Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy)-第30章

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finally；　they　came　to　a　large　chamber；　with　a　set　of　double　doors　to　one　side。　light　leaked　in　from　a　large　number　of　small；　circular　holes　in　the　roof；　or　as　sabriel　soon　saw；　through　an　overgrown　lattice　that　had　once　been　open　to　air　and　sky。

“that’s　the　outside　door；”　touchstone　said；　unnecessarily。　he　snuffed　out　his　candle；　took　sabriel’s；　now　little　more　than　a　stub　of　wax；　and　put　both　in　a　pocket　stitched　to　the　front　of　his　kilt。　sabriel　thought　of　joking　about　the　hot　wax　and　the　potential　for　damage；　but　thought　better　　of　it。　touchstone　was　not　the　lighthearted　type。

“how　does　it　open？”　asked　sabriel；　indicating　the　door。　she　couldn’t　see　any　handle；　lock　or　key。　or　any　hinges；　for　that　matter。

touchstone　was　silent；　eyes　unfocused　and　staring；　then　he　laughed；　a　bitter　little　chuckle。

“i　don’t　remember！　all　the　way　up　the　stair；　all　the　words　and　signals　。　。　。　and　now　useless！　useless！”

“at　least　you　got　us　up　the　steps；”　sabriel　pointed　out；　alarmed　by　the　violence　of　his　selfloathing。

“i’d　still　be　sitting　by　the　spring；　watching　it　bubble；　if　you　hadn’t　e　along。”

“you　would　have　found　the　way　out；”

touchstone　muttered。　“or　mogget　would。

wood！　yes；　that’s　what　i　deserve　to　be—”

“touchstone；”　mogget　interrupted；　hissing。

“shut　up。　you’re　to　be　useful；　remember？”

“yes；”　replied　touchstone；　visibly　calming　his　breathing；　posing　his　face。　“i’m　sorry；　mogget。　milady。”

“please；　please；　just　sabriel；”　she　said　tiredly。

“i’ve　only　just　left　school—i’m　only　eighteen！　calling　me　milady　seems　ridiculous。”

“sabriel；”　touchstone　said　tentatively。　“i　will　try　to　remember。　‘milady’　is　a　habit　。　。　。　it　　　reminds　me　of　my　place　in　the　world。　it’s　easier　for　me—”

“i　don’t　care　what’s　easier　for　you！”　sabriel　snapped。　“don’t　call　me　milady　and　stop　acting　like　a　halfwit！　just　be　yourself。　behave　normally。　i　don’t　need　a　valet；　i　need　a　useful　。　。　。　friend！”

“very　well；　sabriel；”　touchstone　said；　with　careful　emphasis。　he　was　angry　now；　but　at　least　that　was　an　improvement　over　servile；　sabriel　thought。

“now；”　she　said　to　the　smirking　mogget。

“have　you　got　any　ideas　about　this　door？”

“just　one；”　replied　mogget；　sliding　between　her　legs　and　over　to　the　thin　line　that　marked　the　division　between　the　two　leaves　of　the　door。

“push。　one　on　each　side。”

“push？”

“why　not？”　said　touchstone；　shrugging。　he　took　up　a　position；　braced　against　the　left　side　of　the　door；　palms　flat　on　the　metal…studded　wood。

sabriel　hesitated；　then　did　the　same　against　the　right。

“one；　two；　three；　push！”　announced　mogget。

sabriel　pushed　on　“three”　and　touchstone　on　“push；”　so　their　bined　effort　took　several　seconds　to　synchronize。　then　the　doors　creaked　slowly　open；　sunshine　spilling　through　in　a　bright　bar；　climbing　from　floor　to　ceiling；　dust　motes　dancing　in　its　progress。

“it　feels　strange；”　said　touchstone；　the　wood　humming　beneath　his　hands　like　plucked　lute　strings。

“i　can　hear　voices；”　exclaimed　sabriel　at　the　same　time；　her　ears　full　of　half…caught　words；　laughter；　distant　singing。

“i　can　see　time；”　whispered　mogget；　so　softly　that　his　words　were　lost。

then　the　doors　were　open。　they　walked　through；　shielding　their　eyes　against　the　sun；　feeling　the　cool　breeze　sharp　on　their　skin；　the　fresh　scent　of　pine　trees　clearing　their　nostrils　of　underground　dust。　mogget　sneezed　quickly　three　times；　and　ran　about　in　a　tight　circle。　the　doors　slid　shut　behind　them；　as　silently　and　inexplicably　as　they’d　opened。

they　stood　in　a　small　clearing　in　the　middle　of　a　pine　forest；　or　plantation；　for　the　trees　were　regularly　spaced。　the　doors　behind　them　stood　in　the　side　of　a　low　hillock　of　turf　and　stunted　bushes。　pine　needles　lay　thick　on　the　ground；　pinecones　peeking　through　every　few　paces；　like　skulls　ploughed　up　on　some　ancient　battleground。

“the　watchwood；”　said　touchstone。　he　took　several　deep　breaths；　looked　at　the　sky；　and　sighed。　“it　is　winter；　i　think—or　early　spring？”

“winter；”　replied　sabriel。　“it　was　snowing　quite　heavily；　back　near　the　wall。　it　seems　much　milder　here。”

“most　of　the　wall；　the　long　cliffs；　and　abhorsen’s　house；　are　on；　or　part　of；　the　southern　plateau；”　mogget　explained。　“the　plateau　is　between　one　and　two　thousand　feet　above　the　coastal　plain。　in　fact；　the　area　around　nestowe；　where　we　are　headed；　is　mostly　below　sea　level　and　has　been　reclaimed。”

“yes；”　said　touchstone。　“i　remember。　long　dyke；　the　raised　canals；　the　wind　pumps　to　raise　the　water—”

“you’re　both　very　informative　for　a　change；”

remarked　sabriel。　“would　one　of　you　care　to　tell　me　something　i　really　want　to　know；　like　what　are　the　great　charters？”

“i　can’t；”　mogget　and　touchstone　said　together。

then　touchstone　continued；　haltingly；　“there　is　a　spell　。　。　。　a　binding　on　us。　but　someone　who　is　not　a　charter　mage；　or　otherwise　closely　bound　to　the　charter；　might　be　able　to　speak。　a　child；　perhaps；　baptized　with　the　　charter　mark；　but　not　grown　into　power。”

“you’re　cleverer　than　i　thought；”　mented　mogget。　“not　that　that’s　saying　much。”

“a　child；”　said　sabriel。　“why　would　a　child　know？”

“if　you’d　had　a　proper　education；　you’d　know　too；”　said　mogget。　“a　waste　of　good　silver；　that　school　of　yours。”

“perhaps；”　agreed　sabriel。　“but　now　that　i　know　more　of　the　old　kingdom；　i　suspect　being　at　school　in　ancelstierre　saved　my　life。　but　enough　of　that。　which　way　do　we　go　now？”

touchstone　looked　at　the　sky；　blue　above　the　clearing；　dark　where　the　pines　circled。　the　sun　was　just　visible　above　the　trees；　perhaps　an　hour　short　of　its　noon…time　zenith。　touchstone　looked　from　it　to　the　shadows　of　the　trees；　then　pointed：　“east。　there　should　be　a　series　of　charter　stones；　leading　from　here　to　the　eastern　edge　of　the　watchwood。　this　place　is　heavily　warded　with　magic。　there　are　。　。　。　there　were；　many　stones。”

the　stones　were　still　there；　and　after　the　first；　some　sort　of　animal　track　that　meandered　from　one　stone　to　the　next。　it　was　cool　under　the　pines；　but　pleasant；　the　constant　presence　of　the　charter　　stones　a　reassuring　sensation　to　sabriel　and　touchstone；　who　could　sense　them　like　lighthouses　in　a　sea　of　trees。

there　were　seven　stones　in　all；　and　none　of　them　broken；　though　sabriel　felt　a　stab　of　nervous　tension　every　time　they　left　the　ambience　of　one　and　moved　to　another；　a　stark　picture　always　flashing　into　her　head—the　bloodstained；　riven　stone　of　cloven　crest。

the　last　stone　stood　on　the　very　edge　of　the　pine　forest；　atop　a　granite　bluff　thirty　or　forty　yards　high；　marking　the　forest’s　eastern　edge　and　the　end　of　high　ground。

they　stood　next　to　the　stone　and　looked　out；　out　towards　the　huge　expanse　of　blue…grey　sea；　white…crested；　restless；　always　rolling　in　to　shore。

below　them　were　the　flat；　sunken　fields　of　nestowe；　maintained　by　a　network　of　raised　canals；　pumps　and　dykes。　the　village　itself　lay　three…quarters　of　a　mile　away；　high　on　another　granite　bluff；　the　harbor　out　of　sight　on　the　other　side。

“the　fields　are　flooded；”　said　touchstone；　in　a　puzzled　tone；　as　if　he　couldn’t　believe　what　he　was　seeing。

sabriel　followed　his　gaze；　and　saw　that　what　　she　had　taken　for　some　crop　was　actually　silt　and　water；　sitting　tepidly　where　food　once　grew。

windmills；　power　for　the　pumps；　stood　silent；　trefoil…shaped　vanes　still　atop　scaffolding　towers；　even　though　a　salt…laden　breeze　blew　in　from　the　sea。

“but　the　pumps　were　charter…spelled；”

touchstone　exclaimed。　“to　follow　the　wind；　to　work　without　care　。　。　。”

“there　are　no　people　in　the　fields—no　one　on　this　side　of　the　village；”　mogget　added；　his　eyes　keener　than　the　telescope　in　sabriel’s　pack。

“nestowe’s　charter　stone　must　be　broken；”

sabriel　said；　mouth　tight；　words　cold。　“and　i　can　smell　a　certain　stench　on　the　breeze。　there　are　dead　in　the　village。”

“a　boat　would　be　the　quickest　way　to　belisaere；　and　i　am　reasonably　confident　of　my　sailing；”　touchstone　remarked。　“but　if　the　dead　are　there；　shouldn’t　we　。　。　。”

“we’ll　go　down　and　get　a　boat；”　sabriel　announced　firmly。　“while　the　sun　is　high。”

。。



chapter　xvi

/小。说＋
there　was　a　built…up　path　through　the　flooded　fields；　but　it　was　submerged　to　ankle…depth；　with　occasional　thigh…high　slippages。

only　the　raised　canal　drains　stood　well　above　the　brackish　water；　and　they　all　ran　towards　the　east；　not　towards　the　village；　so　sabriel　and　touchstone　were　forced　to　wade　along　the　path。　mogget；　of　course；　rode；　his　lean　form　draped　around　sabriel’s　neck　like　a　white　fox　fur。

water　and　mud；　coupled　with　an　uncertain　path；　made　it　slow　going。　it　took　an　hour　to　cover　less　than　a　mile；　so　it　was　later　in　the　afternoon　than　sabriel　would　have　wished　when　they　finally　climbed　out　of　the　water；　up　onto　the　beginnings　of　the　village’s　rocky　mount。　at　least　the　sky　is　clear；　sabriel　thought；　glancing　up。　the　winter　sun　wasn’t　particularly　hot　and　couldn’t　be　described　as　glaring；　but　it　would　certainly　deter　most　kindred　of　the　lesser　dead　from　venturing　out。

nevertheless；　they　walked　carefully　up　to　the　village；　swords　loose；　sabriel　with　a　hand　to　her　bells。　the