sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第61章

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sh　he鈥檇　stayed　properly　bloody　dead。鈥�

鈥渢hank　you；鈥潯�sabriel　replied；　uncertainly。

she　knew　the　corporal　didn鈥檛　have　the　sight鈥敗�you　could　always　tell鈥攂ut　his　belief　in　her　was　so　concrete　。　。　。

鈥渉e鈥檚　right；鈥潯�said　touchstone。　he　gestured　for　her　to　go　in　front　of　him；　making　a　courtly　bow。

鈥渓et鈥檚　finish　what　we　came　to　do；　abhorsen。鈥�

sabriel　bowed　back；　in　a　motion　that　had　almost　the　feel　of　ritual　about　it。　the　abhorsen　bowing　to　the　king。　then　she　took　a　deep　breath；　her　face　settling　into　a　determined　mold。

beginning　to　form　the　charter　marks　of　opening　in　her　mind；　she　took　touchstone鈥檚　hand　and　advanced　towards　the　open　cairn；　its　dark；　shadowy　interior　in　stark　contrast　with　the　sunlit　thistles　and　the　tumbled　stones。　behind　her；　touchstone　half…turned　to　take　horyse鈥檚　calloused　hand　as　well；　the　colonel鈥檚　other　hand　already　gripping　lieutenant　aire鈥檚；　aire　gripping　a　sergeant鈥檚；　the　sergeant　the　long…service　corporal鈥檚；　and　so　on　down　the　hillside。　fourteen　charter　mages　in　all；　if　only　two　of　the　first　rank。

sabriel　felt　the　charter　magic　welling　up　the　line；　the　marks　glowing　brighter　and　brighter　in　her　mind；　till　she　almost　lost　her　normal　vision　in　their　brilliance。　she　shuffled　forwards　into　the　cairn；　each　step　bringing　that　all…too…familiar　nausea；　the　pins　and　needles；　uncontrollable　shaking。　but　the　marks　were　strong　in　her　mind；　stronger　than　the　sickness。

she　reached　the　bronze　sarcophagus；　slapped　her　hand　down　and　let　the　charter　magic　go。

instantly；　there　was　an　explosion　of　light；　and　a　terrible　scream　echoed　all　through　the　cairn。　the　bronze　grew　hot；　and　sabriel　snatched　back　her　hand；　the　palm　red　and　blistered。　a　second　later；　steam　billowed　out　all　around　the　sarcophagus；　great　gouts　of　scalding　steam；　forcing　sabriel　out；　the　whole　line　going　down　like　dominoes；　tumbling　out　of　the　cairn　and　down　the　hill。

sabriel　and　touchstone　were　thrown　together；　about　five　yards　down　from　the　entrance　to　the　cairn。　somehow；　sabriel鈥檚　head　had　landed　on　touchstone鈥檚　stomach。　his　head　was　on　a　thistle；　but　both　of　them　lay　still　for　a　moment；　drained　by　the　magic　and　the　strength　of　the　free　magic　defenses。　they　looked　up　at　the　blue　sky；　already　tinged　with　the　red　of　the　impending　sunset。

around　them　there　was　much　swearing　and　cursing；　as　the　soldiers　picked　themselves　up。

鈥渋t　didn鈥檛　open；鈥潯�sabriel　said；　in　a　quiet；　matter…of…fact　voice。　鈥渨e　don鈥檛　have　the　power；　or　the　skill鈥斺��

she　paused；　and　then　added；　鈥渋　wish　mogget　wasn鈥檛　。　。　。　i　wish　he　was　here。　he鈥檇　think　of　something　。　。　。鈥�

touchstone　was　silent；　then　he　said；　鈥渨e　need　more　charter　mages鈥攊t　would　work　if　the　marks　were　reinforced　enough。鈥�

鈥渕ore　charter　mages；鈥潯�sabriel　said　tiredly。

鈥渨e鈥檙e　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　wall　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渨hat　about　your　school？鈥潯�asked　touchstone；　and　then　鈥渙w！鈥潯�as　sabriel　suddenly　shot　up；　disrupting　his　balance；　then　鈥渙w！鈥潯�again　as　she　bent　down　and　kissed　him；　pushing　his　head　further　into　the　thistle。

鈥渢ouchstone！　i　should　have　thought　。　。　。　the　senior　magic　classes。　there　must　be　thirty…five　girls　with　the　charter　mark　and　the　basic　skills。鈥�

鈥済ood；鈥潯�muttered　touchstone；　from　the　depths　of　the　thistle。　sabriel　put　out　her　hands；　and　helped　him　up；　smelling　the　sweat　on　him；　and　the　fresh；　pungent　odor　of　crushed　thistles。

he　was　halfway　up　when　she　suddenly　seemed　to　lose　her　enthusiasm；　and　he　almost　fell　back　down　again。

鈥渢he　girls　are　there；鈥潯�said　sabriel；　slowly；　as　if　thinking　aloud。　鈥渂ut　have　i　any　right　to　involve　them　in　something　that　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渢hey鈥檙e　involved　anyway；鈥潯�interrupted　touchstone。　鈥渢he　only　reason　that　ancelstierre　　isn鈥檛　like　the　old　kingdom　is　the　wall；　and　it　won鈥檛　last　once　kerrigor　breaks　the　remaining　stones。鈥�

鈥渢hey鈥檙e　only　schoolchildren；鈥潯�sabriel　said　sadly。　鈥渇or　all　we　always　thought　we　were　grown　women。鈥�

鈥渨e　need　them；鈥潯�said　touchstone；　again。

鈥測es；鈥潯�said　sabriel；　turning　back　towards　the　knot　of　men　gathered　as　close　as　they　dared　to　the　cairn。　horyse；　and　some　of　the　stronger　charter　mages；　peering　back　towards　the　entrance　and　the　shimmering　bronze　within。

鈥渢he　spell　failed；鈥潯�sabriel　said。　鈥渂ut　touchstone　has　just　reminded　me　where　we　can　get　more　charter　mages。鈥�

horyse　looked　at　her；　urgency　in　his　face。

鈥渨here？鈥�

鈥渨yverley　college。　my　old　school。　the　fifth　and　sixth　form　magic　classes；　and　their　teacher；　magistrix　greenwood。　it鈥檚　less　than　a　mile　away。鈥�

鈥渋　don鈥檛　think　we鈥檝e　got　time　to　get　a　message　there；　and　get　them　over　here；鈥潯�horyse　began；　looking　up　at　the　setting　sun；　then　at　his　watch鈥敗�which　was　now　going　backwards。　he　looked　puzzled　for　a　moment；　then　ignored　it。　鈥渂ut　。　。　。

do　you　think　it　would　be　possible　to　move　the　sarcophagus？鈥�

sabriel　thought　about　the　protective　spell　that　she鈥檇　encountered；　then　answered。　鈥測es。　most　of　the　wards　were　on　the　cairn；　for　concealment。

there鈥檚　nothing　to　stop　us　moving　the　sarcophagus；　save　the　side　effects　of　the　free　magic。　if　we　can　stand　the　sickness；　we　can　shift　it鈥斺��

鈥渁nd　wyverly　college鈥攊t鈥檚　an　old；　solid　building？鈥�

鈥渕ore　like　a　castle　than　anything；鈥潯�replied　sabriel；　seeing　the　way　he　was　thinking。　鈥渆asier　to　defend　than　this　hill。鈥�

鈥渞unning　water　。　。　。　no？　that　would　be　too　much　to　hope　for。　right！　private　macking；　run　down　to　major　tindall　and　tell　him　that　i　want　his　pany　ready　to　move　in　two　minutes。

we鈥檙e　going　back　to　the　trucks；　then　on　to　wyverley　college鈥攊t鈥檚　on　the　map；　about　a　mile　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渟outh…west；鈥潯�sabriel　provided。

鈥渟outh…west。　repeat　that　back。鈥�

private　macking　repeated　the　message　in　a　slow　drawl；　then　ran　off；　clearly　keen　to　get　away　from　the　cairn。　horyse　turned　to　the　longservice　corporal　and　said；　鈥渃orporal　anshey。

you　look　pretty　fit。　do　you　think　you　could　get　a　rope　around　that　coffin？鈥�

鈥渞eckon　so；　sir；鈥潯�replied　corporal　anshey。　he　detached　a　coil　of　rope　from　his　webbing　as　he　spoke；　and　gestured　with　his　hand　to　the　other　soldiers。

鈥渆　on　you　blokes；　get　yer　ropes　out。鈥�

twenty　minutes　later；　the　sarcophagus　was　being　lifted　by　shear…legs　and　rope　aboard　a　horse…drawn　wagon；　appropriated　from　a　local　farmer。　as　sabriel　had　expected；　dragging　it　within　twenty　yards　of　the　trucks　stopped　their　engines；　put　out　electric　lights　and　disrupted　the　telephone。

curiously；　the　horse；　a　placid　old　mare；　didn鈥檛　seem　overly　frightened　by　the　gleaming　sarcophagus；　despite　its　bronze　surface　sluggishly　crawling　with　stomach…churning　perversions　of　charter　marks。　she　wasn鈥檛　a　happy　horse；　but　not　a　panicked　one　either。

鈥渨e鈥檒l　have　to　drive　the　wagon；鈥潯�sabriel　said　to　touchstone；　as　the　soldiers　pushed　the　suspended　coffin　aboard　with　long　poles；　and　collapsed　the　shear…legs。　鈥渋　don鈥檛　think　the　scouts　can　withstand　the　sickness　much　longer。鈥�

touchstone　shuddered。　like　everyone　else；　he　was　pale；　eyes　red…rimmed；　his　nose　dripping　and　　teeth　chattering。　鈥渋鈥檓　not　sure　i　can；　either。鈥�

nevertheless；　when　the　last　rope　was　twitched　off；　and　the　soldiers　hurried　away；　touchstone　climbed　up　to　the　driver鈥檚　seat　and　picked　up　the　reins。　sabriel　climbed　up　next　to　him；　suppressing　the　feeling　that　her　stomach　was　about　to　rise　into　her　mouth。　she　didn鈥檛　look　back　at　the　sarcophagus。

touchstone　said　鈥渢ch…tch鈥潯�to　the　horse；　and　flicked　the　reins。　the　mare鈥檚　ears　went　up；　and　she　took　up　the　load；　pacing　forwards。　it　was　not　a　quick　pace。

鈥渋s　this　as　fast　as　。　。　。鈥潯�sabriel　said　anxiously。

they　had　a　mile　to　cover；　and　the　sun　was　already　bloody；　a　red　disc　balanced　on　the　line　of　the　horizon。

鈥渋t鈥檚　a　heavy　load；鈥潯�touchstone　answered　slowly；　quick　breaths　ing　between　his　words；　as　if　he　found　it　difficult　to　speak。　鈥渨e鈥檒l　be　there　before　the　light　goes。鈥�

the　sarcophagus　seemed　to　buzz　and　chuckle　behind　them。　neither　of　them　mentioned　that　kerrigor　might　arrive；　fog…wreathed；　before　the　night　did。　sabriel　found　herself　looking　behind　every　few　seconds；　back　along　the　road。　this　meant　catching　glimpses　of　the　vilely　shifting　　s