Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy)-第18章

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the　sending；　who　had　followed　sabriel；　went　to　the　south　wall　and　pointed　out　towards　the　southern　riverbank；　its　pallid；　charter…drawn　hand　indicating　the　very　spot　where　sabriel　had　emerged　after　her　underground　flight　from　the　mordicant。

sabriel　looked　there；　shielding　her　right　eye　from　the　west…falling　sun。　her　gaze　crossed　the　white　tops　of　the　river　and　was　drawn　to　the　ledge；　despite　an　inner　quailing　about　what　she　would　see。

as　she　feared；　the　mordicant　was　still　there。

but　with　what　she　had　e　to　think　of　as　her　death　sight；　sabriel　sensed　it　was　quiescent；　temporarily　just　an　unpleasant　statue；　a　foreground　to　other；　more　active　shapes　that　bustled　about　in　some　activity　behind。

sabriel　stared　a　little　longer；　then　went　to　the　telescope；　narrowly　avoiding　mogget；　who　had　somehow　appeared　underfoot。　sabriel　wondered　　how　he　had　got　up　the　ladder；　then　dismissed　the　thought　as　she　concentrated　on　what　was　happening　outside。

unaided；　she　hadn’t　been　certain　what　the　shapes　around　the　mordicant　were；　but　they　sprang　sharply　at　her　through　the　telescope；　drawn　so　close　she　felt　she　could　somehow　lean　forward　and　snatch　them　away。

they　were　men　and　women—living；　breathing　people。　each　was　shackled　to　a　partner’s　leg　by　an　iron　chain　and　they　shuffled　about　in　these　pairs　under　the　dominating　presence　of　the　mordicant。　there　were　scores　of　them；　ing　out　of　the　corridor；　carrying　heavily　laden　leather　buckets　or　lengths　of　timber；　taking　them　across　the　ledge　and　down　the　steps　to　the　river。

then　they　filed　back　again；　buckets　empty；　timber　left　behind。

sabriel　depressed　the　telescope　a　little；　and　almost　growled　in　exasperation　and　anger　as　she　saw　the　scene　by　the　river。　more　living　slaves　were　hammering　long　boxes　together　from　the　timber；　and　these　boxes　were　being　filled　with　earth　from　the　buckets。　as　each　box　was　filled；　it　was　pushed　out　to　bridge　the　gap　from　shore　to　stepping…stone　and　locked　in　place　by　slaves　　　hammering　iron　spikes　into　the　stone。

this　particular　part　of　the　operation　was　being　directed　by　something　that　lurked　well　back　from　the　river；　halfway　up　the　steps。　a　manshaped　blot　of　blackest　night；　a　moving　silhouette。

a　necromancer’s　shadow　hand；　or　some　free…willed　dead　spirit　that　scorned　the　use　of　a　body。

as　sabriel　watched；　the　last　of　four　boxes　was　thrust　out　to　the　first　stepping…stone；　spiked　in　place；　and　then　chained　to　its　three　adjacent　fellows。　one　slave；　fastening　the　chain；　overbalanced　and　went　headfirst　into　the　water；　his　shackle…mate　following　a　second　later。　their　screams；　if　any；　were　drowned　by　the　roar　of　the　waterfall　as　its　waters　took　their　bodies。　a　few　seconds　later；　sabriel　felt　their　lives　snuffed　out。

the　other　slaves　at　the　river’s　edge　stopped　working　for　a　moment；　either　shocked　at　the　sudden　loss；　or　momentarily　made　more　afraid　of　the　river　than　their　masters。　but　the　shadow　hand　on　the　steps　moved　towards　them；　its　legs　like　treacle；　pouring　down　the　slope；　lapping　over　each　step　in　turn。　it　gestured　for　some　of　the　nearer　slaves　to　walk　across　the　earth…filled　boxes　to　the　stepping…stone。　they　did　so；　to　cluster　unhappily　amid　the　spray。

the　shadow　hand　hesitated　then；　but　the　mordicant　on　the　ledge　above　seemed　to　stir　and　rock　forward　a　little；　so　the　shadowy　abomination　gingerly　trod　on　the　boxes—and　walked　across　to　the　stepping…stone；　taking　no　scathe　from　the　running　water。

“grave　dirt；”　mented　mogget；　who　obviously　didn’t　need　the　telescope。　“carted　up　by　the　villagers　from　qyrre　and　roble’s　town。　i　wonder　if　they’ve　got　enough　to　cross　all　the　stones。”

“grave　dirt；”　mented　sabriel　bleakly；　watching　a　fresh　round　of　slaves　arriving　with　buckets　and　more　timber。　“i　had　forgotten　it　could　negate　the　running　water。　i　thought　。　。　。　i　thought　i　would　be　safe　here；　for　a　time。”

“well；　you　are；”　said　mogget。　“it’ll　take　at　least　until　tomorrow　evening　before　their　bridge　is　plete；　particularly　allowing　for　a　couple　of　hours　off　around　noon；　when　the　dead　will　have　to　hide　if　it　isn’t　overcast。　but　this　shows　planning；　and　that　means　a　leader。　still；　every　abhorsen　has　enemies。　it　may　just　be　a　petty　necromancer　with　a　better　brain　for　strategy　than　most。”

“i　slew　a　dead　thing　at　cloven　crest；”　sabriel　　said　slowly；　thinking　aloud。　“it　said　it　would　have　its　revenge　and　spoke　of　telling　the　servants　of　kerrigor。　do　you　know　that　name？”

“i　know　it；”　spat　mogget；　tail　quivering　straight　out　behind　him。　“but　i　cannot　speak　of　it；　except　to　say　it　is　one　of　the　greater　dead；　and　your　father’s　most　terrible　enemy。　do　not　say　it　lives　again！”

“i　don’t　know；”　replied　sabriel；　looking　down　at　the　cat；　whose　body　seemed　twisted；　as　if　in　turmoil　between　mand　and　resistance。

“why　can’t　you　tell　me　more？　the　binding？”

“a　。　。　。　a　perversion　of　。　。　。　the　g　。　。　。　g　。　。　。　yes；”

mogget　croaked　out　with　effort。　though　his　green　eyes　seemed　to　grow　luminous　and　fiery　with　anger　at　his　own　feeble　explanation；　he　could　say　no　more。

“coils　within　coils；”　remarked　sabriel　thoughtfully。　there　seemed　little　doubt　that　some　evil　power　was　working　against　her；　from　the　moment　she’d　crossed　the　wall—or　even　before　that；　if　her　father’s　disappearance　was　anything　to　go　by。

she　looked　back　through　the　telescope　again　and　took　some　heart　in　the　slowing　of　the　work　as　the　last　light　faded；　though　at　the　same　time　　she　felt　a　pang　of　sympathy　for　the　poor　people　the　dead　had　enslaved。　many　would　probably　freeze　to　death；　or　die　of　exhaustion；　only　to　be　brought　back　as　dull…witted　hands。　only　those　who　went　over　the　waterfall　would　escape　that　fate。　truly；　the　old　kingdom　was　a　terrible　place；　when　even　death　did　not　mean　an　end　to　slavery　and　despair。

“is　there　another　way　out？”　she　asked；　swivelling　the　telescope　around　　degrees　to　look　at　the　northern　bank。　there　were　stepping…stones　going　there；　too；　and　another　door　high　on　the　riverbank；　but　there　were　also　dark　shapes　clustered　on　the　ledge　by　the　door。　four　or　five　shadow　hands；　too　many　for　sabriel　to　fight　through　alone。

“it　seems　not；”　she　answered　herself　grimly。

“what　of　defenses；　then？　can　the　sendings　fight？”

“the　sendings　don’t　need　to　fight；”　replied　mogget。　“for　there　is　another　defense；　though　it　is　a　rather　constrictive　one。　and　there　is　one　other　way　out；　though　you　probably　won’t　like　it。”

the　sending　next　to　her　nodded　and　pantomimed　something　with　its　arm　that　looked　like　　a　snake　wiggling　through　grass。

“what’s　that？”　asked　sabriel；　fighting　back　a　sudden　urge　to　break　into　hysterical　laughter。

“the　defense　or　the　way　out？”

“the　defense；”　replied　mogget。　“the　river　itself。　it　can　be　invoked　to　rise　almost　to　the　height　of　the　island　walls—four　times　your　height　above　the　stepping…stones。　nothing　can　pass　such　a　flood；　in　or　out；　till　it　subsides；　in　a　matter　of　weeks。”

“so　how　would　i　get　out？”　asked　sabriel。　“i　can’t　wait　weeks！”

“one　of　your　ancestors　built　a　flying　device。　a　paperwing；　she　called　it。　you　can　use　that；　launched　out　over　the　waterfall。”

“oh；”　said　sabriel；　in　a　little　voice。

“if　you　do　wish　to　raise　the　river；”　mogget　continued；　as　if　he　hadn’t　noticed　sabriel’s　sudden　silence；　“then　we　must　begin　the　ritual　immediately。　the　flood　es　from　meltwater　and　the　mountains　are　many　leagues　upstream。　if　we　call　the　waters　now；　the　flood　will　be　on　us　by　dusk　tomorrow。”

。。



chapter　x

。小［说网｝
the　arrival　of　the　floodwaters　was　heralded　by　great　chunks　of　ice　that　came　battering　against　the　wooden　bridge　of　grave　dirt　boxes　like　storm…borne　icebergs　ramming　anchored　ships。　ice　shattered；　wood　splintered；　a　regular　drumming　that　beat　out　a　warning；　announcing　the　great　wave　that　followed　the　outriding　ice。

dead　hands　and　living　slaves　scurried　back　along　the　coffin　bridge；　the　dead’s　shadowy　bodies　losing　shape　as　they　ran；　so　they　became　like　long；　thick　worms　of　black　crepe；　squirming　and　sliding　over　rocks　and　boxes；　throwing　human　slaves　aside　without　mercy；　desperate　to　escape　the　destruction　that　came　roaring　down　the　river。

sabriel；　watching　from　the　tower；　felt　the　people　die；　convulsively　swallowing　as　she　sensed　their　last　breaths　gurgling；　sucking　water　instead　of　air。　some　of　them；　at　least　two　pairs；　had　deliberately　thrown　themselves　into　the　river；　choosing　a　final　death；　rather　than　risk　eternal　bondage。　most　had　been　knocked；　pushed　or　simply　scared　aside　by　the　dead。

the　wavefront　of　the　flood　came　swiftly　after　the　ice；　shouting　as　it　came；　a　higher；　fiercer　roar　than　the　deep　bellow　of　the　waterfall。　sabriel　heard　it　for　several　seconds　before　it　rounded　the　last　bend　of　the　river；　then　suddenly；　it　was　almost　upon　her。　a　huge；　vertical　wall　of　water；　with　chunks　of　ice　on　its　crest　like　marble　battlements　and　all　the　debris　of　four　hundred　miles　swilling　about　in　its　muddy　body。　it　looked　enormous；　far　taller　than　the　island’s　walls；　taller　even　than　the　tower　where　sabriel　stared；　shocked　at　the　power　she　had　unleashed；　a　power　she　had　hardly　dreamed　possible　when　she’d　summoned　it　the　night　before。

it　had　been　a　simple　enough　summoning。

mogget　had　taken　her　to　the　cellar　and　the