sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



sabriel　wasn鈥檛　really　sure　if　the　manifestation　was　the　very　unusual　dead　spirit　of　her　mother；　which　was　unlikely；　or　some　residual　protective　magic　left　by　her。

鈥渋　don鈥檛　have　much　time；鈥潯�sabriel　continued。

鈥渋鈥檇　love　to　ask　about　。　。　。　oh；　everything；　i　guess　。　。　。　but　at　the　moment；　i　need　to　know　how　to　get　to　father鈥檚　house　from　cloven　crest　。　。　。　i　mean　barhedrin　ridge。鈥�

the　sending　nodded；　and　spoke。　as　sabriel　listened；　she　also　saw　pictures　in　her　head　of　what　the　woman　was　describing；　vivid　images；　like　memories　of　a　journey　she鈥檇　taken　herself。

鈥済o　to　the　northern　side　of　the　ridge。　follow　the　spur　that　begins　there　down　till　it　reaches　the　valley　floor。　look　at　the　sky　。　。　。　there　won鈥檛　be　any　cloud。　look　to　the　bright　red　star；　uallus；　near　the　horizon；　three　fingers　east　of　north。

follow　that　star　till　you　e　to　a　road　that　runs　from　south…west　to　north…east。　take　that　road　for　a　mile　to　the　north…east；　till　you　reach　a　mile　marker　and　the　charter　stone　behind　it。　a　path　behind　the　stone　leads　to　the　long　cliffs　immediately　north。　take　the　path。　it　ends　in　a　door　in　the　cliffs。　the　door　will　answer　to　mosrael。　beyond　the　door　is　a　tunnel；　sloping　sharply　upwards。

beyond　the　tunnel　lies　abhorsen鈥檚　bridge。　the　house　is　over　the　bridge。　go　with　love鈥攁nd　do　not　tarry；　do　not　stop；　no　matter　what　happens。鈥�

鈥渢hank　you；鈥潯�sabriel　began；　carefully　filing　the　words　away　with　the　acpanying　thoughts。

鈥渃ould　you　also　。　。　。鈥�

she　stopped　as　the　mother…sending　in　front　of　her　suddenly　raised　both　arms　as　if　shocked；　and　shouted；　鈥済o！鈥�

at　the　same　time；　sabriel　felt　the　diamond　of　protection　around　her　physical　body　twinge　in　warning　and　she　became　aware　that　the　north　mark　had　failed。　instantly；　she　turned　on　her　left　heel　and　began　racing　back　to　the　border　with　life；　drawing　her　sword。　the　current　almost　seemed　to　strengthen　against　her；　twining　around　her　legs；　but　then　fell　away　before　her　urgency。

sabriel　reached　the　border　and；　with　a　furious　thrust　of　will；　her　spirit　emerged　back　into　life。

for　a　second；　she　was　disoriented；　suddenly　freezing　again　and　thick…witted。　a　grinning；　corpse…like　creature　was　just　stepping　through　the　failed　north　mark；　its　arms　reaching　to　embrace　her；　carrion…breath　misting　out　of　a　mouth　unnaturally　wide。

thralk　had　been　pleased　to　find　the　charter　mage鈥檚　spirit　wandering　and　a　broken　diamond　of　protection。　the　sword　had　worried　him　a　little；　but　it　was　frosted　over　and　his　　shriveled　eyes　couldn鈥檛　see　the　charter　marks　that　danced　beneath　the　rime。　similarly；　the　bell　in　sabriel鈥檚　left　hand　looked　like　a　lump　of　ice　or　snow；　as　if　she鈥檇　caught　a　snowball。　all　in　all；　thralk　felt　very　fortunate；　particularly　as　the　life　that　blazed　within　this　still　victim　was　particularly　young　and　strong。　thralk　sidled　closer　still　and　his　double…jointed　arms　reached　to　embrace　sabriel鈥檚　neck。

just　as　his　slimy；　corrupted　fingers　stretched　forward；　sabriel　opened　her　eyes　and　executed　the　stop…thrust　that　had　earned　her　second　place　in　fighting　arts　and；　later；　lost　her　the　first。　her　arm　and　sword　straightened　like　one　limb　to　their　full　extent　and　the　sword…point　ripped　through　thralk鈥檚　neck；　and　into　eight　inches　of　air　beyond。

thralk　screamed；　his　reaching　fingers　gripping　the　sword　to　push　himself　free鈥攐nly　to　scream　again　as　charter　marks　flared　on　the　blade。　white…hot　sparks　plumed　between　his　knuckles　and　thralk　suddenly　knew　what　he鈥檇　encountered。

鈥渁bhorsen！鈥潯�he　croaked；　falling　backwards　as　sabriel　twisted　the　blade　free　with　one　explosive　jerk。

already；　the　sword　was　affecting　the　dead　flesh　thralk　inhabited；　charter　magic　burning　through　reanimated　nerves；　freezing　those　alltoo…　fluid　joints。　fire　rose　in　thralk鈥檚　throat；　but　he　spoke；　to　distract　this　terrible　opponent　while　his　spirit　tried　to　shuck　the　body；　like　a　snake　its　skin；　and　retreat　into　the　night。

鈥渁bhorsen！　i　will　serve　you；　praise　you；　be　your　hand　。　。　。　i　know　things；　alive　and　dead　。　。　。

i　will　help　lure　others　to　you　。　。　。鈥�

the　clear；　deep　sound　of　saraneth　cut　through　the　whining；　broken　voice　like　a　foghorn　booming　above　the　shriek　of　seagulls。

the　chime　vibrated　on　and　on；　echoing　into　the　night；　and　thralk　felt　it　bind　him　even　as　his　spirit　leaked　out　of　the　body　and　made　for　flight。　the　bell　bound　him　to　paralyzed　flesh；　bound　him　to　the　will　of　the　bell…ringer。

fury　seethed　in　him；　anger　and　fear　fueling　his　struggle；　but　the　sound　was　everywhere；　all　around　him；　all　through　him。　he　would　never　be　free　of　it。

sabriel　watched　the　misshapen　shadow　writhing；　half　out　of　the　corpse；　half　in　it；　the　body　bleeding　a　pool　of　darkness。　it　was　still　trying　to　use　the　corpse鈥檚　mouth；　but　without　　success。　she　considered　going　with　it　into　death；　where　it　would　have　a　shape　and　she　could　make　it　answer　with　dyrim。　but　the　broken　charter　stone　loomed　nearby　and　she　felt　it　as　an　everpresent　fear；　like　a　cold　jewel　upon　her　breast。

in　her　mind；　she　heard　her　mother…sending鈥檚　words；　鈥渄o　not　tarry；　do　not　stop；　no　matter　what　happens。鈥�

sabriel　thrust　her　sword　point…first　into　the　snow；　put　saraneth　away　and　drew　kibeth　from　the　bandolier；　using　both　hands。　thralk　sensed　it　and　his　fury　gave　way　to　pure；　unadulterated　fear。　after　all　the　centuries　of　struggle；　he　knew　true　death　had　e　for　him　at　last。

sabriel　took　up　a　careful　stance；　with　the　bell　held　in　a　curious　two…handed　grip。　kibeth　seemed　almost　to　twitch　in　her　hands；　but　she　controlled　it；　swinging　it　backwards；　forwards；　and　then　in　a　sort　of　odd　figure　eight。　the　sounds；　all　from　the　one　bell；　were　very　different　to　each　other；　but　they　made　a　little　marching　tune；　a　dancing　song；　a　parade。

thralk　heard　them　and　felt　forces　grip　him。

strange；　inexorable　powers　that　made　him　find　the　border；　made　him　return　to　death。　vainly；　almost　pathetically；　he　struggled　against　them；　　knowing　he　couldn鈥檛　break　free。　he　knew　that　he　would　walk　through　every　gate；　to　fall　at　last　through　the　ninth。　he　gave　up　the　struggle　and　used　the　last　of　his　strength　to　form　a　semblance　of　a　mouth　in　the　middle　of　his　shadow…stuff；　a　mouth　with　a　writhing　tongue　of　darkness。

鈥渃urse　you！鈥潯�he　gurgled。　鈥渋　will　tell　the　servants　of　kerrigor！　i　will　be　revenged　。　。　。鈥�

his　grotesque；　gulping　voice　was　chopped　off　in　mid…sentence；　as　thralk　lost　free　will。

saraneth　had　bound　him；　but　kibeth　gripped　him　and　kibeth　walked　him；　walked　him　so　thralk　would　be　no　more。　the　twisting　shadow　simply　disappeared　and　there　was　only　snow　under　a　long…dead　corpse。

even　though　the　revenant　was　gone；　his　last　words　troubled　sabriel。　the　name　kerrigor；　while　not　exactly　familiar；　touched　some　basic　fear　in　her；　some　memory。　perhaps　abhorsen　had　spoken　this　name；　which　undoubtedly　belonged　to　one　of　the　greater　dead。　the　name　scared　her　in　the　same　way　the　broken　stone　did；　as　if　they　were　tangible　symbols　of　a　world　gone　wrong；　a　world　where　her　father　was　lost；　where　she　herself　was　terribly　threatened。

sabriel　coughed；　feeling　the　cold　in　her　lungs；　　and　very　carefully　replaced　kibeth　in　the　bandolier。

her　sword　seemed　to　have　burned　itself　clean；　but　she　ran　a　cloth　over　the　blade　before　returning　it　to　the　scabbard。　she　felt　very　tired　as　she　swung　her　pack　back　on；　but　there　was　no　doubt　in　her　mind　that　she　must　move　on　immediately。　her　mother…spirit鈥檚　words　kept　echoing　in　her　mind；　and　her　own　senses　told　her　something　was　happening　in　death；　something　powerful　was　moving　towards　life；　moving　towards　emergence　at　the　broken　stone。

there　had　been　too　much　death　and　too　much　charter　magic　on　this　hill；　and　the　night　was　yet　to　reach　its　blackest。　the　wind　was　swinging　around；　the　clouds　regaining　their　superiority　over　sky。　soon；　the　stars　would　disappear　and　the　young　moon　would　be　wrapped　in　white。

quickly；　sabriel　scanned　the　heavens；　looking　for　the　three　bright　stars　that　marked　the　buckle　of　the　north　giant鈥檚　belt。　she　found　them；　but　then　had　to　check　the　star　map　in　her　almanac；　a　handmade　match　stinking　as　it　cast　a　yellow　flicker　on　the　pages；　for　she　didn鈥檛　dare　use　any　more　charter　magic　till　she　was　away　from　the　bro