sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第42部分

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it　was　laughter；　laughter　echoing　out　of　the　fog；　which　now　billowed　across　the　water；　ing　closer　and　closer；　till　the　retreating　mordicant　was　enveloped　in　it；　and　lost　to　sight。

鈥渄id　my　hound　scare　you；　little　brother？鈥潯�said　a　voice　from　within　the　fog。

鈥渙w！鈥潯�exclaimed　sabriel；　feeling　mogget鈥檚　claws　on　her　physical　body。　abhorsen　looked　at　her；　raising　one　silvery　eyebrow　questioningly。

鈥渟omething　touched　my　body　in　life；鈥潯�she　explained。　鈥渕ogget；　i　think。　i　wonder　what鈥檚　happening？鈥�

they　stood　at　the　very　edge　of　death；　on　the　border　with　life。　no　dead　had　tried　to　stop　them；　　and　they鈥檇　passed　easily　through　the　first　gate。

perhaps　any　dead　would　quail　from　the　sight　of　two　abhorsens　。　。　。

now　they　waited。　sabriel　didn鈥檛　know　why。

somehow；　abhorsen　seemed　to　be　able　to　see　into　life；　or　to　work　out　what　was　happening。　he　stood　like　an　eavesdropper；　body　slightly　bent；　ear　cocked　to　a　non…existent　door。

sabriel；　on　the　other　hand；　stood　like　a　soldier；　keeping　watch　for　the　dead。　the　broken　stones　made　this　part　of　death　an　attractive　high　road　into　life；　and　she　had　expected　to　find　many　dead　here；　trying　to　take　advantage　of　the　鈥渉ole。鈥潯�but　it　was　not　so。　they　seemed　to　be　alone　in　the　grey；　featureless　river；　their　only　neighbors　the　swells　and　eddies　of　the　water。

abhorsen　closed　his　eyes；　concentrating　even　harder；　then　opened　them　to　a　wide…eyed　stare　and　touched　sabriel　lightly　on　the　arm。

鈥渋t　is　almost　time；鈥潯�he　said　gently。　鈥渨hen　we　emerge；　i　want　you　to　take　。　。　。　touchstone　。　。　。

and　run　for　the　southern　stairs。　do　not　stop　for　anything；　anything　at　all。　once　outside；　climb　up　to　the　top　of　the　palace　hill；　to　the　west　yard。

it鈥檚　just　an　empty　field　now鈥攖ouchstone　will　　　know　how　to　get　there。　if　the　clayr　are　watching　properly；　and　haven鈥檛　got　their　whens　mixed　up；　there鈥檒l　be　a　paperwing　there鈥斺��

鈥渁　paperwing！鈥潯�interrupted　sabriel。　鈥渂ut　i　crashed　it。鈥�

鈥渢here　are　several　around；鈥潯�replied　abhorsen。

鈥渢he　abhorsen　who　made　it鈥攖he　forty…sixth；　i　think鈥攖aught　several　others　how　to　construct　them。　anyway；　it　should　be　there。　the　clayr　will　also　be　there；　or　a　messenger；　to　tell　you　where　to　find　kerrigor鈥檚　body　in　ancelstierre。　fly　as　close　to　the　wall　as　possible；　cross；　find　the　body鈥攁nd　destroy　it！鈥�

鈥渨hat　will　you　be　doing？鈥潯�whispered　sabriel。

鈥渉ere　is　saraneth；鈥潯�replied　abhorsen；　not　meeting　her　gaze。　鈥済ive　me　your　sword；　and　。　。　。

astarael。鈥�

the　seventh　bell。　astarael　the　sorrowful。

weeper。

sabriel　didn鈥檛　move；　made　no　motion　to　hand　over　bell　or　blade。　abhorsen　pushed　saraneth　into　its　pouch；　and　did　up　the　strap。　he　started　to　undo　the　strap　that　held　astarael；　but　sabriel鈥檚　hand　closed　on　his；　gripping　it　tightly。

鈥渢here　must　be　another　way；鈥潯�she　cried。　鈥渨e　can　all　escape　together鈥斺��

鈥渘o；鈥潯�said　abhorsen　firmly。　he　gently　pushed　her　hand　away。　sabriel　let　go；　and　he　took　astarael　carefully　from　the　bandolier；　making　sure　it　couldn鈥檛　sound。　鈥渄oes　the　walker　choose　the　path；　or　the　path　the　walker？鈥�

numbly；　sabriel　handed　him　her　sword　。　。　。　his　sword。　her　empty　hands　hung　open　by　her　sides。

鈥渋　have　walked　in　death　to　the　very　precipice　of　the　ninth　gate；鈥潯�abhorsen　said　quietly。　鈥渋　know　the　secrets　and　horrors　of　the　nine　precincts。　i　do　not　know　what　lies　beyond；　but　everything　that　lives　must　go　there；　in　the　proper　time。　that　is　the　rule　that　governs　our　work　as　the　abhorsen；　but　it　also　governs　us。　you　are　the　fifty…third　abhorsen；　sabriel。　i　have　not　taught　you　as　well　as　i　should鈥攍et　this　be　my　final　lesson。　everyone　and　everything　has　a　time　to　die。鈥�

he　bent　forward；　and　kissed　her　forehead；　just　under　the　rim　of　her　helmet。　for　a　moment；　she　stood　like　a　stringed　puppet　at　rest；　then　she　flung　herself　against　his　chest；　feeling　the　soft　fabric　of　his　surcoat。　she　seemed　to　diminish　in　size；　till　once　again　she　was　a　little　girl；　running　to　his　embrace　at　the　school　gates。　as　she　could　then；　she　heard　the　slow　beating　of　his　heart。　only　now；　she　heard　the　beats　as　grains　in　a　time…　　piece；　counting　his　hard…won　hundred　hundreds；　counting　till　it　was　time　for　him　to　die。

she　hugged　him　tightly；　her　arms　meeting　around　his　back；　his　arms　outstretched　like　a　cross；　sword　in　one　hand；　bell　in　the　other。　then；　she　let　go。

they　turned　together；　and　plunged　out　into　life。

kerrigor　laughed　again；　an　obscene　cackle　that　rose　to　a　manic　crescendo；　before　suddenly　cutting　to　an　ominous　silence。　the　dead　resumed　their　drumming；　softer　now；　and　the　fog　drifted　forward　with　horrible　certainty。　touchstone；　drenched　and　partly　drowned；　watched　it　with　the　taut　nerves　of　a　mouse　captivated　by　a　gliding　snake。　somewhere　in　the　back　of　his　mind；　he　noted　that　it　was　easier　to　see　the　whiteness　of　the　fog。　up　above；　the　clouds　had　gone；　and　the　edges　of　the　reservoir　were　once　again　lit　by　filtered　sunlight。　but　they　were　forty　paces　or　more　from　the　edge　。　。　。

a　cracking　noise　behind　him　made　him　start；　and　turn；　a　jolt　of　fear　suddenly　overlaid　with　relief。　sabriel；　and　her　father；　were　returning　　to　life！　ice　flakes　fell　from　them　in　miniature　flurries；　and　the　layer　of　ice　around　abhorsen鈥檚　middle　broke　into　several　small　floes　and　drifted　away。

touchstone　blinked　as　the　frost　fell　away　from　their　hands　and　faces。　now　sabriel　was　emptyhanded；　and　abhorsen　wielded　the　sword　and　bell。

鈥渢hank　the　charter！鈥潯�exclaimed　touchstone；　as　they　opened　their　eyes　and　moved。

but　no　one　heard　him；　for　in　that　instant　a　terrible　scream　of　rage　and　fury　burst　out　of　the　fog；　so　loud　the　columns　shivered；　and　ripples　burst　out　across　the　water。

touchstone　turned　again；　and　the　fog　was　flying　away　in　shreds；　revealing　the　mordicant　crouched　low；　only　its　eyes　and　long　mouth；　bubbling　with　oily　flames；　visible　above　the　water。

behind　it；　with　one　elongated　hand　upon　its　bogclay　head；　stood　something　that　might　be　thought　of　as　a　man。

staring；　touchstone　saw　that　kerrigor　had　tried　to　make　the　body　he　currently　inhabited　look　like　the　rogir　of　old；　but　either　his　skills；　memory　or　taste　were　sadly　lacking。　kerrigor　stood　at　least　seven　feet　tall；　his　body　impossibly　　deep…chested　and　narrow…waisted。　his　head　was　too　thin；　and　too　long；　and　his　mouth　spread　from　ear　to　ear。　his　eyes　did　not　bear　looking　at；　for　they　were　thin　slits　burning　with　free　magic　fires鈥攏ot　eyes　at　all。

but　somehow；　even　so　warped；　he　did　have　a　little　of　the　look　of　rogir。　take　a　man；　make　him　malleable；　stretch　and　twist　。　。　。

the　hideous　mouth　opened；　yawning　wider　and　wider；　then　kerrigor　laughed；　a　short　laugh；　punctuated　by　the　snap　of　his　closing　jaws。

then　he　spoke；　and　his　voice　was　as　warped　and　twisted　as　his　body。

鈥渋　am　fortunate。　three　bearers　of　blood鈥敗�blood　for　the　breaking！　three！鈥�

touchstone　kept　staring；　hearing　kerrigor鈥檚　voice；　still　somewhat　like　rogir鈥檚；　rich　but　rotten；　wet　like　worm…ridden　fruit。　he　saw　both　the　new；　twisted　kerrigor　and　the　other；　betterfashioned　body　he鈥檇　known　as　rogir。　he　saw　the　dagger　again；　slashing　across　the　queen鈥檚　throat；　the　blood　cascading　out；　the　golden　cup　。　。　。

a　hand　grabbed　him；　turned　him　around；　took　his　left　sword　from　his　grasp。　he　suddenly　refocused；　gasping　for　air　again；　and　saw　sabriel。

she　had　his　left　sword　in　her　right　hand；　and　　now　took　his　open　palm　in　her　left；　dragging　him　towards　the　south。　he　let　her　pull；　following　in　a　splashing；　loose…limbed　run。　everything　seemed　to　close　in　then；　his　vision　narrowing；　like　a　halfremembered　dream。

he　saw　sabriel鈥檚　father鈥攖he　abhorsen鈥攆or　the　first　time　devoid　of　frost。　he　looked　hard；　determined；　but　he　smiled；　and　bowed　his　head　a　fraction　as　they　passed。　touchstone　wondered　why　he　was　going　the　wrong　way　。　。　。　towards　kerrigor；　towards　the　dagger　and　the　catching　cup。　mogget　was　on　his　shoulder　too；　and　that　was　unlike　mogget；　going　into　danger　。　。　。　there　was　something　else　peculiar　about　mogget　too　。　。　。　yes；　his　collar　was　gone　。　。　。　maybe　he　should　turn　and　go　back；　put　mogget鈥檚　collar　back　on；　try　and　fight　kerrigor　。　。　。

鈥渞un！　damn　you！　run！鈥潯�screamed　sabriel；　as　he　half…turned。　her　voice　snapped　him　out　of　whatever　trance　he鈥檇　been　in。　nausea　hit；　for　they鈥檇　left　the　diamond　of　protection。　unwarned；　he　threw　up　immediately；　turning　his　head　as　they　ran。　he　realized　he　was　dragging　on　sabriel鈥檚　hand；　and　forced　himself　to　run　faster；　though　his　legs　felt　dead；　numbed　by　savage　pins　and　needles。　he　could　hear　the　dead　again　now；　　chanting；　and　drumming；　drumming　fast。　there　were　voices　too；　raised　loud；　echoing　in　the　vast　cavern。　the　howl　of　the　mordicant；　and　a　strange　buzzing；　crackling　sound　that　he　felt　rather　than　heard。

they　reached　the　southern　stair；　but　sabriel　didn鈥檛　slacken　her　pace；　jumping　up　and　off；　out　of　the　twilight　of　the　reservoir　into　total　darkness。

touchstone　lost　her　hand；　then　found　it　again；　and　they　stumbled　up　the　steps　together；　swords　held　dangerously　ahead　and　behind；　striking　sparks　from　the　stone。　still　they　heard　the　tumult　from　behind；　the　howling；　drumming；　shouting；　all　magnified　by　the　water　and　the　vastness　of　the　reservoir。　then　another　sound　began；　cutting　through　the　noise　with　the　clarity　of　perfection。

it　started　softly；　like　a　tuning　fork　lightly　struck；　but　grew；　a　pure　note；　blown　by　a　trumpeter　of　inexhaustible　breath；　till　there　was　nothing　but　the　sound。　the　sound　of　astarael。

sabriel　and　touchstone　both　stopped；　almost　in　mid…stride。　they　felt　a　terrible　urge　to　leave　their　bodies；　to　shuck　them　off　as　so　much　worn…out　baggage。　their　spirits鈥攖heir　essential　selves鈥攚anted　to　go；　to　go　into　death　and　　plunge　joyfully　into　the　strongest　current；　to　be　carried　to　the　very　end。

鈥渢hink　of　life！鈥潯�screamed　sabriel；　her　voice　only　just　audible　through　the　pure　note。　she　could　feel　touchstone　dying；　his　will　insufficient　to　hold　him　in　life。　he　seemed　almost　to　expect　this　sudden　summons　into　death。

鈥渇ight　it！鈥潯�she　screamed　again；　dropping　her　sword　to　slap　him　across　the　face。　鈥渓ive！鈥�

still　he　slipped　away。　desperate；　she　grabbed　him　by　the　ears；　and　kissed　him　savagely；　biting　his　lip；　the　salty　b