sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第5部分

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ged；　and　the　papers　were　in　her　hand。　an　ancelstierre　passport；　as　well　as　the　much　rarer　document　the　ancelstierre　perimeter　mand　issued　to　people　who　had　　traffic　in　both　countries：　a　hand…bound　document　printed　by　letterpress　on　handmade　paper；　with　an　artist鈥檚　sketch　instead　of　a　photograph　and　prints　from　thumbs　and　toes　in　a　purple　ink。

the　soldier　blinked；　but　said　nothing。　perhaps；　thought　sabriel；　as　he　took　the　proffered　documents；　the　man　thought　it　was　a　parlor　trick。　or　perhaps　he　just　didn鈥檛　notice。　maybe　charter　magic　was　mon　here；　so　close　to　the　wall。

the　man　looked　through　her　documents　carefully；　but　without　real　interest。　sabriel　now　felt　certain　that　he　was　no　one　important　from　the　way　he　pawed　through　her　special　passport。　he鈥檇　obviously　never　seen　one　before。　mischievously；　she　started　to　weave　the　charter　mark　for　a　snatch；　or　catch；　to　flick　the　papers　out　of　his　hands　and　back　into　her　pocket　before　his　piggy　eyes　worked　out　what　was　going　on。

but；　in　the　first　second　of　motion；　she　felt　the　flare　of　other　charter　magic　to　either　side　and　behind　her鈥攁nd　heard　the　clattering　of　hobnails　on　the　bitumen。　her　head　snapped　back　from　the　papers；　and　she　felt　her　hair　whisk　across　her　forehead　as　she　looked　from　side　to　side。　soldiers　were　pouring　out　of　the　　huts　and　out　of　the　trenches；　sword…bayonets　in　their　hands　and　rifles　at　the　shoulder。

several　of　them　wore　badges　that　she　realized　marked　them　as　charter　mages。　their　fingers　were　weaving　warding　symbols；　and　barriers　that　would　lock　sabriel　into　her　footsteps；　tie　her　to　her　shadow。　crude　magic；　but　strongly　cast。

instinctively；　sabriel鈥檚　mind　and　hands　flashed　into　the　sequence　of　symbols　that　would　wipe　clean　these　bonds；　but　her　skis　shifted　and　fell　into　the　crook　of　her　elbow；　and　she　winced　at　the　blow。

at　the　same　time；　a　soldier　ran　ahead　of　the　others；　sunlight　glinting　on　the　silver　stars　on　his　helmet。

鈥渟top！鈥潯�he　shouted。　鈥渃orporal；　step　back　from　her！鈥�

the　corporal；　deaf　to　the　hum　of　charter　magic；　blind　to　the　flare　of　half…wrought　signs；　looked　up　from　her　papers　and　gaped　for　a　second；　fear　erasing　his　features。　he　dropped　the　passports；　and　stumbled　back。

in　his　face；　sabriel　suddenly　realized　what　it　meant　to　use　magic　on　the　perimeter；　and　she　held　herself　absolutely　still；　blanking　out　the　　partly　made　signs　in　her　mind。　her　skis　slipped　further　down　her　arm；　the　bindings　catching　for　a　moment　before　tearing　loose　and　clattering　onto　the　ground。　soldiers　rushed　forward　and；　in　seconds；　formed　a　ring　around　her；　swords　angled　towards　her　throat。

she　saw　streaks　of　silver；　plated　onto　the　blades；　and　crudely　written　charter　symbols；　and　understood。　these　weapons　were　made　to　kill　things　that　were　already　dead鈥攊nferior　versions　of　the　sword　she　wore　at　her　own　side。

the　man　who鈥檇　shouted鈥攁n　officer；　sabriel　realized鈥攂ent　down　and　picked　up　her　passports。

he　studied　them　for　a　moment；　then　looked　up　at　sabriel。　his　eyes　were　pale　blue　and　held　a　mixture　of　harshness　and　passion　that　sabriel　found　familiar；　though　she　couldn鈥檛　place　it鈥攖ill　she　remembered　her　father鈥檚　eyes。

abhorsen鈥檚　eyes　were　so　dark　brown　they　seemed　black；　but　they　held　a　similar　feeling。

the　officer　closed　the　passport；　tucked　it　in　his　belt　and　tilted　his　helmet　back　with　two　fingers；　revealing　a　charter　mark　still　glowing　with　some　residual　charm　of　warding。　cautiously；　sabriel　lifted　her　hand；　and　then；　as　he　didn鈥檛　dissuade　　her；　reached　out　with　two　fingers　to　touch　the　mark。　as　she　did　so；　he　reached　forward　and　touched　her　own鈥攕abriel　felt　the　familiar　swirl　of　energy；　and　the　feeling　of　falling　into　some　endless　galaxy　of　stars。　but　the　stars　here　were　charter　symbols；　linked　in　some　great　dance　that　had　no　beginning　or　end；　but　contained　and　described　the　world　in　its　movement。　sabriel　knew　only　a　small　fraction　of　the　symbols；　but　she　knew　what　they　danced；　and　she　felt　the　purity　of　the　charter　wash　over　her。

鈥渁n　unsullied　charter　mark；鈥潯�the　officer　pronounced　loudly；　as　their　fingers　fell　back　to　their　sides。　鈥渟he　is　no　creature　or　sending。鈥�

the　soldiers　fell　back；　sheathing　swords　and　clicking　on　safety　catches。　only　the　red…faced　corporal　didn鈥檛　move；　his　eyes　still　staring　at　sabriel；　as　if　he　was　unsure　what　he　was　looking　at。

鈥渟how鈥檚　over；　corporal；鈥潯�said　the　officer；　his　voice　and　eyes　now　harsh。　鈥済et　back　to　the　pay　office。　you鈥檒l　see　stranger　happenings　than　this　in　your　time　here鈥攕tay　clear　of　them　and　you　might　stay　alive！　鈥渟o；鈥潯�he　said；　taking　the　documents　from　his　belt　and　handing　them　back　to　sabriel。　鈥測ou　are　　the　daughter　of　abhorsen。　i　am　colonel　horyse；　the　mander　of　a　small　part　of　the　garrison　here鈥攁　unit　the　army　likes　to　call　the　northern　perimeter　reconaissance　unit　and　everyone　else　calls　the　crossing　point　scouts鈥攁　somewhat　motley　collection　of　ancelstierrans　who鈥檝e　managed　to　gain　a　charter　mark　and　some　small　knowledge　of　magic。鈥�

鈥減leased　to　meet　you；　sir；鈥潯�popped　out　of　sabriel鈥檚　school…trained　mouth；　before　she　could　stifle　it。　a　schoolgirl鈥檚　answer；　she　knew；　and　felt　a　blush　rise　in　her　pale　cheeks。

鈥渓ikewise；鈥潯�said　the　colonel；　bending　down。

鈥渕ay　i　take　your　skis？鈥�

鈥渋f　you　would　be　so　kind；鈥潯�said　sabriel；　falling　back　on　formality。

the　colonel　picked　them　up　with　ease；　carefully　retied　the　stocks　to　the　skis；　refastened　the　bindings　that　had　e　undone　and　tucked　the　lot　under　one　muscular　arm。

鈥渋　take　it　you　intend　to　cross　into　the　old　kingdom？鈥潯�asked　horyse；　as　he　found　the　balancing　point　of　his　load　and　pointed　at　the　scarlet　sign　on　the　far　side　of　the　parade　ground。　鈥渨e鈥檒l　have　to　check　in　with　perimeter　hq鈥攖here　are　a　few　formalities；　but　it　shouldn鈥檛　take　long。

is　someone　。　。　。　abhorsen；　ing　to　meet　you？鈥�

his　voice　faltered　a　little　as　he　mentioned　abhorsen；　a　strange　stutter　in　so　confident　a　man。　sabriel　glanced　at　him　and　saw　that　his　eyes　flickered　from　the　sword　at　her　waist　to　the　bell…bandolier　she　wore　across　her　chest。

obviously　he　recognized　abhorsen鈥檚　sword　and　also　the　significance　of　the　bells。　very　few　people　ever　met　a　necromancer；　but　anyone　who　did　remembered　the　bells。

鈥渄id　。　。　。　do　you　know　my　father？鈥潯�she　asked。

鈥渉e　used　to　visit　me；　twice　a　year。　i　guess　he　would　have　e　through　here。鈥�

鈥測es；　i　saw　him　then；鈥潯�replied　horyse；　as　they　started　walking　around　the　edge　of　the　parade　ground。　鈥渂ut　i　first　met　him　more　than　twenty　years　ago；　when　i　was　posted　here　as　a　subaltern。

it　was　a　strange　time鈥攁　very　bad　time；　for　me　and　everyone　on　the　perimeter。鈥�

he　paused　in　mid…stride；　boots　crashing；　and　his　eyes　once　again　looked　at　the　bells；　and　the　whiteness　of　sabriel鈥檚　skin；　stark　against　the　black　of　her　hair；　black　as　the　bitumen　under　the　feet。

鈥測ou鈥檙e　a　necromancer；鈥潯�he　said　bluntly。　鈥渟o　you鈥檒l　probably　understand。　this　crossing　point　　has　seen　too　many　battles；　too　many　dead。

before　those　idiots　down　south　took　things　under　central　mand；　the　crossing　point　was　moved　every　ten　years；　up　to　the　next　gate　on　the　wall。　but　forty　years　ago　some　。　。　。　bureaucrat　。　。　。　decreed　that　there　would　be　no　movement。

it　was　a　waste　of　public　money。　this　was；　and　is　to　be；　the　only　crossing　point。　never　mind　the　fact　that；　over　time；　there　would　be　such　a　concentration　of　death；　mixed　with　free　magic　leaking　over　the　wall；　that　everything　would　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渘ot　stay　dead；鈥潯�interrupted　sabriel　quietly。

鈥測es。　when　i　arrived；　the　trouble　was　just　beginning。　corpses　wouldn鈥檛　stay　buried鈥攐ur　people　or　old　kingdom　creatures。　soldiers　killed　the　day　before　would　turn　up　on　parade。

creatures　prevented　from　crossing　would　rise　up　and　do　more　damage　than　they　did　when　they　were　alive。鈥�

鈥渨hat　did　you　do？鈥潯�asked　sabriel。　she　knew　a　great　deal　about　binding　and　enforcing　true　death；　but　not　on　such　a　scale。　there　were　no　dead　creatures　nearby　now；　for　she　always　instinctively　felt　the　interface　between　life　and　death　around　her；　and　it　was　no　different　here　than　it　had　been　forty　miles　away　at　wyverley　college。

鈥渙ur　charter　mages　tried　to　deal　with　the　problem；　but　there　were　no　specific　charter　symbols　to　。　。　。　make　them　dead　。　。　。　only　to　destroy　their　physical　shape。　sometimes　that　was　enough　and　sometimes　it　wasn鈥檛。　we　had　to　rotate　troops　back　to　bain　or　even　further　just　for　them　to　recover　from　what　hq　liked　to　think　of　as　bouts　of　mass　hysteria　or　madness。

鈥渋　wasn鈥檛　a　charter　mage　then；　but　i　was　going　with　patrols　into　the　old　kingdom；　beginning　to　learn。　on　one　patrol；　we　met　a　man　sitting　by　a　charter　stone；　on　top　of　a　hill　that　overlooked　both　the　wall　and　the　perimeter。

鈥渁s　he　was　obviously　interested　in　the　perimeter；　the　officer　in　charge　of　the　patrol　thought　we　should　question　him　and　kill　him　if　he　turned　out　to　bear　a　corrupted　charter；　or　was　some　free　magic　thing　in　the　shape　of　a　man。　but　we　didn鈥檛；　of　course。　it　was　abhorsen；　and　he　was　ing　to　us；　because　he鈥檇　heard　about　the　dead。

鈥渨e　escorted　him　in　and　he　met　with　the　general　manding　the　garrison。　i　don鈥檛　know　what　they　agreed；　but　i　imagine　it　was　for　abhorsen　to　bind　the　dead　and；　in　return；　he　was　to　be　granted　citizenship　of　ancelstierre　and　freedom　to　cross　the　wall。　he　certainly　had　the　two　　passports　after　that。　in　any　case；　he　spent　the　next　few　months　carving　the　wind　flutes　you　can　see　among　the　wire　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渁h！鈥潯�exclaimed　sabriel。　鈥渋　wondered　what　they　were。　wind　flutes。　that　explains　a　lot。鈥�

鈥渋鈥檓　glad　you　understand；鈥潯�said　the　colonel。　鈥渋　still　don鈥檛。　for　one　thing；　they　make　no　sound　no　matter　how　hard　the　wind　blows　through　them。　they　have　charter　symbols　on　them　i　had　never　seen　before　he　carved　them；　and　have　never　seen　again　anywhere　else。　but　when　he　started　placing　them　。　。　。　one　a　night　。　。　。　the　dead　just　gradually　disappeared；　and　no　new　ones　rose。鈥�

they　reached　the　far　end　of　the　parade　ground；　where　another　scarlet　sign　stood　next　to　a　munication　trench；　proclaiming：　鈥減erimeter　garrison　hq。　call　and　wait　for　sentry。鈥�

a　telephone　handset　and　a　bell…chain　proclaimed　the　usual　dichotomy　of　the　perimeter。

colon