Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy)-第22章

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o　veer　northwards；　which　it　wasn’t　supposed　to　do。　sabriel　could　see　the　first　stars　twinkling　now；　and　they　were　definitely　turning　towards　the　buckle。

it　was　an　effort　to　call　up　the　charter　marks　again；　and　whistle　the　spell　to　ease　the　wind；　and　turn　it　back　to　the　east；　but　sabriel　managed　to　cast　it。　but　the　spell　failed　to　work—the　wind　grew　stronger；　and　shifted　more；　till　they　were　careening　straight　towards　the　buckle；　directly　north。

sabriel；　hunkered　down　in　the　cockpit；　eyes　and　nose　streaming　and　face　frozen；　tried　again；　using　all　her　willpower　to　force　the　charter　marks　into　the　wind。　even　to　her；　her　whistle　sounded　feeble；　and　the　charter　marks　once　again　vanished　into　what　had　now　bee　a　gale。　sabriel　realized　she　had　totally　lost　control。

in　fact；　it　was　almost　as　if　the　spell　had　the　opposite　effect；　for　the　wind　grew　wilder；　snatching　the　paperwing　up　in　a　great　spiral；　like　a　ball　thrown　between　a　ring　of　giants；　each　one　taller　than　the　last。　sabriel　grew　dizzy；　and　even　colder；　and　her　breath　came　fast　and　shallow；　trying　to　salvage　enough　air　to　keep　her　alive。　she　tried　to　calm　the　winds　again；　but　couldn’t　gain　the　breath　to　whistle；　and　the　charter　marks　slipped　from　her　mind；　till　all　she　could　do　was　desperately　hang　on　to　the　straps　in　the　hammock…seat　as　the　paperwing　tried　its　best　to　ride　the　storm。

then；　without　warning；　the　wind　ceased　its　upward　dance。　it　just　dropped；　and　with　it　went　the　paperwing。　sabriel　fell　upwards；　straps　suddenly　tight；　and　mogget　almost　clawed　through　the　pack　in　his　efforts　to　stay　connected　with　the　aircraft。　jolted　by　this　new　development；　sabriel　felt　her　exhaustion　burn　away。　she　tried　to　whistle　the　lifting　wind；　but　it　too　was　beyond　her　power。　the　paperwing　seemed　unable　to　halt　its　headlong　descent。　it　fell；　nose　tilting　further　and　further　forward　till　they　were　diving　almost　vertically；　like　a　hammer　rushing　to　the　anvil　of　the　ground　below。

it　was　a　long　way　down。　sabriel　screamed　once；　then　tried　to　put　some　of　her　fear…found　strength　into　the　paperwing。　but　the　marks　flowed　into　her　whistle　without　effect；　save　for　a　golden　sparkle　that　briefly　illuminated　her　white；　wind…frozen　face。　the　sun　had　pletely　set；　and　the　dark　mass　of　the　ground　below　looked　　all　too　much　like　the　grey　river　of　death—the　river　their　spirits　would　cross　into　in　a　few　short　minutes；　never　to　return　to　the　warm　light　of　life。

“loose　my　collar；”　mewed　a　voice　at　sabriel’s　ear；　followed　by　the　curious　sensation　of　mogget　digging　his　claws　into　her　armor　as　he　clambered　into　her　lap。　“loose　my　collar！”

sabriel　looked　at　him；　at　the　ground；　at　the　collar。　she　felt　stupid；　starved　of　oxygen；　unable　to　decide。　the　collar　was　part　of　an　ancient　binding；　a　terrible　guardian　of　tremendous　power。　it　would　only　be　used　to　contain　an　inexpressible　evil；　or　uncontrollable　force。

“trust　me！”　howled　mogget。　“loose　my　collar；　and　remember　the　ring！”

sabriel　swallowed；　closed　her　eyes；　fumbled　with　the　collar　and　prayed　that　she　was　doing　the　right　thing。　“father；　forgive　me；”　she　thought；　but　it　was　not　just　to　her　father　that　she　spoke；　but　to　all　the　abhorsens　who　had　e　before　her—especially　the　one　who　had　made　the　collar　so　long　ago。

surprisingly　for　such　an　ancient　spell；　she　felt　little　more　than　pins　and　needles　as　the　collar　came　free。　then　it　was　open；　and　suddenly　　heavy；　like　a　lead　rope；　or　a　ball　and　chain。

sabriel　almost　dropped　it；　but　it　became　light　again；　then　insubstantial。　when　sabriel　opened　her　eyes；　the　collar　had　simply　ceased　to　exist。

mogget　sat　still；　on　her　lap；　and　seemed　unchanged—then　he　seemed　to　glow　with　an　internal　light　and　expand；　till　he　became　frayed　at　the　edges；　and　the　light　grew　and　grew。　within　a　few　seconds；　there　was　no　cat…shape　left；　just　a　shining　blur　too　bright　to　look　at。　it　seemed　to　hesitate　for　a　moment　and　sabriel　felt　its　attention　flicker　between　aggression　towards　her　and　some　inner　struggle。　it　almost　formed　back　into　the　cat…shape　again；　then　suddenly　split　into　four　shafts　of　brilliant　white。　one　shot　forward；　one　aft；　and　two　seemed　to　slide　into　the　wings。

then　the　whole　paperwing　shone　with　fierce　white　brilliance；　and　it　abruptly　stopped　its　headlong　dive　and　leveled　out。　sabriel　was　flung　violently　forward；　body　checked　by　straps；　but　her　nose　almost　hit　the　silver　mirror；　neck　muscles　cording　out　with　an　impossible　effort　to　keep　her　head　still。

despite　this　sudden　improvement；　they　were　still　falling。　sabriel；　hands　now　clasped　behind　her　savagely　aching　neck；　saw　the　ground　rushing　　up　to　fill　the　horizon。　treetops　suddenly　appeared　below；　the　paperwing　imbued　with　the　strange　light；　just　clipping　through　the　upper　branches　with　a　sound　like　hail　on　a　tin　roof。

then；　they　dropped　again；　skimming　scant　yards　above　what　looked　like　a　cleared　field；　but　still　too　fast　to　land　without　total　destruction。

mogget；　or　whatever　mogget　had　bee；　braked　the　paperwing　again；　in　a　series　of　shuddering　halts　that　added　bruises　on　top　of　bruises。

for　the　first　time；　sabriel　felt　the　incredible　relief　of　knowing　that　they　would　survive。　one　more　braking　effort　and　the　paperwing　would　be　safely　down；　to　skid　a　little　in　the　long；　soft　grass　of　the　field。

mogget　braked；　and　sabriel　cheered　as　the　paperwing　gently　lay　its　belly　on　the　grass　and　slid　to　what　should　have　been　a　perfect　landing。

but　the　cheer　suddenly　became　a　shriek　of　alarm；　as　the　grass　parted　to　reveal　the　lip　of　an　enormous　dark　hole　directly　in　their　path。

too　low　to　rise；　and　now　too　slow　to　glide　over　a　hole　at　least　fifty　yards　across；　the　paperwing　reached　the　edge；　flipped　over　and　spiraled　towards　the　bottom　of　the　hole；　hundreds　of　feet　below。

．．



chapter　xii

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sabriel　regained　consciousness　slowly；　her　brain　fumbling　for　connections　to　her　senses。　hearing　came　first；　but　that　only　caught　her　own　labored　breathing；　and　the　creak　of　her　armored　coat　as　she　struggled　to　sit　up。　for　the　moment；　sight　eluded　her；　and　she　was　panicked；　afraid　of　blindness；　till　memory　came。　it　was　night；　and　she　was　at　the　bottom　of　a　sinkhole—a　great；　circular　shaft　bored　into　the　ground；　by　either　nature　or　artifice。　from　her　brief　glimpse　of　it　as　they’d　fallen；　she　guessed　it　was　easily　fifty　yards　in　diameter　and　a　hundred　deep。　daylight　would　probably　illuminate　its　murky　depths；　but　starlight　was　insufficient。

pain　came　next；　hard　on　the　heels　of　memory。　a　thousand　aches　and　bruises；　but　no　serious　injury。

sabriel　wiggled　her　toes　and　fingers；　flexed　muscles　in　arms；　back　and　legs。　they　all　hurt；　but　everything　seemed　to　work。

she　vaguely　recalled　the　last　few　seconds　before　impact—mogget；　or　the　white　force；　slowing　them　just　before　they　hit—but　the　actual　instant　of　the　crash　might　never　have　been；　for　she　couldn’t　remember　it。　shock；　she　thought　to　herself；　in　an　abstract　way；　almost　like　she　was　diagnosing　someone　else。

her　next　thought　came　some　time　later；　and　with　it　the　realization　that　she　must　have　passed　out　again。　with　this　awakening；　she　felt　a　little　sharper；　her　mind　catching　some　slight　breeze　to　carry　her　out　of　the　mental　doldrums。　working　by　touch；　she　unstrapped　herself　and　felt　behind　her　for　the　pack。　in　her　current　state；　even　a　simple　charter…spell　for　light　was　out　of　the　question；　but　there　were　candles　there；　and　matches；　or　the　clockwork　igniter。

as　the　match　flared；　sabriel’s　heart　sank。　in　the　small；　flickering　globe　of　yellow　light；　she　saw　that　only　the　central　cockpit　portion　of　the　paperwing　survived—the　sad　blue　and　silver　corpse　of　a　once　marvelous　creation。　its　wings　lay　torn　and　crumpled　underneath　it；　and　the　　entire　nose　section　lay　some　yards　away；　shorn　off　pletely。　one　eye　stared　up　at　the　circular　patch　of　sky　above；　but　it　was　no　longer　fierce　and　alive。　just　yellow　paint　and　laminated　paper。

sabriel　stared　at　the　wreckage；　regret　and　sorrow　coursing　like　influenza　in　her　bones；　till　the　match　burnt　her　fingers。　she　lit　another；　and　then　a　candle；　expanding　both　her　light　and　field　of　vision。

more　small　pieces　of　the　paperwing　were　strewn　over　a　large；　open；　flat　area。　groaning　with　the　effort　of　motivating　bruised　muscles；　sabriel　levered　herself　out　of　the　cockpit　to　have　a　closer　look　at　the　ground。

this　revealed　the　flat　area　to　be　man…made；　flagstones；　carefully　laid。　grass　had　long　grown　between　the　stones；　and　lichen　upon　them；　so　it　was　clearly　not　recent　work。　sabriel　sat　on　the　cool　stones　and　wondered　why　anyone　would　do　such　work　at　the　bottom　of　a　sinkhole。

thinking　about　that　seemed　to　kickstart　her　befuddled　wits　and　she　started　to　wonder　about　a　few　other　things。　where；　for　instance；　was　the　force　that　had　once　been　mogget？　and　what　was　it？　that　reminded　her　to　fetch　her　sword　and　check　the　bells。

her　turbanned　helmet　had　rotated　around　on　her　head　and　was　almost　back…to…front。　slowly；　she　slid　it　around；　feeling　every　slight　movement　all　the　way　down　her　now　very　stiff　neck。

balancing　her　first　candle　on　the　paving　in　a　pool　of　cooling　wax；　she　dragged　her　pack　and　weapons　out　of　the　wreckage　and　lit　another　two　candles。　she　put　one　down　near　the　first　and　took　the　other　to　light　her　way；　walking　aroun