sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第19章

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d　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　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��