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第56章

sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第56章

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

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are。

with her father gone; she had no family left鈥敗ut perhaps she would find sisters in the clayr; and perhaps touchstone would be 。 。 。

鈥渢wo minutes;鈥潯epeated both the women; one in each ear。 sabriel let them go; and hurriedly took the book of the dead and the two charter magic books from her pack; wedging them down next to touchstone鈥檚 slightly snoring form。

after a second鈥檚 thought; she also stuffed in the fleece…lined oilskin and the boat cloak。

touchstone鈥檚 swords went into the special holders next; but the pack and the rest of its contents had to be abandoned。

鈥渘ext stop; the wall;鈥潯abriel muttered as she climbed into the craft; trying not to think about what would happen if they had to land somewhere uncivilized in between。

the clayr were already in their green and silver craft; and; as sabriel did up her straps; she heard them begin to whistle; charter magic streaming out into the air。 sabriel licked her lips; summoned her breath and strength; and joined in。 wind rose behind both the craft; tossing black hair and blond; lifting the paperwings鈥櫋ails and jostling their wings。

sabriel took a breath after the wind…whistling; and stroked the smooth; laminated paper of the hull。 a brief image of the first paperwing came to mind; broken and burning in the depths of holehallow。

鈥渋 hope we fare better together;鈥潯he whispered; before joining with the clayr to whistle the last note; the pure clear sound that would wake the charter magic in their craft。

a second later; two bright…eyed paperwings leapt out from the ruined palace of belisaere; glided down almost to the swell in the sea of saere; then rose to circle higher and higher above the hill。 one craft; of green and silver;  turned to the north…west。 the other; of red and gold; turned south。

touchstone; waking to the rush of cold air on his face; and the unfamiliar sensation of flying; groggily muttered; 鈥渨hat happened?鈥

鈥渨e鈥檙e going to ancelstierre;鈥潯abriel shouted。

鈥渁cross the wall; to find kerrigor鈥檚 body鈥攁nd destroy it!鈥

鈥渙h;鈥潯aid touchstone; who only heard 鈥渁cross the wall。鈥潯♀済ood。鈥

锛凤挤w。xi锛s锛╱otxt。锛o集锛



chapter xxv

灏忥伎璇磘…x…t锛垮ぉ/鍫
鈥渂eg pardon; sir;鈥潯aid the soldier; saluting at the doorway to the officer鈥檚 bathroom。 鈥渄uty officer鈥檚 pliments and can you e straight away?鈥

colonel horyse sighed; put down his razor; and used the flannel to wipe off the remains of the shaving soap。 he had been interrupted shaving that morning; and had tried several times during the day to finish the job。 perhaps it was a sign he should grow a moustache。

鈥渨hat鈥檚 happening?鈥潯e asked; resignedly。

whatever was happening; it was unlikely to be good。

鈥渁n aircraft; sir;鈥潯eplied the private; stolidly。

鈥渇rom army hq? dropping a message cylinder?鈥

鈥渋 don鈥檛 know; sir。 it鈥檚 on the other side of the wall。鈥

鈥渨hat!鈥潯xclaimed horyse; dropping all his shaving gear; picking up his helmet and sword; and attempting to rush out; all at the same time。

鈥渋mpossible!鈥

but; when he eventually sorted himself out and got down to the forward observation post鈥攁n octagonal strongpoint that thrust out through the perimeter to within fifty yards of the wall鈥敗t quite clearly was possible。 the light was fading as the afternoon waned鈥攊t was probably close to setting on the other side鈥攂ut the visibility was good enough to make out the distant airborne shape that was descending in a series of long; gradual loops 。 。 。 on the other side of the wall。 in the old kingdom。

the duty officer was watching through big artillery spotter鈥檚 binoculars; his elbows perched on the sandbagged parapet of the position。

horyse paused for a moment to think of the fellow鈥檚 name鈥攈e was new to the perimeter garrison鈥攖hen tapped him on the shoulder。

鈥渏orbert。 mind if i have a look?鈥

the young officer lowered the binoculars reluctantly; and handed them across like a boy  deprived of a half…eaten lollipop。

鈥渋t鈥檚 definitely an aircraft; sir;鈥潯e said; brightening up as he spoke。 鈥渢otally silent; like a glider; but it鈥檚 clearly powered somehow。 very maneuverable; and beautifully painted; too。 there鈥檚 two 。 。 。 people in it; sir。鈥

horyse didn鈥檛 answer; but took up the binoculars and the same elbow…propping stance。 for a moment; he couldn鈥檛 see the aircraft; and he hastily panned left and right; then zigzagged up and down鈥攁nd there it was; lower than he expected; almost in a landing approach。

鈥渟ound stand…to;鈥潯e ordered harshly; as the realization struck him that the craft would land very close to the crossing point鈥攑erhaps only a hundred yards from the gate。

he heard his mand being repeated by jorbert to a sergeant; and then bellowed out; to be taken up by sentries; duty ncos; and eventually to hand…cranked klaxons and the old bell that hung in the front of the officer鈥檚 mess。

it was hard to see exactly who or what was in the craft; till he twiddled with the focus; and sabriel鈥檚 face leapt towards him; magnified up to a recognizable form; even at the current distance。 sabriel; the daughter of abhorsen;  acpanied by an unknown man鈥攐r something wearing the shape of a man。 for a moment; horyse considered ordering the men to stand…down; but he could already hear hobnailed boots clattering on the duckboards; sergeants and corporals shouting鈥攁nd it might not really be sabriel。 the sun was weakening; and the ing night would be the first of the full moon 。 。 。

鈥渏orbert!鈥潯e snapped; handing the binoculars back to the surprised and unready subaltern。

鈥済o and give the regimental sergeant…major my pliments; and ask him to personally organize a section of the scouts鈥攚e鈥檒l go out and take a closer look at that aircraft。鈥

鈥渙h; thank you; sir!鈥潯ushed lieutenant jorbert; obviously taking the 鈥渨e鈥潯o include himself。 his enthusiasm surprised horyse; at least for a moment。

鈥渢ell me; mr。 jorbert;鈥潯e asked。 鈥渉ave you by any chance sought a transfer to the flying corps?鈥

鈥渨ell; yes; sir;鈥潯eplied jorbert。 鈥渆ight times 。 。 。鈥

鈥渏ust remember;鈥潯oryse said; interrupting him。 鈥渢hat whatever is out there may be a flying  creature; not a flying machine鈥攁nd its pilots may be half…rotted things that should be properly dead; or free magic beings that have never really lived at all。 not fellow aviators; knights of the sky; or anything like that。鈥

jorbert nodded; unmilitarily; saluted; and turned on his heel。

鈥渁nd don鈥檛 forget your sword next time you鈥檙e on duty; officer;鈥潯oryse called after him。

鈥渉asn鈥檛 anyone told you your revolver might not work?鈥

jorbert nodded again; flushed; almost saluted; then scuttled off down the munication trench。 one of the soldiers in the forward observation post; a corporal with a full sleeve of chevrons denoting twenty years鈥櫋ervice; and a charter mark on his forehead to show his perimeter pedigree; shook his head at the departing back of the young officer。

鈥渨hy are you shaking your head; corporal anshy?鈥潯napped horyse; irked by his many interrupted shaves and this new and potentially dangerous appearance of an aircraft。

鈥渨ater on the brain;鈥潯eplied the corporal cheerfully鈥攁nd rather ambiguously。 horyse opened his mouth to issue a sharp reprimand;  then closed it as the corners of his mouth involuntarily inched up into a smile。 before he could actually laugh; he left the post; heading back to the trench junction where his section and the rsm would meet him to go beyond the wall。

within five paces; he鈥檇 lost his smile。

the paperwing slid to a perfect landing in a flurry of snow。 sabriel and touchstone sat in it; shivering under oilskin and boat cloak; respectively; then slowly levered themselves out to stand knee…deep in the tightly packed snow。

touchstone smiled at sabriel; his nose bright red and eyebrows frosted。

鈥渨e made it。鈥

鈥渟o far;鈥潯eplied sabriel; warily looking around。 she could see the long grey bulk of the wall; with the deep honey…colored sun of autumn on the ancelstierran side。 here; the snow lay banked against the grey stone; and it

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