sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第32章

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lved。　very　powerful　magic；　on　both　counts。

i　am　curious　as　to　why　it　was　used　on　you。鈥�

touchstone　looked　away　again；　and　sabriel　sensed　a　certain　shiftiness；　or　embarrassment。

she　guessed　that　the　forthing　explanation　would　be　a　half…truth；　at　best。

鈥渋　don鈥檛　remember　very　well；鈥潯�he　said；　slowly。

鈥渢hough　things　are　ing　back。　i　am　。　。　。　i　was　。　。　。　a　guardsman。　the　royal　guard。　there　was　some　sort　of　attack　upon　the　queen　。　。　。

an　ambush　in　the鈥攁t　the　bottom　of　the　stairs。

i　remember　fighting；　with　blade　and　charter　magic鈥攚e　were　all　charter　mages；　all　the　guard。　i　thought　we　were　safe；　but　there　was　treachery　。　。　。　then　。　。　。　i　was　here。　i　don鈥檛　know　how。鈥�

sabriel　listened　carefully；　wondering　how　much　of　what　he　said　was　true。　it　was　likely　that　his　memory　was　impaired；　but　he　possibly　was　a　royal　guard。　perhaps　he　had　cast　a　diamond　of　protection　。　。　。　that　could　have　been　why　his　enemies　could　only　imprison　him；　rather　than　kill。　but；　surely　they　could　have　waited　till　it　failed。　why　the　bizarre　method　of　imprisonment？　and；　most　importantly；　how　did　the　figurehead　manage　to　get　placed　in　this　most　protected　of　places？　she　filed　all　these　questions　for　later　investigation；　for　another　thought　had　struck　her。　if　he　really　was　a　royal　guard；　the　queen　he　had　guarded　must　have　been　dead　and　gone　for　at　least　two　hundred　years　and；　with　her；　everyone　and　everything　he　knew。

鈥測ou　have　been　a　prisoner　for　a　long　time；鈥潯�she　said　gently；　uncertain　about　how　to　break　the　news。　鈥渉ave　you　。　。　。　i　mean　did　you　。　。　。　well；　　what　i　mean　is　it鈥檚　been　a　very　long　time鈥斺��

鈥渢wo　hundred　years；鈥潯�whispered　touchstone。

鈥測our　minion　told　me。鈥�

鈥測our　family　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渋　have　none；鈥潯�he　said。　his　expression　was　set；　as　immobile　as　the　carved　wood　of　the　previous　day。　carefully；　he　reached　over　and　drew　one　of　his　swords；　offering　it　to　sabriel　hilt…first。

鈥渋　would　serve　you；　milady；　to　fight　against　the　enemies　of　the　kingdom。鈥�

sabriel　didn鈥檛　take　the　sword；　though　his　plea　made　her　reflexively　reach　out。　but　a　moment鈥檚　thought　closed　her　open　palm；　and　her　arm　fell　back　to　her　side。　she　looked　at　mogget；　who　was　watching　the　proceedings　with　unabashed　interest。

鈥渨hat　have　you　told　him；　mogget？鈥潯�she　asked；　suspicion　wreathing　her　words。

鈥渢he　state　of　the　kingdom；　generally　speaking；鈥�

replied　the　cat。　鈥渞ecent　events。　our　descent　here；　more　or　less。　your　duty　as　abhorsen　to　remedy　the　situation。鈥�

鈥渢he　mordicant？　shadow　hands？　gore　crows？　the　dead　adept；　whoever　it　may　be？鈥�

鈥渘ot　specifically；鈥潯�said　mogget；　cheerfully。　鈥渋　thought　he　could　presume　as　much。鈥�

鈥渁s　you　see；鈥潯�sabriel　said；　rather　angrily；　鈥渕y　鈥榤inion鈥櫋�has　not　been　totally　honest　with　you。　i　was　raised　across　the　wall；　in　ancelstierre；　so　i　have　very　little　idea　about　what　is　going　on。　i　have　huge　gaps　in　my　knowledge　of　the　old　kingdom；　including　everything　from　geography　to　history　to　charter　magic。　i　face　some　dire　enemies；　probably　under　the　overall　direction　of　one　of　the　greater　dead；　a　necromantic　adept。　and　i鈥檓　not　out　to　save　the　kingdom；　just　to　find　my　father；　the　real　abhorsen。　so　i　don鈥檛　want　to　take　your　oath　or　service　or　anything　like　that；　particularly　as　we鈥檝e　only　just　met。　i　am　happy　for　you　to　acpany　us　to　the　nearest　approximation　of　civilization；　but　i　have　no　idea　what　i　will　be　doing　after　that。　and；　please　remember　that　my　name　is　sabriel。　not　milady。　not　abhorsen。　now；　i　think　it鈥檚　time　for　breakfast。鈥�

with　that；　she　stalked　over　to　her　pack；　and　started　getting　out　some　oatmeal　and　a　small　cooking　pot。

touchstone　stared　after　her　for　a　moment；　then　picked　himself　up；　attached　his　swords；　put　on　the　sleeveless　jerkin；　tied　the　sleeves　to　his　belt　and　wandered　off　to　the　nearest　clump　of　trees。

mogget　followed　him　there；　and　watched　him　pick　up　dead　branches　and　sticks　for　a　fire。

鈥渟he　really　did　grow　up　in　ancelstierre；鈥潯�said　the　cat。　鈥渟he　doesn鈥檛　realize　refusing　your　oath　is　an　insult。　and　it鈥檚　true　enough　about　her　ignorance。

that鈥檚　one　of　the　reasons　she　needs　your　help。鈥�

鈥渋　can鈥檛　remember　much；鈥潯�said　touchstone；　snapping　a　branch　in　half　with　considerable　ferocity。

鈥渆xcept　my　most　recent　past。　everything　else　is　like　a　dream。　i鈥檓　not　sure　if　it鈥檚　real　or　not；　learned　or　imagined。　and　i　wasn鈥檛　insulted。　my　oath　isn鈥檛　worth　much。鈥�

鈥渂ut　you鈥檒l　help　her；鈥潯�said　mogget。　it　wasn鈥檛　a　question。

鈥渘o；鈥潯�said　touchstone。　鈥渉elp　is　for　equals。　i鈥檒l　serve　her。　that鈥檚　all　i鈥檓　good　for。鈥�

as　sabriel　feared；　there　was　little　conversation　over　breakfast。　mogget　went　off　in　search　of　his　own；　and　sabriel　and　touchstone　were　hindered　by　the　sole　cooking　pot　and　single　spoon；　so　they　took　it　in　turns　to　eat　half　the　porridge。　even　allowing　for　this　difficulty；　touchstone　was　unmunicative。　sabriel　started　asking　a　lot　of　questions；　but　as　his　standard　response　was；　鈥渋鈥檓　sorry；　i　can鈥檛　remember；鈥潯�she　soon　gave　up。

鈥渋　don鈥檛　suppose　you　can　remember　how　to　get　　out　of　this　sinkhole；　either；鈥潯�she　asked　in　exasperation；　after　a　particularly　long　stretch　of　silence。

even　to　her；　this　sounded　like　a　prefect　addressing　a　miscreant　twelve…year…old。

鈥渘o；　i鈥檓　sorry　。　。　。鈥潯�touchstone　began　automatically；　then　he　paused；　and　the　corner　of　his　mouth　quirked　up　with　a　momentary　spasm　of　pleasure。　鈥渨ait！　yes鈥攊　do　remember！　there鈥檚　a　hidden　stair；　to　the　north　of　king　janeurl鈥檚　ship　。　。　。　oh；　i　can鈥檛　remember　which　one　that　is　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渢here鈥檚　only　four　ships　near　the　northern　rim；鈥�

sabriel　mused。　鈥渋t　won鈥檛　be　too　hard　to　find。

how鈥檚　your　memory　for　other　geography？　the　kingdom；　for　instance？鈥�

鈥渋鈥檓　not　sure；鈥潯�replied　touchstone；　guardedly；　bowing　his　head　again。　sabriel　looked　at　him　and　took　a　deep　breath　to　calm　the　eel…like　writhings　of　anger　that　were　slowly　getting　bigger　and　bigger　inside　her。　she　could　excuse　his　faulty　memory鈥攁fter　all；　that　was　due　to　magical　incarceration。

but　the　servile　manner　that　went　with　it　seemed　to　be　an　affectation。　he　was　like　a　bad　actor　playing　the　butler鈥攐r　rather；　a　nonactor　trying　to　impersonate　a　butler　as　best　he　could。　but　why？　　鈥渕ogget　drew　me　a　map；鈥潯�she　said；　talking　as　much　to　calm　herself　as　for　any　real　munication。

鈥渂ut；　as　he　apparently　has　only　left　abhorsen鈥檚　house　for　a　few　weekends　over　the　last　thousand　years；　even　two…hundred…year…old　memories　。　。　。鈥�

sabriel　paused；　and　bit　her　lip；　suddenly　aware　that　her　annoyance　with　him　had　made　her　spiteful。

he　looked　up　as　she　stopped　speaking；　but　no　reaction　showed　on　his　face。　he　might　as　well　still　be　carved　from　wood。

鈥渨hat　i　mean　is；鈥潯�sabriel　continued　carefully；　鈥渋t　would　be　very　helpful　if　you　could　advise　me　on　the　best　route　to　belisaere；　and　the　important　landmarks　and　locations　on　the　way。鈥�

she　got　the　map　out　of　the　special　pocket　in　the　pack　and　removed　the　protective　oilskin。

touchstone　took　one　end　as　she　unrolled　it；　and　weighted　his　two　corners　with　stones；　while　sabriel　secured　hers　with　the　telescope　case。

鈥渋　think　we鈥檙e　about　here；鈥潯�she　said；　tracing　her　finger　from　abhorsen鈥檚　house；　following　the　paperwing鈥檚　flight　from　there　to　a　point　a　little　north　of　the　ratterlin　river　delta。

鈥渘o；鈥潯�said　touchstone；　sounding　decisive　for　the　first　time；　his　finger　stabbing　the　map　an　　inch　to　the　north　of　sabriel鈥檚　own。　鈥渢his　is　holehallow；　here。　it鈥檚　only　ten　leagues　from　the　coast　and　at　the　same　latitude　as　mount　anarson。鈥�

鈥済ood！鈥潯�exclaimed　sabriel；　smiling；　her　anger　slipping　from　her。　鈥測ou　do　remember。　now；　what鈥檚　the　best　route　to　belisaere；　and　how　long　will　it　take？鈥�

鈥渋　don鈥檛　know　the　current　conditions；　mi　。　。　。

sabriel；鈥潯�touchstone　replied。　his　voice　grew　softer；　more　subdued。　鈥渇rom　what　mogget　says；　the　kingdom　is　in　a　state　of　anarchy。　towns　and　villages　may　no　longer　exist。　there　will　be　bandits；　the　dead；　free　magic　unbound；　fell　creatures　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渋gnoring　all　that；鈥潯�sabriel　asked；　鈥渨hich　way　did　you　normally　go？鈥�

鈥渇rom　nestowe；　the　fishing　village　here；鈥�

touchstone　sa