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第35章

sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第35章

小说: sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯 字数: 每页3500字

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the dead are there; shouldn鈥檛 we 。 。 。鈥

鈥渨e鈥檒l go down and get a boat;鈥潯abriel announced firmly。 鈥渨hile the sun is high。鈥

xiaoshuot锛竧锛宑o锛



chapter xvi

灏彛¤!txt!澶e爞
there was a built…up path through the flooded fields; but it was submerged to ankle…depth; with occasional thigh…high slippages。

only the raised canal drains stood well above the brackish water; and they all ran towards the east; not towards the village; so sabriel and touchstone were forced to wade along the path。 mogget; of course; rode; his lean form draped around sabriel鈥檚 neck like a white fox fur。

water and mud; coupled with an uncertain path; made it slow going。 it took an hour to cover less than a mile; so it was later in the afternoon than sabriel would have wished when they finally climbed out of the water; up onto the beginnings of the village鈥檚 rocky mount。 at least the sky is clear; sabriel thought; glancing up。 the winter sun wasn鈥檛 particularly hot and couldn鈥檛 be described as glaring; but it would certainly deter most kindred of the lesser dead from venturing out。

nevertheless; they walked carefully up to the village; swords loose; sabriel with a hand to her bells。 the path wound up in a series of steps carved from the rock; reinforced here and there with bricks and mortar。 the village proper nestled on top of the bluff鈥攁bout thirty cozy brick cottages; with wood…tile roofs; some painted bright colors; some dull; and some simply grey and weatherbeaten。

it was pletely silent; save for the odd gust of wind; or the mournful cry of a gull; slipping down through the air above。 sabriel and touchstone drew closer together; walking almost shoulder…to…shoulder up what passed for a main street; swords out now; eyes flickering across closed doors and shuttered windows。

both felt uneasy; nervous鈥攁 nasty; tingling; creeping sensation climbing up from spine; to nape of neck; to forehead charter mark。

sabriel also felt the presence of dead things。

lesser dead; hiding from sunlight; lurking  somewhere nearby; in house or cellar。

at the end of the main street; on the highest point of the bluff; a charter stone stood on a patch of carefully tended lawn。 half of the stone had been sheared away; pieces broken and tumbled; dark stone on green turf。 a body lay in front of the stone; hands and feet bound; the gaping cut across the throat a clear sign of where the blood had e from鈥攖he blood for the sacrifice that broke the stone。

sabriel knelt by the corpse; eyes averted from the broken stone。 it was only recently ruined; she felt; but already the door to death was creaking open。 she could almost feel the cold of the currents beyond; leaking out around the stone; sucking warmth and life from the air。

things lurked there too; she knew; just beyond the border。 she sensed their hunger for life; their impatience for night to fall。

as she expected; the corpse was of a charter mage; dead but three or four days。 but she hadn鈥檛 expected to find the dead person was a woman。

wide shoulders and a muscular build had deceived her for a moment; but there was a middleaged woman before her; eyes shut; throat cut; short brown hair caked with sea salt and blood。

鈥渢he village healer;鈥潯aid mogget; indicating a bracelet on her wrist with his nose。 sabriel pushed the rope bindings aside for a better look。 the bracelet was bronze with inlaid charter marks of greenstone。 dead marks now; for blood dried upon the bronze; and no pulse beat in the skin under the metal。

鈥渟he was killed three or four days ago;鈥

sabriel announced。 鈥渢he stone was broken at the same time。鈥

touchstone looked back at her and nodded grimly; then resumed watching the houses opposite。 his swords hung loosely in his hands; but sabriel noticed that his entire body was tense; like a pressed jack…in…the…box; ready to spring。

鈥渨hoever 。 。 。 whatever 。 。 。 killed her and broke the stone; didn鈥檛 enslave her spirit;鈥

sabriel added quietly; as if thinking to herself。

鈥渋 wonder why?鈥

neither mogget nor touchstone answered。

for a moment; sabriel considered asking the woman herself; but her impetuous desire for journeys into death had been soundly dampened by recent experience。 instead; she cut the woman鈥檚 bonds; and arranged her as best she  could; ending up with a sort of curled…up sleeping position。

鈥渋 don鈥檛 know your name; healer;鈥潯abriel whispered。 鈥渂ut i hope you go quickly beyond the final gate。 farewell。鈥

she stood back and drew the charter marks for the funeral pyre above the corpse; whispering the names of the marks as she did so鈥攂ut her fingers fumbled and words went awry。 the baleful influence of the broken stone pressed against her; like a wrestler gripping her wrists; clamping her jaw。 sweat beaded on her forehead; and pain shot through her limbs; her hands shaking with effort; tongue clumsy; seeming swollen in her suddenly dry mouth。

then she felt assistance e; strength flowing through her; reinforcing the marks; steadying her hands; clearing her voice。 she pleted the litany; and a spark exploded above the woman; became a twisting flame; then grew to a fierce; white…hot blaze that spread the length of the woman鈥檚 body; totally consuming it; to leave only ash; light cargo for the sea winds。

the extra strength came through touchstone鈥檚 hand; his open palm lightly resting on her shoulder。

as she straightened up; the touch was lost。

when sabriel turned around; touchstone was just drawing his right…hand sword; eyes fixed on the houses鈥攁s if he鈥檇 had nothing to do with helping her。

鈥渢hank you;鈥潯aid sabriel。 touchstone was a strong charter mage; perhaps as strong as she was。 this surprised her; though she couldn鈥檛 think why。 he鈥檇 made no secret of being a charter mage鈥攕he鈥檇 just assumed he would only know a few of the more fighting…related marks and spells。 petty magics。

鈥渨e should move on;鈥潯aid mogget; prowling backwards and forwards in agitation; carefully avoiding the fragments from the broken stone。

鈥渇ind a boat; and put to sea before nightfall。鈥

鈥渢he harbor is that way;鈥潯ouchstone added quickly; pointing with his sword。 both he and the cat seemed very keen to leave the area around the broken stone; thought sabriel。 but then; so was she。 even in bright daylight; it seemed to dull the color around it。 the lawn was already more yellow than green; and even the shadows looked thicker and more abundant than they should。 she shivered; remembering cloven crest and the thing called thralk。

the harbor lay on the northern side of the  bluff; reached by another series of steps in the rocky hill; or in the case of cargo; via one of the shear…legged hoists that lined the edge of the bluff。 long wooden jetties thrust out into the clear blue…green water; sheltered under the lee of a rocky island; a smaller sibling of the village bluff。 a long breakwater of huge boulders joined island and shore; pleting the harbor鈥檚 protection from wind and wave。

there were no boats moored in the harbor; tied up to the jetties; or at the harbor wall。 not even a dinghy; hauled up for repair。 sabriel stood on the steps; looking down; mind temporarily devoid of further plans。 she just watched the swirl of the sea around the barnacled piles of the jetties; the moving shadows in the blue; marking small fish schooling about their business。

mogget sat near her feet; sniffing the air; silent。

touchstone stood higher; behind her; guarding the rear。

鈥渨hat now?鈥潯sked sabriel; generally indicating the empty harbor below; her arm moving with the same rhythm as the swell; in its perpetual tilt against wood and stone。

鈥渢here are people on the island;鈥潯ogget said; eyes slitted against the wind。 鈥渁nd boats  tied up between the two outcrops of rock on the southwest。鈥

sabriel looked; but saw nothing; till she extracted the telescope from the pack on touchstone鈥檚 back。 he stood pletely still while she ferreted around; silent as the empty village。 playing wooden again; sabriel thought; but she didn鈥檛 really mind。 he was being helpful; without metaphorically tugging his forelock every few minutes。

through the telescope; she 

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