sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第39章

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鈥測es；鈥潯�replied　touchstone；　his　voice　impersonal　　again；　face　dark　in　the　rainy　night；　the　lantern…light　from　the　villagers　behind　him　lighting　only　his　back　and　feet。　he　hesitated；　as　if　he　shouldn鈥檛　be　offering　an　opinion；　then　added；　鈥渂ut　it　would　be　much　more　dangerous。　i　don鈥檛　know　this　coast；　and　the　night　is　very　dark。鈥�

鈥渕ogget　can　see　in　the　dark；鈥潯�sabriel　said　quietly；　moving　closer　to　touchstone　so　the　villagers　couldn鈥檛　hear　her。

鈥渨e　have　to　leave　immediately；鈥潯�she　whispered；　while　pretending　to　adjust　her　oilskin。　鈥渁　mordicant　has　e。　the　same　one　that　pursued　me　before。鈥�

鈥渨hat　about　the　people　here？鈥潯�asked　touchstone；　so　softly　the　sound　of　the　rain　almost　washed　his　words　away鈥攂ut　there　was　the　faint　sound　of　reproof　under　his　business…like　tone。

鈥渢he　mordicant　is　after　me；鈥潯�muttered　sabriel。　she　could　sense　it　moving　away　from　the　stone；　questing　about；　using　its　otherwordly　senses　to　find　her。　鈥渋t　can　feel　my　presence；　as　i　feel　it。　when　i　go；　it　will　follow。鈥�

鈥渋f　we　stay　till　morning；鈥潯�touchstone　whispered　back；　鈥渨on鈥檛　we　be　safe？　you　said　even　a　mordicant　couldn鈥檛　cross　this　gap。鈥�

鈥渋　said；　鈥榠　think；鈥欌�潯�faltered　sabriel。　鈥渋t　has　grown　stronger。　i　can鈥檛　be　sure鈥斺��

鈥渢hat　thing　back　in　the　shed；　the　mordaut；　it　wasn鈥檛　very　difficult　to　destroy；鈥潯�touchstone　whispered；　the　confidence　of　ignorance　in　his　voice。　鈥渋s　this　mordicant　much　worse？鈥�

鈥渕uch；鈥潯�replied　sabriel　shortly。

the　mordicant　had　stopped　moving。　the　rain　seemed　to　be　dampening　both　its　senses　and　its　desire　to　find　her　and　slay。　sabriel　stared　vainly　out　into　the　darkness；　trying　to　peer　past　the　sheets　of　rain；　to　gain　the　evidence　provided　by　sight；　as　well　as　her　necromantic　senses。

鈥渞iemer；鈥潯�she　said；　loudly　now；　calling　to　the　villager　who　was　in　charge　of　their　lanternholders。

he　came　forward　quickly；　gingery　hair　plastered　flat　on　his　rounded　head；　rainwater　dripping　down　from　a　high　forehead　to　catapult　itself　off　the　end　of　his　pudgy　nose。

鈥渞iemer；　have　the　archers　keep　very　careful　watch。　tell　them　to　shoot　anything　that　es　onto　the　breakwater鈥攖here　is　nothing　living　out　there　now。　only　the　dead。　we　need　to　go　back　and　talk　to　your　elder。鈥�

they　walked　back　in　silence；　save　for　the　sloshing　of　boots　in　puddles　and　the　steady　finger…applause　of　the　rain。　at　least　half　of　sabriel鈥檚　attention　stayed　with　the　mordicant；　a　malign；　stomachache…inducing　presence　across　the　dark　water。　she　wondered　why　it　was　waiting。

waiting　for　the　rain　to　stop；　or　perhaps　for　the　now…banished　mordaut　to　attack　from　within。　whatever　its　reasons；　it　gave　them　a　little　time　to　get　to　a　boat；　and　lead　it　away。　and　perhaps；　there　was　always　the　chance　that　it　couldn鈥檛　cross　the　breakwater　gap。

鈥渨hat　time　is　low　tide？鈥潯�she　asked　riemer；　as　a　new　thought　struck。

鈥渁h；　just　about　an　hour　before　dawn；鈥潯�replied　the　fisherman。　鈥渁bout　six　hours；　if　i鈥檓　any　judge。鈥�

the　elder　awoke　crankily　from　his　second　sleep。　he　was　loath　for　them　to　go　in　the　night；　though　sabriel　felt　that　at　least　half　of　his　reluctance　was　due　to　their　need　for　a　boat。　the　villagers　only　had　five　left。　the　others　had　been　sunk　in　the　harbor；　drowned　and　broken　by　the　stones　hurled　down　by　the　dead；　eager　to　stop　the　escape　of　their　living　prey。

鈥渋鈥檓　sorry；鈥潯�sabriel　said　again。　鈥渂ut　we　must　have　a　boat　and　we　need　it　now。　there　is　a　terrible　dead　creature　in　the　village鈥攊t　tracks　like　a　　hunting　dog；　and　the　trail　it　follows　is　mine。　if　i　stay；　it　will　try　and　e　here鈥攁nd；　at　the　ebb；　it　may　be　able　to　cross　the　gap　in　the　breakwater。

if　i　go；　it　will　follow。鈥�

鈥渧ery　well；鈥潯�the　elder　agreed；　mulishly。　鈥測ou　have　cleansed　this　island　for　us；　a　boat　is　a　little　thing。　riemer　will　prepare　it　with　food　and　water。　riemer！　the　abhorsen　will　have　landalin鈥檚　boat鈥攎ake　sure　it　is　stocked　and　seaworthy。　take　sails　from　jaled；　if　landalin鈥檚　is　short　or　rotten。鈥�

鈥渢hank　you；鈥潯�said　sabriel。　tiredness　weighed　down　on　her；　tiredness　and　the　weight　of　awareness。

awareness　of　her　enemies；　like　a　darkness　always　clouding　the　edge　of　her　vision。　鈥渨e　will　go　now。　my　good　wishes　stay　with　you；　and　my　hopes　for　your　safety。鈥�

鈥渕ay　the　charter　preserve　us　all；鈥潯�added　touchstone；　bowing　to　the　old　man。　the　elder　bowed　back；　a　bent；　solemn　figure；　so　much　smaller　than　his　shadow；　looming　tall　on　the　wall　behind。

sabriel　turned　to　go；　but　a　long　line　of　villagers　was　forming　on　the　way　to　the　door。　all　of　them　wanted　to　bow　or　curtsey　before　her；　to　mutter　shy　thank…yous　and　farewells。　sabriel　accepted　　them　with　embarrassment　and　guilt；　remembering　patar。　true；　she　had　banished　the　dead；　but　another　life　had　been　lost　in　the　doing。　her　father　would　not　have　been　so　clumsy　。　。　。

the　second…to…last　person　in　the　line　was　a　little　girl；　her　black　hair　tied　in　two　plaits；　one　on　either　side　of　her　head。　seeing　her　made　sabriel　remember　something　touchstone　had　said。　she　stopped；　and　took　the　girl鈥檚　hands　in　her　own。

鈥渨hat　is　your　name；　little　one？鈥潯�she　asked；　smiling。　a　feeling　of　d茅j脿　vu　swept　over　her　as　the　small　fingers　met　hers鈥攖he　memory　of　a　frightened　first…grader　hesitantly　reaching　out　to　the　older　pupil　who　would　be　her　guide　for　the　first　day　at　wyverley　college。　sabriel　had　experienced　both　sides；　in　her　time。

鈥渁line；鈥潯�said　the　girl；　smiling　back。　her　eyes　were　bright　and　lively；　too　young　to　be　dimmed　by　the　frightened　despair　that　clouded　the　adults鈥櫋�gaze。　a　good　choice；　sabriel　thought。

鈥渘ow；　tell　me　what　you　have　learned　in　your　lessons　about　the　great　charter；鈥潯�sabriel　said；　adopting　the　familiar；　motherly　and　generally　irrelevant　questioning　tone　of　the　school　inspector　who鈥檇　descended　on　every　class　in　wyverley　twice　a　year。

鈥渋　know　the　rhyme　。　。　。鈥潯�replied　aline；　a　little　doubtfully；　her　small　forehead　crinkling。　鈥渟hall　i　sing　it；　like　we　do　in　class？鈥�

sabriel　nodded。

鈥渨e　dance　around　the　stone；　too；鈥潯�aline　added；　confidingly。　she　stood　up　straighter；　put　one　foot　forward；　and　took　her　hands　away　to　clasp　them　behind　her　back。

five　great　charters　knit　the　land　together　linked；　hand　in　hand　one　in　the　people　who　wear　the　crown　two　in　the　folk　who　keep　the　dead　down　three　and　five　became　stone　and　mortar　four　sees　all　in　frozen　water。

鈥渢hank　you；　aline；鈥潯�sabriel　said。　鈥渢hat　was　very　nice。鈥�

she　ruffled　the　child鈥檚　hair　and　hastened　through　the　final　farewells；　suddenly　keen　to　get　out　of　the　smoke　and　the　fish…smell；　out　into　the　clean；　rainy　air　where　she　could　think。

鈥渟o　now　you　know；鈥潯�whispered　mogget；　jumping　up　into　her　arms　to　escape　the　puddles。

鈥渋　still　can鈥檛　tell　you；　but　you　know　one鈥檚　in　your　blood。鈥�

鈥渢wo；鈥潯�replied　sabriel　distantly。　鈥溾�榯wo　in　the　folk　who　keep　the　dead　down。鈥櫋�so　what　is　the　。　。　。　ah　。　。　。　i　can鈥檛　talk　about　it　either！鈥�

but　she　thought　about　the　questions　she鈥檇　like　to　ask；　as　touchstone　helped　her　aboard　the　small　fishing　vessel　that　lay　just　off　the　tiny；　shell…laden　beach　that　served　the　island　as　a　harbor。

one　of　the　great　charters　lay　in　the　royal　blood。　the　second　lay　in　abhorsen鈥檚。　what　were　three　and　five；　and　four　that　saw　all　in　frozen　water？　she　felt　certain　that　many　answers　could　be　found　in　belisaere。　her　father　could　probably　answer　more；　for　many　things　that　were　bound　in　life　were　unraveled　in　death。　and　there　was　her　mother…sending；　for　that　third　and　final　questioning　in　this　seven　years。

touchstone　pushed　off；　clambered　aboard　and　took　the　oars。　mogget　leapt　out　of　sabriel鈥檚　arms；　and　assumed　a　figurehead　position　near　the　prow；　serving　as　a　night…sighted　lookout；　while　mocking　touchstone　at　the　same　time。

back　on　shore；　the　mordicant　suddenly　howled；　a　long；　piercing　cry　that　echoed　far　across　the　water；　chilling　hearts　on　both　boat　and　island。

鈥渂ear　a　bit　more　to　starboard；鈥潯�said　mogget；　in　the　silence　after　the　howl　faded。　鈥渨e　need　more　sea…room。鈥�

touchstone　was　quick　to　ply。





chapter　xviii

灏忥伎璇磘xt澶╋伎鍫�
by　the　morning　of　the　sixth　day　out　of　nestowe；　sabriel　was　heartily　tired　of　nautical　life。　they鈥檇　s