sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第53章

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staring；　touchstone　saw　that　kerrigor　had　tried　to　make　the　body　he　currently　inhabited　look　like　the　rogir　of　old；　but　either　his　skills；　memory　or　taste　were　sadly　lacking。　kerrigor　stood　at　least　seven　feet　tall；　his　body　impossibly　　deep…chested　and　narrow…waisted。　his　head　was　too　thin；　and　too　long；　and　his　mouth　spread　from　ear　to　ear。　his　eyes　did　not　bear　looking　at；　for　they　were　thin　slits　burning　with　free　magic　fires鈥攏ot　eyes　at　all。

but　somehow；　even　so　warped；　he　did　have　a　little　of　the　look　of　rogir。　take　a　man；　make　him　malleable；　stretch　and　twist　。　。　。

the　hideous　mouth　opened；　yawning　wider　and　wider；　then　kerrigor　laughed；　a　short　laugh；　punctuated　by　the　snap　of　his　closing　jaws。

then　he　spoke；　and　his　voice　was　as　warped　and　twisted　as　his　body。

鈥渋　am　fortunate。　three　bearers　of　blood鈥敗�blood　for　the　breaking！　three！鈥�

touchstone　kept　staring；　hearing　kerrigor鈥檚　voice；　still　somewhat　like　rogir鈥檚；　rich　but　rotten；　wet　like　worm…ridden　fruit。　he　saw　both　the　new；　twisted　kerrigor　and　the　other；　betterfashioned　body　he鈥檇　known　as　rogir。　he　saw　the　dagger　again；　slashing　across　the　queen鈥檚　throat；　the　blood　cascading　out；　the　golden　cup　。　。　。

a　hand　grabbed　him；　turned　him　around；　took　his　left　sword　from　his　grasp。　he　suddenly　refocused；　gasping　for　air　again；　and　saw　sabriel。

she　had　his　left　sword　in　her　right　hand；　and　　now　took　his　open　palm　in　her　left；　dragging　him　towards　the　south。　he　let　her　pull；　following　in　a　splashing；　loose…limbed　run。　everything　seemed　to　close　in　then；　his　vision　narrowing；　like　a　halfremembered　dream。

he　saw　sabriel鈥檚　father鈥攖he　abhorsen鈥攆or　the　first　time　devoid　of　frost。　he　looked　hard；　determined；　but　he　smiled；　and　bowed　his　head　a　fraction　as　they　passed。　touchstone　wondered　why　he　was　going　the　wrong　way　。　。　。　towards　kerrigor；　towards　the　dagger　and　the　catching　cup。　mogget　was　on　his　shoulder　too；　and　that　was　unlike　mogget；　going　into　danger　。　。　。　there　was　something　else　peculiar　about　mogget　too　。　。　。　yes；　his　collar　was　gone　。　。　。　maybe　he　should　turn　and　go　back；　put　mogget鈥檚　collar　back　on；　try　and　fight　kerrigor　。　。　。

鈥渞un！　damn　you！　run！鈥潯�screamed　sabriel；　as　he　half…turned。　her　voice　snapped　him　out　of　whatever　trance　he鈥檇　been　in。　nausea　hit；　for　they鈥檇　left　the　diamond　of　protection。　unwarned；　he　threw　up　immediately；　turning　his　head　as　they　ran。　he　realized　he　was　dragging　on　sabriel鈥檚　hand；　and　forced　himself　to　run　faster；　though　his　legs　felt　dead；　numbed　by　savage　pins　and　needles。　he　could　hear　the　dead　again　now；　　chanting；　and　drumming；　drumming　fast。　there　were　voices　too；　raised　loud；　echoing　in　the　vast　cavern。　the　howl　of　the　mordicant；　and　a　strange　buzzing；　crackling　sound　that　he　felt　rather　than　heard。

they　reached　the　southern　stair；　but　sabriel　didn鈥檛　slacken　her　pace；　jumping　up　and　off；　out　of　the　twilight　of　the　reservoir　into　total　darkness。

touchstone　lost　her　hand；　then　found　it　again；　and　they　stumbled　up　the　steps　together；　swords　held　dangerously　ahead　and　behind；　striking　sparks　from　the　stone。　still　they　heard　the　tumult　from　behind；　the　howling；　drumming；　shouting；　all　magnified　by　the　water　and　the　vastness　of　the　reservoir。　then　another　sound　began；　cutting　through　the　noise　with　the　clarity　of　perfection。

it　started　softly；　like　a　tuning　fork　lightly　struck；　but　grew；　a　pure　note；　blown　by　a　trumpeter　of　inexhaustible　breath；　till　there　was　nothing　but　the　sound。　the　sound　of　astarael。

sabriel　and　touchstone　both　stopped；　almost　in　mid…stride。　they　felt　a　terrible　urge　to　leave　their　bodies；　to　shuck　them　off　as　so　much　worn…out　baggage。　their　spirits鈥攖heir　essential　selves鈥攚anted　to　go；　to　go　into　death　and　　plunge　joyfully　into　the　strongest　current；　to　be　carried　to　the　very　end。

鈥渢hink　of　life！鈥潯�screamed　sabriel；　her　voice　only　just　audible　through　the　pure　note。　she　could　feel　touchstone　dying；　his　will　insufficient　to　hold　him　in　life。　he　seemed　almost　to　expect　this　sudden　summons　into　death。

鈥渇ight　it！鈥潯�she　screamed　again；　dropping　her　sword　to　slap　him　across　the　face。　鈥渓ive！鈥�

still　he　slipped　away。　desperate；　she　grabbed　him　by　the　ears；　and　kissed　him　savagely；　biting　his　lip；　the　salty　blood　filling　both　their　mouths。　his　eyes　cleared；　and　she　felt　him　concentrate　again；　concentrate　on　life；　on　living。

his　sword　fell；　and　he　brought　his　arms　up　around　her　and　returned　her　kiss。　then　he　put　his　head　on　her　shoulder；　and　she　on　his；　and　they　held　each　other　tightly　till　the　single　note　of　astarael　slowly　died。

silence　came　at　last。　gingerly；　they　let　each　other　go。　touchstone　shakily　groped　around　for　his　sword；　but　sabriel　lit　a　candle　before　he　could　cut　his　fingers　in　the　dark。　they　looked　at　each　other　in　the　flickering　light。　sabriel鈥檚　eyes　were　wet；　touchstone鈥檚　mouth　bloody。

鈥渨hat　was　that？鈥潯�touchstone　asked　huskily。

鈥渁starael；鈥潯�replied　sabriel。　鈥渢he　final　bell。　it　calls　everyone　who　hears　it　into　death。鈥�

鈥渒errigor　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渉e鈥檒l　e　back；鈥潯�whispered　sabriel。　鈥渉e鈥檒l　always　e　back；　till　his　real　body鈥檚　destroyed。鈥�

鈥測our　father？鈥潯�touchstone　mumbled。　鈥渕ogget？鈥�

鈥渄ad鈥檚　dead；鈥潯�said　sabriel。　her　face　was　posed；　but　her　eyes　overflowed　into　tears。　鈥渉e鈥檒l　go　quickly　beyond　the　final　gate。　mogget鈥攊　don鈥檛　know。鈥�

she　fingered　the　silver　ring　on　her　hand；　frowned；　and　bent　to　pick　up　the　sword　she鈥檇　taken　from　touchstone。

鈥渆　on；鈥潯�she　ordered。　鈥渨e　have　to　get　up　to　the　west　yard。　quickly。鈥�

鈥渢he　west　yard？鈥潯�asked　touchstone；　retrieving　his　own　sword。　he　was　confused　and　sick；　but　he　forced　himself　up。　鈥渙f　the　palace？鈥�

鈥測es；鈥潯�replied　sabriel。　鈥渓et鈥檚　go。鈥�

ww锛枫��=



chapter　xxiv

銆傚皬％璇碸t*xt…澶�。鍫�
the　sunshine　was　harsh　to　their　eyes；　for　it　was　surprisingly　only　a　little　past　noon。　they　stumbled　out　onto　the　marble　steps　of　the　cave；　blinking　like　nocturnal　animals　prematurely　flushed　out　of　an　underground　warren。

sabriel　looked　around　at　the　quiet；　sunlit　trees；　the　placid　expanse　of　grass；　the　clogged　fountain。

everything　seemed　so　normal；　so　far　removed　from　the　crazed　and　twisted　chamber　of　horrors　that　was　the　reservoir；　deep　beneath　their　feet。

she　looked　at　the　sky；　too；　losing　focus　in　the　blue；　retreating　lines　of　clouds　just　edging　about　the　fuzzy　periphery　of　her　vision。　my　father　is　dead；　she　thought。　gone　forever　。　。　。

鈥渢he　road　winds　around　the　south…western　part　of　palace　hill；鈥潯�a　voice　said；　somewhere　near　her；　beyond　the　blueness。

鈥渨hat？鈥�

鈥渢he　road。　up　to　the　west　yard。鈥�

it　was　touchstone　talking。　sabriel　closed　her　eyes；　told　herself　to　concentrate；　to　get　a　grip　on　the　here　and　now。　she　opened　her　eyes　and　looked　at　touchstone。

he　was　a　mess。　face　blood…streaked　from　his　bleeding　lip；　hair　wet；　plastered　flat；　armor　and　clothes　darkly　sodden。　water　dripped　down　the　sword　he　still　held　out；　angled　to　the　ground。

鈥測ou　didn鈥檛　tell　me　you　were　a　prince；鈥潯�sabriel　said；　in　a　conversational　tone。　she　might　have　been　menting　on　the　weather。　her　voice　sounded　strange　in　her　own　ears；　but　she　didn鈥檛　have　the　energy　to　do　anything　about　it。

鈥渋鈥檓　not；鈥潯�touchstone　replied；　shrugging。　he　looked　up　at　the　sky　while　he　spoke。　鈥渢he　queen　was　my　mother；　but　my　father　was　an　obscure　northern　noble；　who　鈥榯ook　up　with　her鈥櫋�a　few　years　after　her　consort鈥檚　death。　he　was　killed　in　a　hunting　accident　before　i　was　born　。　。　。　look；　shouldn鈥檛　we　be　going？　to　the　west　yard？鈥�

鈥渋　suppose　so；鈥潯�sabriel　said　dully。　鈥渇ather　said　there　will　be　a　paperwing　waiting　for　us　there；　　and　the　clayr；　to　tell　us　where　to　go。鈥�

鈥渋　see；鈥潯�said　touchstone。　he　came　closer；　and　peered　at　sabriel鈥檚　vacant　eyes；　then　took　her　unresisting　and　oddly　floppy　arm；　and　steered　her　towards　the　line　of　beech　trees　that　marked　a　path　to　the　western　end　of　the　park。　sabriel　walked　obediently；　increasing　her　pace　as　touchstone　sped　up；　till　they　were　practically　jogging。　touchstone　was　pushing　on　her　arm；　with　many　backward　glances；　sabriel　moving　with　a　sleepwalker鈥檚　jerky　animation。

a　few　hundred　yards　from　the　ornamental　caves；　the　beeches　gave