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第46章

sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第46章

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

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鈥渋t only goes back about forty paces into the hill;鈥潯ouchstone explained; as they lit their candles by the entrance; sulphur matches adding their own noisome stench to the dank air of the cave。 鈥渢hey were built for picnics in high summer。

there is a door at the back of this one。 it may be locked; but should yield to a charterspell。

the steps are directly behind; and pretty straight; but there are no light shafts。 and it鈥檚 narrow。鈥

鈥渋鈥檒l go first then;鈥潯aid sabriel; with a firmness that belied the weakness in her legs and the fluttering in her stomach。 鈥渋 can鈥檛 sense any dead; but they could be there 。 。 。鈥

鈥渧ery well;鈥潯aid touchstone; after a moment鈥檚 hesitation。

鈥測ou don鈥檛 have to e; you know;鈥潯abriel suddenly burst out; as they stood in front of the cave; candles flickering foolishly in the sunshine。

she suddenly felt awfully responsible for him。 he looked scared; much whiter than he should; almost as pale as a death…leeched necromancer。

he鈥檇 seen terrible things in the reservoir; things that had once driven him mad; and despite his self…accusation; sabriel didn鈥檛 believe it was his fault。 it wasn鈥檛 his father down there。 he wasn鈥檛 an abhorsen。

鈥渋 do have to;鈥潯ouchstone replied。 he bit his lower lip nervously。 鈥渋 have to。 i鈥檒l never be free of my memories; otherwise。 i have to do something; make new memories; better ones。 i need to 。 。 。 seek redemption。 besides; i am still a member of the royal guard。 it is my duty。鈥

鈥渟o be it;鈥潯aid sabriel。 鈥渁nyway; i鈥檓 glad you鈥檙e here。鈥

鈥渋 am too鈥攊n a strange sort of way;鈥潯aid touchstone; and he almost; but not quite; smiled。

鈥渋鈥檓 not;鈥潯nterrupted mogget; decidedly。

鈥渓et鈥檚 get on with it。 we鈥檙e wasting sunlight。鈥

the door was locked; but opened easily to sabriel鈥檚 spell; the simple charter symbols of unlocking and opening flowing from her mind through to her index finger; which lay against the keyhole。 but though the spell was successful; it had been difficult to cast。 even up here; the broken stones of the great charter exerted an influence that disrupted charter magic。

the faint candlelight showed damp; crumbly steps; leading straight down。 no curves or turns; just a straight stair leading into darkness。

sabriel trod gingerly; feeling the soft stone crumble under her heavy boots; so she had to keep her heels well back on each step。 this made for slow progress; with touchstone close behind her; the light from his candle casting sabriel鈥檚 shadow down the steps in front; so she saw herself elongated and distorted; sliding into the dark beyond the light。

she smelled the reservoir before she saw it; somewhere around the thirty…ninth step。 a chill; damp smell that cut into her nose and lungs; and  filled her with the impression of a cold expanse。

then the steps ended in a doorway on the edge of a vast; rectangular hall鈥攁 giant chamber where stone columns rose up like a forest to support a roof sixty feet above her head; and the floor before her wasn鈥檛 stone; but water as cold and still as stone。 around the walls; pallid shafts of sunlight thrust down in counterpoint to the supporting columns; leaving discs of light on the water。 these made the rim of the reservoir a plex study of light and shade; but the center remained unknown; cloaked in heavy darkness。

sabriel felt touchstone touch her shoulder; then she heard his whisper。

鈥渋t鈥檚 about waist…deep。 try and slip in as quietly as possible。 here鈥攊鈥檒l take your candle。鈥

sabriel nodded; passed the candle back; sheathed her sword; and sat down on the last step; before slowly easing herself into the water。

it was cold; but not unbearable。 despite sabriel鈥檚 care; ripples spread out from her; silver on the dark water; and there had been the tiniest splash。 her feet touched the bottom; and she only half stifled a gasp。 not from the cold; but  from the sudden awareness of the two broken stones of the great charter。 it hit her like the savage onset of gastric flu; bringing stomach cramps; sudden sweat and dizziness。 bent over; she clutched at the step; till the first pains subsided to a dull ache。 it was much worse than the lesser stones; broken at cloven crest and nestowe。

鈥渨hat is it?鈥潯hispered touchstone。

鈥渁h 。 。 。 the broken stones;鈥潯abriel muttered。

she took a deep breath; willing the pain and disfort away。 鈥渋 can stand it。 be careful when you get in。鈥

she drew her sword; and took her candle back from touchstone; who prepared to enter the water。 even forewarned; she saw him flinch as his feet touched the bottom; and sweat broke out in lines on his forehead; mirroring the ripples that spread from his entry。

sabriel expected mogget to jump up on her shoulder; given his apparent dislike for touchstone; but he surprised her; leaping to the man。 touchstone was clearly startled too; but recovered well。 mogget draped himself around the back of touchstone鈥檚 neck; and mewed softly。

鈥渒eep to the edges; if you can。 the corruption鈥敗he break鈥攚ill have even more unpleasant effects near the center。鈥

sabriel raised her sword in assent and led off; following the left wall; trying to break the surface tension of the water as little as possible。 but the quiet slosh…slosh of their wading seemed very loud; echoing and spreading up and out through the cistern; adding to the only other noise鈥攖he regular dripping of water; plopping loudly from the roof; or more sedately sliding down the columns。

she couldn鈥檛 sense any dead; but she wasn鈥檛 sure how much that was due to the broken stones。 they made her head hurt; like a constant; too…loud noise; her stomach cramped; her mouth was full of the acrid taste of bile。

they had just reached the north…western corner; directly under one of the light shafts; when the light suddenly dimmed; and the reservoir grew dark in an instant; save for the tiny; soft glow of the candles。

鈥渁 cloud;鈥潯hispered touchstone。 鈥渋t will pass。鈥

they held their breath; looking up; up to the tiny outline of light above; and were rewarded  when sunlight came pouring back down。

relieved; they began to wade again; following the long west…east wall。 but it was short…lived relief。 another cloud crossed the sun; somewhere in that fresh air so high above them; and darkness returned。 more clouds followed; till there were only brief moments of light interspersed by long stretches of total dark。

the reservoir seemed colder without the sun; even a sun diluted by passage down long shafts through the earth。 sabriel felt the cold now; acpanied by the sudden; irrational fear that they had stayed too long; and would emerge to a night full of waiting; life…hungry dead。

touchstone felt the chill too; made more bitter by his memories of two hundred years past; when he鈥檇 waded in this same water; and seen the queen and her two daughters sacrificed and the great stones broken。 there had been blood on the water then; and he still saw it鈥攁 single frozen moment of time that would not get out of his head。

despite these fears; it was the darkness that helped them。 sabriel saw a glow; a faint luminescence off to her right; somewhere towards the center。 shielding her eyes from the candle鈥檚  glare; she pointed it out to touchstone。

鈥渢here鈥檚 something there;鈥潯e agreed; his voice so low sabriel barely heard it。 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 at least forty paces towards the center。鈥

sabriel didn鈥檛 answer。 she鈥檇 felt something from that faint light; something like the slight sensation across the back of her neck that came when her father鈥檚 sending visited her at school。

leaving the wall; she pushed out through the water; a v…line of ripples behind her。 touchstone looked again; then followed; fighting the nausea that rose in him; ing in waves like repeated doses of an emetic。 he was dizzy too; and could no longer properly feel his feet。

they went about thirty paces out; the pain and the nausea growing steadily worse。 then sabriel suddenly stopped; touchstone lifting his sword and candle; eyes searching for an attack。 but there was no enemy present。 the luminous light came from a diamond of protection; the four cardinal mark

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