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第65章

sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第65章

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

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it was kerrigor。 the soldiers who鈥檇 barred the door lay dead around him; pale flesh islands about a sea of darkness。 he had no shape now;  but there were semi…human features in the great ink…splash of his presence。 eyes of white fire; and a yawning mouth that was lined with flickering coals of a red as dark as drying blood。

鈥渁bhorsen is mine;鈥潯roaked kerrigor; his voice deep and somehow liquid; as if his words came bubbling out like lava mixed with spittle。

鈥測ou will leave her to me。鈥

the mogget…thing crackled; and moved again; white sparks falling like tiny stars in its wake。

鈥渋 have waited too long to allow my revenge to be taken by another!鈥潯t hissed; ending on a high…pitched yowl that still had something of the cat。 then it flew at kerrigor; a shining electric et hurtling into the darkness of his body; smashing into his shadowy substance like a hammer tenderizing meat。

for a moment; no one moved; shocked by the suddenness of the attack。 then; kerrigor鈥檚 dark shape slowly recongealed; long tendrils of bitter night wrapping around his brilliant attacker; choking and absorbing it with the implacable voracity of an octopus strangling a brightshelled turtle。

desperately; sabriel looked around for touchstone and magistrix greenwood。 brick  dust was still falling slowly through the moonlit air; like some deadly rust…colored gas; the bodies lying around seemingly victims of its choking poison。 but they had been struck by bricks; or wooden splinters from the smashing of the pews。

sabriel saw the magistrix first; lying a little away; curled up on her side。 anyone else might have thought her merely unconscious; but sabriel knew she was dead; struck by a long; stiletto…like splinter from a shattered pew。 the iron…hard wood had driven right through her。

she knew touchstone was alive鈥攁nd there he was; propped up against a pile of broken masonry。 his eyes reflected the moonlight。

sabriel walked over to him; stepping between the bodies and the rubble; the patches of freshly spilled blood and the silent; hopeless wounded。

鈥渕y leg is broken;鈥潯ouchstone said; his mouth showing the pain of it。 he tilted his head towards the gaping hole in the wall。 鈥渞un; sabriel。 while he鈥檚 busy。 run south。 live a normal life 。 。 。鈥

鈥渋 can鈥檛;鈥潯eplied sabriel softly。 鈥渋 am the abhorsen。 besides; how could you run with me; you with your broken leg?鈥

鈥渟abriel 。 。 。鈥

but sabriel had already turned away。 she picked up astarael; practiced hands keeping it still。 but there was no need; for the bell was choked with brick dust; its voice silent。 it would not ring true until cleaned; with patience; magic and steady nerves。 sabriel stared at it for a second; then gently placed it back down on the floor。

her father鈥檚 sword was only a few paces further away。 she picked it up; and watched the charter marks flow along the blade。 this time; they didn鈥檛 run through the normal inscription; but said: 鈥渢he clayr saw me; the wallmaker made me; the king quenched me; the abhorsen wields me so that no dead shall walk in life。 for this is not their path。鈥

鈥渢his is not their path;鈥潯hispered sabriel。 she took up the guard position; and looked down the hall to the writhing hulk of darkness that was kerrigor。

w w w/xiao shu otx t



chapter xxix

灏忚…txt澶╁爞
kerrigor seemed to have finished with the free magic thing that had once been mogget。 his great cloud of darkness was plete again; with no sign of white fire; no dazzling brilliance fighting away within。

he was remarkably still; and sabriel had a moment鈥檚 brief hope that he was somehow wounded。 then the awful realization came。

kerrigor was digesting; like a glutton after an overly ambitious meal。

sabriel shuddered at the thought; bile tainting her mouth。 not that her end was likely to be better。 both she and touchstone would be taken alive; and kept that way; till they pumped out their life鈥檚 blood; throats yawning; down in the dark of the reservoir 。 。 。

she shook her head; dispelling that image。

there had to be something 。 。 。 kerrigor had to be weaker; so far from the old kingdom 。 。 。

perhaps weakened more than her charter magic。 she doubted that a single bell could sway him; but two; in concert? it was dark in the hall; save for the moonlight falling through the shattered wall behind her。 and quiet。 even the wounded were slipping away in silence; their cries muted; last wishes whispered。 they kept their agony close; as if a scream might attract the wrong attention。 there were things worse than death in the hall 。 。 。

even in darkness; the form of kerrigor was darker still。 sabriel watched him carefully; undoing the straps that held saraneth and kibeth with her left hand。 she sensed other dead all around; but none entered the hall。

there were still men to fight; or feast upon。

what went on in the hall was their master鈥檚 business。

the straps came undone。 kerrigor didn鈥檛 move; his burning eyes closed; his fiery mouth shut。

in one quick motion; sabriel sheathed her  sword; and drew the bells。

kerrigor did move then。 swiftly; his dark bulk bounding forward; halving the gap between them。 he grew taller too; stretching upwards till he almost reached the vaulted ceiling。 his eyes opened to full; raging; flaming fury; and he spoke。

鈥渢oys; abhorsen。 and too late。 much too late。鈥

it was not just words he spoke; but power; free magic power that froze sabriel鈥檚 nerves; caught at her muscles。 desperately; she struggled to ring the bells; but her wrists were locked in place 。 。 。

tantalizingly slowly; kerrigor glided forward; till he was a mere arm鈥檚 length away; towering over her like some colossal statue of rough…hewn night; his breath rolling down on her with the stench of a thousand abattoirs。

someone鈥攁 girl quietly coughing out her last breath on the floor鈥攖ouched sabriel鈥檚 ankle with a light caress。 a small spark of golden charter magic came from that dying touch; slowly swelling into sabriel鈥檚 veins; traveling upwards; warming joints; freeing muscles。 at last it reached her wrists and  hands鈥攁nd the bells rang out。

it was not the clear; true sound it should be; for somehow the bulk of kerrigor took the sound in and warped it鈥攂ut it had an effect。

kerrigor slid back; and was diminished; till he was little more than twice sabriel鈥檚 height。

but he was not subject to sabriel鈥檚 will。

saraneth had not bound him; and kibeth had only forced him back。

sabriel rang the bells again; concentrating on the difficult counterpoint between them; forcing all her will into their magic。 kerrigor would fall under her domination; he would walk where she willed 。 。 。

and for a second; he did。 not into death; for she lacked the power; but into his original body; inside the broken sarcophagus。 even as the chime of the bells faded; kerrigor changed。

fiery eyes and mouth ran into each other like molten wax; and his shadow…stuff folded into a narrow column of smoke; roaring up into the ceiling。 it hovered among the rafters for a moment; then descended with a hideous scream; straight into the rogir…body鈥檚 open mouth。

with that scream; saraneth and kibeth cracked; shards of silver falling like broken stars;  crashing to the earth。 mahogany handles turned to dust; drifting through sabriel鈥檚 fingers like smoke。

sabriel stared at her empty hands for a second; still feeling the harsh imprint of bell…handles 。 。 。

then; without any conscious thought; there was a sword hilt in her hand as she advanced upon the sarcophagus。 but before she could see into it; rogir stood up and looked at her鈥攍ooked with the burning fire…pit eyes of kerrigor。

鈥渁n inconvenience;鈥潯e said; with a voice that was only marginally more human。 鈥渋 should have remembered you were a troublesome brat。鈥

sabriel lunged at him; sword blowing white sparks as it struck; punching through his chest to project out the other side。 but kerrigor only laughed; and reached down till he held the blade with both hands; knuckles pallid against the silver…sparking steel。 sabriel tugged at the sword; but it would not e free。

鈥渘o sword can harm me;鈥潯errigor said; with a giggl

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