。　she　had　no　memory　of　this　room；　so　it　was　with　delight　that　she　saw　that　it　was　totally　walled　in　glass；　or　something　like　it。　the　bare　beams　of　the　redtiled　roof　rested　on　transparent　walls；　so　cleverly　morticed　together　that　the　roof　was　like　a　work　of　art；　plete　with　the　slight　draft　that　reduced　its　perfection　to　a　more　human　level。

a　large　telescope　of　gleaming　glass　and　bronze　dominated　the　observatory；　standing　triumphant　on　a　tripod　of　dark　wood　and　darker　iron。　a　tall　　observer鈥檚　stool　stood　next　to　it；　and　a　lectern；　a　star　chart　still　spilled　across　it。　a　thick；　toe　wriggle…inviting　carpet　lay　under　all；　a　carpet　that　was　also　a　map　of　the　heavens；　showing　many　different；　colorful　constellations　and　whirling　planets；　woven　in　thick；　richly　dyed　wool。

the　sending；　who　had　followed　sabriel；　went　to　the　south　wall　and　pointed　out　towards　the　southern　riverbank；　its　pallid；　charter…drawn　hand　indicating　the　very　spot　where　sabriel　had　emerged　after　her　underground　flight　from　the　mordicant。

sabriel　looked　there；　shielding　her　right　eye　from　the　west…falling　sun。　her　gaze　crossed　the　white　tops　of　the　river　and　was　drawn　to　the　ledge；　despite　an　inner　quailing　about　what　she　would　see。

as　she　feared；　the　mordicant　was　still　there。

but　with　what　she　had　e　to　think　of　as　her　death　sight；　sabriel　sensed　it　was　quiescent；　temporarily　just　an　unpleasant　statue；　a　foreground　to　other；　more　active　shapes　that　bustled　about　in　some　activity　behind。

sabriel　stared　a　little　longer；　then　went　to　the　telescope；　narrowly　avoiding　mogget；　who　had　somehow　appeared　underfoot。　sabriel　wondered　　how　he　had　got　up　the　ladder；　then　dismissed　the　thought　as　she　concentrated　on　what　was　happening　outside。

unaided；　she　hadn鈥檛　been　certain　what　the　shapes　around　the　mordicant　were；　but　they　sprang　sharply　at　her　through　the　telescope；　drawn　so　close　she　felt　she　could　somehow　lean　forward　and　snatch　them　away。

they　were　men　and　women鈥攍iving；　breathing　people。　each　was　shackled　to　a　partner鈥檚　leg　by　an　iron　chain　and　they　shuffled　about　in　these　pairs　under　the　dominating　presence　of　the　mordicant。　there　were　scores　of　them；　ing　out　of　the　corridor；　carrying　heavily　laden　leather　buckets　or　lengths　of　timber；　taking　them　across　the　ledge　and　down　the　steps　to　the　river。

then　they　filed　back　again；　buckets　empty；　timber　left　behind。

sabriel　depressed　the　telescope　a　little；　and　almost　growled　in　exasperation　and　anger　as　she　saw　the　scene　by　the　river。　more　living　slaves　were　hammering　long　boxes　together　from　the　timber；　and　these　boxes　were　being　filled　with　earth　from　the　buckets。　as　each　box　was　filled；　it　was　pushed　out　to　bridge　the　gap　from　shore　to　stepping…stone　and　locked　in　place　by　slaves　　　hammering　iron　spikes　into　the　stone。

this　particular　part　of　the　operation　was　being　directed　by　something　that　lurked　well　back　from　the　river；　halfway　up　the　steps。　a　manshaped　blot　of　blackest　night；　a　moving　silhouette。

a　necromancer鈥檚　shadow　hand；　or　some　free…willed　dead　spirit　that　scorned　the　use　of　a　body。

as　sabriel　watched；　the　last　of　four　boxes　was　thrust　out　to　the　first　stepping…stone；　spiked　in　place；　and　then　chained　to　its　three　adjacent　fellows。　one　slave；　fastening　the　chain；　overbalanced　and　went　headfirst　into　the　water；　his　shackle…mate　following　a　second　later。　their　screams；　if　any；　were　drowned　by　the　roar　of　the　waterfall　as　its　waters　took　their　bodies。　a　few　seconds　later；　sabriel　felt　their　lives　snuffed　out。

the　other　slaves　at　the　river鈥檚　edge　stopped　working　for　a　moment；　either　shocked　at　the　sudden　loss；　or　momentarily　made　more　afraid　of　the　river　than　their　masters。　but　the　shadow　hand　on　the　steps　moved　towards　them；　its　legs　like　treacle；　pouring　down　the　slope；　lapping　over　each　step　in　turn。　it　gestured　for　some　of　the　nearer　slaves　to　walk　across　the　earth…filled　boxes　to　the　stepping…stone。　they　did　so；　to　cluster　unhappily　amid　the　spray。

the　shadow　hand　hesitated　then；　but　the　mordicant　on　the　ledge　above　seemed　to　stir　and　rock　forward　a　little；　so　the　shadowy　abomination　gingerly　trod　on　the　boxes鈥攁nd　walked　across　to　the　stepping…stone；　taking　no　scathe　from　the　running　water。

鈥済rave　dirt；鈥潯�mented　mogget；　who　obviously　didn鈥檛　need　the　telescope。　鈥渃arted　up　by　the　villagers　from　qyrre　and　roble鈥檚　town。　i　wonder　if　they鈥檝e　got　enough　to　cross　all　the　stones。鈥�

鈥済rave　dirt；鈥潯�mented　sabriel　bleakly；　watching　a　fresh　round　of　slaves　arriving　with　buckets　and　more　timber。　鈥渋　had　forgotten　it　could　negate　the　running　water。　i　thought　。　。　。　i　thought　i　would　be　safe　here；　for　a　time。鈥�

鈥渨ell；　you　are；鈥潯�said　mogget。　鈥渋t鈥檒l　take　at　least　until　tomorrow　evening　before　their　bridge　is　plete；　particularly　allowing　for　a　couple　of　hours　off　around　noon；　when　the　dead　will　have　to　hide　if　it　isn鈥檛　overcast。　but　this　shows　planning；　and　that　means　a　leader。　still；　every　abhorsen　has　enemies。　it　may　just　be　a　petty　necromancer　with　a　better　brain　for　strategy　than　most。鈥�

鈥渋　slew　a　dead　thing　at　cloven　crest；鈥潯�sabriel　　said　slowly；　thinking　aloud。　鈥渋t　said　it　would　have　its　revenge　and　spoke　of　telling　the　servants　of　kerrigor。　do　you　know　that　name？鈥�

鈥渋　know　it；鈥潯�spat　mogget；　tail　quivering　straight　out　behind　him。　鈥渂ut　i　cannot　speak　of　it；　except　to　say　it　is　one　of　the　greater　dead；　and　your　father鈥檚　most　terrible　enemy。　do　not　say　it　lives　again！鈥�

鈥渋　don鈥檛　know；鈥潯�replied　sabriel；　looking　down　at　the　cat；　whose　body　seemed　twisted；　as　if　in　turmoil　between　mand　and　resistance。

鈥渨hy　can鈥檛　you　tell　me　more？　the　binding？鈥�

鈥渁　。　。　。　a　perversion　of　。　。　。　the　g　。　。　。　g　。　。　。　yes；鈥�

mogget　croaked　out　with　effort。　though　his　green　eyes　seemed　to　grow　luminous　and　fiery　with　anger　at　his　own　feeble　explanation；　he　could　say　no　more。

鈥渃oils　within　coils；鈥潯�remarked　sabriel　thoughtfully。　there　seemed　little　doubt　that　some　evil　power　was　working　against　her；　from　the　moment　she鈥檇　crossed　the　wall鈥攐r　even　before　that；　if　her　father鈥檚　disappearance　was　anything　to　go　by。

she　looked　back　through　the　telescope　again　and　took　some　heart　in　the　slowing　of　the　work　as　the　last　light　faded；　though　at　the　same　time　　she　felt　a　pang　of　sy