Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy)-第21章

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flight。

“we’d　best　hurry；”　mogget　continued。　“it　will　be　dark　all　too　soon。　do　you　have　the　marks　remembered？”

“yes；”　replied　sabriel　firmly。　she　turned　to　the　sendings；　who　were　now　lined　up　behind　the　wings；　anchoring　the　paperwing　till　it　was　time　for　it　to　be　unleashed　upon　the　sky。　sabriel　wondered　how　many　times　they’d　performed　this　task；　and　for　how　many　abhorsens。

“thank　you；”　she　said　to　them。　“for　all　your　care　and　kindness。　goodbye。”

with　that　last　word；　she　settled　back　in　the　hammock…seat；　gripped　the　rim　of　the　cockpit　with　both　hands；　and　whistled　the　notes　of　the　lifting　wind；　visualizing　the　requisite　string　of　charter　marks　in　her　mind；　letting　them　drip　down　into　her　throat　and　lips；　and　out　into　the　air。

her　whistle　sounded　clear　and　true；　and　a　wind　rose　behind　to　match　it；　growing　stronger　as　sabriel　exhaled。　then；　with　a　new　breath；　she　changed　to　a　merry；　joyous　trill。　like　a　bird　revelling　in　flight；　the　charter　marks　flowing　from　　pursed　lips　out　into　the　paperwing　itself。　with　this　whistling；　the　blue　and　silver　paint　seemed　to　e　alive；　dancing　down　the　fuselage；　sweeping　across　the　wings；　a　gleaming；　lustrous　plumage。

the　whole　craft　shook　and　shivered；　suddenly　flexible　and　eager　to　begin。

the　joyous　trill　ended　with　one　single　long；　clear　note；　and　a　charter　mark　that　shone　like　the　sun。

it　danced　to　the　paperwing’s　prow　and　sank　into　the　laminate。　a　second　later；　the　yellow　eyes　blinked；　grew　fierce　and　proud；　looking　up　to　the　sky　ahead。

the　sendings　were　struggling　now；　barely　able　to　hold　the　paperwing　back。　the　lifting　wind　grew　stronger　still；　plucking　at　the　silver…blue　plumage；　thrusting　it　forward。　sabriel　felt　the　paperwing’s　tension；　the　contained　power　in　its　wings；　the　exhilaration　of　that　last　moment　when　freedom　is　assured。

“let　go！”　she　cried；　and　the　sendings　plied；　the　paperwing　leaping　up　into　the　arms　of　the　wind；　out　and　upward；　splashing　through　the　spray　of　the　waterfall　as　if　it　were　no　more　than　a　spring　shower；　flying　out　into　the　sky　and　the　broad　valley　beyond。

it　was　quiet；　and　cold；　a　thousand　feet　or　more　　above　the　valley。　the　paperwing　soared　easily；　the　wind　firm　behind　it；　the　sky　clear　above；　save　for　the　faintest　wisps　of　cloud。　sabriel　reclined　in　her　hammock…seat；　relaxing；　running　the　charter　marks　she’d　leaned　over　and　over　in　her　mind；　making　sure　she　had　them　properly　pigeonholed。

she　felt　free；　and　somehow　clean；　as　if　the　dangers　of　the　last　few　days　were　dirt；　washed　away　by　the　following　wind。

“turn　more　to　the　north；”　mogget’s　voice　suddenly　said　behind　her；　disturbing　her　carefree　mood。　“do　you　recall　the　map？”

“yes；”　replied　sabriel。　“shall　we　follow　the　river？　the　ratterlin；　it’s　called；　isn’t　it？　it　runs　nornor…　east　most　of　the　time。”

mogget　didn’t　reply　at　once；　though　sabriel　heard　his　purring　breath　close　by。　he　seemed　to　be　thinking。　finally；　he　said；　“why　not？　we　may　as　well　follow　it　to　the　sea。　it　branches　into　a　delta　there；　so　we　can　find　an　island　to　camp　on　tonight。”

“why　not　just　fly　on？”　asked　sabriel　cheerily。

“we　could　be　in　belisaere　by　tomorrow　night；　if　i　summon　the　strongest　winds。”

“the　paperwing　doesn’t　like　to　fly　at　night；”

mogget　said；　shortly。　“not　to　mention　that　you　　would　almost　certainly　lose　control　of　the　stronger　winds—it　is　much　more　difficult　than　it　seems　at　first。　and　the　paperwing　is　much　too　conspicuous；　anyway。　have　you　no　mon　sense；　abhorsen？”

“call　me　sabriel；”　sabriel　replied；　equally　shortly。　“my　father　is　abhorsen。”

“as　you　wish；　mistress；”　said　mogget。　the　“mistress”　sounded　extremely　sarcastic。

the　next　hour　passed　in　belligerent　silence；　but　sabriel；　for　her　part；　soon　lost　her　anger　in　the　novelty　of　flight。　she　loved　the　scale　of　it　all；　to　see　the　tiny　patchworked　fields　and　forests　below；　the　dark　strip　of　the　river；　the　occasional　tiny　building。　everything　was　so　small　and　seemed　so　perfect；　seen　from　afar。

then　the　sun　began　to　sink；　and　though　the　red　wash　of　its　fading　light　made　the　aerial　perspective　even　prettier；　sabriel　felt　the　paperwing’s　desire　to　descend；　felt　the　yellow　eyes　focusing　on　green　earth；　rather　than　blue　sky。　as　the　shadows　lengthened；　sabriel　felt　that　same　desire　and　began　to　look　as　well。

the　river　was　already　breaking　up　into　the　myriad　streams　and　rivulets　that　would　form　the　swampy　ratterlin　delta；　and　far　off；　　sabriel　could　see　the　dark　bulk　of　the　sea。　there　were　many　islands　in　the　delta；　some　as　large　as　football　fields　covered　with　trees　and　shrubs；　others　no　bigger　than　two　armspans　of　mud。

sabriel　picked　out　one　of　the　medium…sized　ones；　a　flattish　diamond　with　low；　yellow　grass；　a　few　leagues　ahead；　and　whistled　down　the　wind。

it　faded　gradually　with　her　whistle　and　the　paperwing　began　to　descend；　occasionally　nudged　this　way　or　that　by　sabriel’s　control　of　the　wind；　or　its　own　tilt　of　a　wing。　its　yellow　eyes；　and　sabriel’s　deep…brown　eyes；　were　fixed　on　the　ground　below。　only　mogget；　being　mogget；　looked　behind　them　and　above。

even　so；　he　didn’t　see　their　pursuers　until　they　came　wheeling　out　of　the　sun；　so　his　yowling　cry　gave　only　a　few　seconds’　warning；　just　long　enough　for　sabriel　to　turn　and　see　the　hundreds　of　fast…moving　shapes　diving　down　upon　them。　instinctively；　she　conjured　charter　marks　in　her　mind；　mouth　pursed；　whistling　the　wind　back　up；　turning　them　to　the　north。

“gore　crows！”　hissed　mogget；　as　the　flapping　shapes　checked　their　dive　and　wheeled　to　pursue　　their　suddenly　enlivened　prey。

“yes；”　shouted　sabriel；　though　she　wasn’t　sure　why　she　answered。　her　attention　was　all　on　the　gore　crows；　trying　to　gauge　whether　they’d　intercept　or　not。　she　could　already　feel　the　wind　testing　the　edges　of　her　control；　as　mogget　had　prophesied；　and　to　whip　it　up　further　might　have　unpleasant　results。　but　she　could　also　feel　the　presence　of　the　gore　crows；　feel　the　admixture　of　death　and　free　magic　that　gave　life　to　their　rotten；　skeletal　forms。

gore　crows　didn’t　last　very　long　in　sun　and　wind—these　must　have　been　made　the　previous　night。　a　necromancer　had　trapped　quite　ordinary　crows；　killing　them　with　ritual　and　ceremony；　before　infusing　the　bodies　with　the　broken；　fragmented　spirit　of　a　single　dead　man　or　woman。　now　they　were　truly　carrion　birds；　birds　guided　by　a　single；　if　stupid；　intelligence。

they　flew　by　force　of　free　magic；　and　killed　by　force　of　numbers。

despite　her　quickness　in　calling　the　wind；　the　flock　was　still　closing　rapidly。　they’d　dived　from　high　above　and　kept　their　speed；　the　wind　stripping　feathers　and　putrid　flesh　from　their　spellwoven　bones。

for　a　moment；　sabriel　considered　turning　the　paperwing　back　into　the　very　center　of　this　great　murder　of　crows；　like　an　avenging　angel；　armed　with　sword　and　bells。　but　there　were　simply　too　many　gore　crows　to　fight；　particularly　from　an　aircraft　speeding　along　several　hundred　feet　above　the　ground。　one　overeager　sword　thrust　would　mean　a　fatal　fall—if　the　gore　crows　didn’t　kill　her　on　the　way　down。

“i’ll　have　to　summon　a　greater　wind！”　she　yelled　at　mogget；　who　was　now　sitting　right　up　on　her　pack；　fur　bristling；　yowling　challenges　at　the　crows。　they　were　very　close　now；　flying　in　an　eerily　exact　formation—two　long　lines；　like　arms　outstretched　to　snatch　the　fleeing　paperwing　from　the　sky。　very　little　of　their　once…black　plumage　had　survived　their　rushing　dive；　white　bone　shining　through　in　the　last　light　of　the　sun。

but　their　beaks　were　still　glossily　black　and　gleaming　sharp；　and　sabriel　could　now　see　the　red　glints　of　the　fragmented　dead　spirit　in　the　empty　sockets　of　their　eyes。

mogget　didn’t　reply。　possibly；　he　hadn’t　even　heard　her　above　his　yowling；　and　the　gore　crows’　cawing　as　they　closed　the　last　few　yards　to　attack；　a　strange；　hollow　sound；　as　dead　as　their　flesh。

for　a　second　of　panic；　sabriel　felt　her　dry　lips　unable　to　purse；　then　she　wet　them　and　the　whistle　came；　slow　and　erratic。　the　charter　marks　felt　clumsy　and　difficult　in　her　head；　as　if　she　were　trying　to　push　a　heavy　weight　on　badly　made　rollers—then；　with　a　last　effort；　they　came　easily；　flowing　into　her　whistled　notes。

unlike　her　earlier；　gradual　summonings；　this　wind　came　with　the　speed　of　a　slamming　door；　howling　up　behind　them　with　frightening　violence；　picking　up　the　paperwing　and　shunting　it　forward　like　a　giant　wave　lifting　up　a　slender　boat。　suddenly；　they　were　going　so　fast　that　sabriel　could　barely　make　out　the　ground　below；　and　the　individual　islands　of　the　delta　merged　into　one　continuous　blur　of　motion。

eyes　closed　to　protective　slits；　she　craned　her　head　around；　the　wind　striking　her　face　like　a　vicious　slap。　the　pursuing　gore　crows　were　all　over　the　sky　now；　formation　lost；　like　small　black　stains　against　the　red　and　purple　sunset。

they　were　flapping　uselessly；　trying　to　e　back　together；　but　the　paperwing　was　already　a　league　or　more　away。　there　was　no　chance　they　could　catch　up。

sabriel　let　out　a　sigh　of　relief；　but　it　was　a　sigh　　　tempered　with　new　anxieties。　the　wind　was　carrying　them　at　a　fearful　pace；　and　it　was　starting　to　veer　northwards；　which　it　wasn’t　supposed　to　do。　sabriel　could　see　the　first　stars　twinkling　now；