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第48章

sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第48章

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

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suddenly; touchstone sloshed forward and quickly kissed her on the cheek鈥攁 clumsy;  dry…lipped peck that almost hit the rim of her helmet rather than her cheek。

鈥渇or luck;鈥潯ouchstone said nervously。

鈥渟abriel。鈥

she smiled; and nodded twice; then looked back to the north。 her eyes focused on something not there and waves of cold air billowed from her motionless form。 a second later; ice crystals began to crack out of her hair; and frost ran in lines down the sword and bell。

touchstone watched; close by; till it grew too cold; then he retreated to the far southern vertice of the diamond。 drawing one sword; he turned outwards; holding his candle high; and started to wade around inside the lines of charter…fire as if he were patrolling the battlements of a castle。

mogget watched too; from his shoulder; his green eyes lit with their own internal luminescence。

both of them often turned to gaze at sabriel。

the crossing into death was made easy鈥攆ar too easy鈥攂y the presence of the broken stones。

sabriel felt them near her; like two yawning gates; proclaiming easy entry to life for any   dead nearby。 fortunately; the other effect of the stones鈥攖he sickening illness鈥攄isappeared in death。 there was only the chill and tug of the river。

sabriel started forward immediately; carefully scanning the grey expanse before her。 things moved at the edge of her vision; she heard movement in the cold waters。 but nothing came towards her; nothing attacked; save the constant twining and gripping of the current。

she came to the first gate; halting just beyond the wall of mist that stretched out as far as she could see to either side。 the river roared beyond that mist; turbulent rapids going through to the second precinct; and on to the second gate。

remembering pages from the book of the dead; sabriel spoke words of power。 free magic; that shook her mouth as she spoke; jarring her teeth; burning her tongue with raw power。

the veil of mist parted; revealing a series of waterfalls that appeared to drop into an unending blackness。 sabriel spoke some more words; and gestured to the right and left with her sword。

a path appeared; parting the waterfall like a finger drawn through butter。 sabriel stepped out onto it; and walked down; the waters crashing harmlessly on either side。 behind her; the mist closed up and; as her rearmost heel lifted to make her next step; the path disappeared。

the second precinct was more dangerous than the first。 there were deep holes; as well as the ever…present current。 the light was worse too。

not the total darkness promised at the end of the waterfalls; but there was a different quality in its greyness。 a blurring effect; that made it difficult to see further than you could touch。

sabriel continued carefully; using her sword to probe the ground ahead。 there was an easy way through; she knew; a course mapped and plotted by many necromancers and not a few abhorsens; but she didn鈥檛 trust her memory to tread confidently ahead at speed。

always; her senses quested for her father鈥檚 spirit。 he was somewhere in death; she was positive of that。 there was always the faintest trace of him; a lingering memory。 but it was not this close to life。 she would have to go on。

the second gate was essentially an enormous hole; at least two hundred yards across; into which the river sank like sinkwater down a drain。 unlike a normal drain; it was eerily silent; and with the difficult light; easy for the unwary  to walk up to its rim。 sabriel was always particularly careful with this gate鈥攕he had learned to sense the feel of its tug against her shins at an early age。 she stopped well back when the tug came; and tried to focus on the silently raging whirlpool。

a faint squelching sound behind her made her turn; sword scything around at full arm…stretch; a great circle of charter…spelled steel。 it struck dead spirit…flesh; sparks flying; a scream of rage and pain filling the silence。 sabriel almost jumped back; at that scream; but she held her ground。 the second gate was too close。

the thing she鈥檇 hit stepped back; its head hanging from a mostly severed neck。 it was humanoid in shape; at least to begin with; but had arms that trailed down below its knees; into the river。 its head; now flopping on one shoulder; was longer than it was wide or tall; possessed a mouth with several rows of teeth。 it had flaming coals in its eyepits; a characteristic of the deep dead; from beyond the fifth gate。

it snarled and brought its long; skewer…thin fingers up out of the water to try and straighten its head; attempting to rest it back atop the cleanly hewn neck。

sabriel struck again; and the head and one hand flew off; splashing into the river。 they bobbed on the surface for a moment; the head howling; eyes flaming with hate across the water。 then it was sucked down; down into the hurly…burly of the second gate。

the headless body stood where it was for a second; then started to cautiously step sideways; its remaining hand groping around in front of it。

sabriel watched it cautiously; debating whether to use saraneth to bind it to her will; and then kibeth to send it on its way to final death。 but using the bells would alert everything dead between here and the first and third gates at least鈥攁nd she didn鈥檛 want that。

the headless thing took another step; and fell sideways into a deep hole。 it scrabbled there; long arms thrashing the water; but couldn鈥檛 pull itself up and out。 it only succeeded in getting across into the full force of the current; which snatched it up and threw it into the whirlpool of the gate。

once again; sabriel recited words of free magic power; words impressed into her mind long ago from the book of the dead。 the words flowed out of her; blistering her lips; strange heat in this place of leeching cold。

with the words; the waters of the second gate slowed and stilled。 the whirling vortex separated out into a long spiral path; winding downwards。

sabriel; checking for a few last holes near the edge; gingerly strode out to this path and started down。 behind and above her; the waters began to swirl again。

the spiral path looked long; but to sabriel it seemed only a matter of minutes before she was passing through the very base of the whirlpool; and out into the third precinct。

this was a tricksome place。 the water was shallow here; only ankle…deep; and somewhat warmer。 the light was better too鈥攕till grey; but you could see farther out。 even the ubiquitous current was no more than a bit of a tickle around the feet。

but the third precinct had waves。 for the first time; sabriel broke into a run; sprinting as fast as she could towards the third gate; just visible in the distance。 it was like the first gate鈥攁 waterfall concealed in a wall of mist。

behind her; sabriel heard the thunderous crashing that announced the wave; which had been held back by the same spell that gave her passage through the whirlpool。 with the wave  came shrill cries; shrieks and screams。 there were clearly many dead around; but sabriel didn鈥檛 spare them a thought。 nothing and no one could withstand the waves of the third precinct。 you simply ran as fast as possible; hoping to reach the next gate鈥攚hichever way you were going。

the thunder and crashing grew louder; and one by one the various screams and shouts were submerged in the greater sound。 sabriel didn鈥檛 look; but only ran faster。 looking over her shoulder would lose a fraction of a second; and that might be enough for the wave to reach her; pick her up and hurl her through the third gate; stunned flotsam for the current beyond 。 。 。

touchstone stared out past the southern vertice; listening。 he had heard something; he was sure; something besides the constant dripping。

something louder; something slow; attempting to be surreptitious。 he knew mogget had heard it too; from the sudden tensing of cat paws on his shoulder。

鈥渃an you see anything?鈥潯e whispered; peering out into the darkness。 the clouds were still  blocking the light from the sun…shafts; though he thought the intervals of sunlight were growing longer。 but; in any case; they were too far away from the edge to benefit from a sudden re

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