Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy)-第42章

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“a　good　casting；”　sabriel　said　quietly；　looking　at　the　marks　through　eyes　half…lidded　in　weariness。

“better　than　the　last　one　i　cast。”

“i　don’t　know　how　we　did　it；”　muttered　touchstone；　staring　down　at　the　lines　of　charterfire。

he　suddenly　became　aware　that　he　was　still　holding　sabriel’s　hand；　and　slumping　like　an　aged　wood　collector　under　a　heavy　burden。　he　straightened　up　suddenly；　dropping　her　hand　as　　if　it　were　the　fanged　end　of　a　snake。

she　looked　at　him；　rather　startled；　and　he　found　himself　staring　at　the　reflection　of　his　candle…flame　in　her　dark　eyes。　almost　for　the　first　time；　he　really　looked　at　her。　he　saw　the　weariness　there；　and　the　incipient　lines　of　care；　and　the　way　her　mouth　looked　a　little　sad　around　the　edges。　her　nose　was　still　swollen；　and　there　were　yellowing　bruises　on　her　cheekbones。

she　was　also　beautiful　and　touchstone　realized　that　he　had　thought　of　her　only　in　terms　of　her　office；　as　abhorsen。　not　as　a　woman　at　all　。　。　。

“i’d　better　be　going；”　said　sabriel；　suddenly　embarrassed　by　touchstone’s　stare。　her　left　hand　went　to　the　bell…bandolier；　fingers　feeling　for　the　straps　that　held　saraneth。

“let　me　help；”　said　touchstone。　he　stood　close；　fumbling　with　the　stiff　leather；　hands　weakened　by　the　effort　spent　on　the　diamond　of　protection；　his　head　bowed　over　the　bells。

sabriel　looked　down　on　his　hair；　and　was　strangely　tempted　to　kiss　the　exact　center；　a　tiny　part　marking　the　epicenter　where　his　tight　brown　curls　radiated　outwards。　but　she　didn’t。

the　strap　came　undone；　and　touchstone　　stepped　back。　sabriel　drew　saraneth；　carefully　stilling　the　bell。

“it　probably　won’t　be　a　long　wait　for　you；”　she　said。　“time　moves　strangely　in　death。　if　。　。　。　if　i’m　not　back　in　two　hours；　then　i　probably　。　。　。　i’ll　probably　be　trapped　too；　so　you　and　mogget　should　leave　。　。　。”

“i’ll　be　waiting；”　replied　touchstone　firmly。

“who　knows　what　time　it　is　down　here　anyway？”

“and　i’ll　wait；　it　seems；”　added　mogget。

“unless　i　want　to　swim　out　of　here。　which　i　don’t。　may　the　charter　be　with　you；　sabriel。”

“and　with　you；”　said　sabriel。　she　looked　around　the　dark　expanse　of　the　reservoir。　she　still　couldn’t　sense　any　of　the　dead　out　there—　and　yet　。　。　。

“we’ll　need　it　to　be　with　us；”　mogget　replied　sourly。　“one　way　or　another。”

“i　hope　not；”　whispered　sabriel。　she　checked　the　pouch　at　her　belt　for　the　small　things　she’d　prepared　back　at　the　sign　of　three　lemons；　then　turned　to　face　the　north　mark　and　started　to　raise　her　sword；　beginning　her　preparations　to　enter　death。

suddenly；　touchstone　sloshed　forward　and　quickly　kissed　her　on　the　cheek—a　clumsy；　　dry…lipped　peck　that　almost　hit　the　rim　of　her　helmet　rather　than　her　cheek。

“for　luck；”　touchstone　said　nervously。

“sabriel。”

she　smiled；　and　nodded　twice；　then　looked　back　to　the　north。　her　eyes　focused　on　something　not　there　and　waves　of　cold　air　billowed　from　her　motionless　form。　a　second　later；　ice　crystals　began　to　crack　out　of　her　hair；　and　frost　ran　in　lines　down　the　sword　and　bell。

touchstone　watched；　close　by；　till　it　grew　too　cold；　then　he　retreated　to　the　far　southern　vertice　of　the　diamond。　drawing　one　sword；　he　turned　outwards；　holding　his　candle　high；　and　started　to　wade　around　inside　the　lines　of　charter…fire　as　if　he　were　patrolling　the　battlements　of　a　castle。

mogget　watched　too；　from　his　shoulder；　his　green　eyes　lit　with　their　own　internal　luminescence。

both　of　them　often　turned　to　gaze　at　sabriel。

the　crossing　into　death　was　made　easy—far　too　easy—by　the　presence　of　the　broken　stones。

sabriel　felt　them　near　her；　like　two　yawning　gates；　proclaiming　easy　entry　to　life　for　any　　　dead　nearby。　fortunately；　the　other　effect　of　the　stones—the　sickening　illness—disappeared　in　death。　there　was　only　the　chill　and　tug　of　the　river。

sabriel　started　forward　immediately；　carefully　scanning　the　grey　expanse　before　her。　things　moved　at　the　edge　of　her　vision；　she　heard　movement　in　the　cold　waters。　but　nothing　came　towards　her；　nothing　attacked；　save　the　constant　twining　and　gripping　of　the　current。

she　came　to　the　first　gate；　halting　just　beyond　the　wall　of　mist　that　stretched　out　as　far　as　she　could　see　to　either　side。　the　river　roared　beyond　that　mist；　turbulent　rapids　going　through　to　the　second　precinct；　and　on　to　the　second　gate。

remembering　pages　from　the　book　of　the　dead；　sabriel　spoke　words　of　power。　free　magic；　that　shook　her　mouth　as　she　spoke；　jarring　her　teeth；　burning　her　tongue　with　raw　power。

the　veil　of　mist　parted；　revealing　a　series　of　waterfalls　that　appeared　to　drop　into　an　unending　blackness。　sabriel　spoke　some　more　words；　and　gestured　to　the　right　and　left　with　her　sword。

a　path　appeared；　parting　the　waterfall　like　a　finger　drawn　through　butter。　sabriel　stepped　out　onto　it；　and　walked　down；　the　waters　crashing　harmlessly　on　either　side。　behind　her；　the　mist　closed　up　and；　as　her　rearmost　heel　lifted　to　make　her　next　step；　the　path　disappeared。

the　second　precinct　was　more　dangerous　than　the　first。　there　were　deep　holes；　as　well　as　the　ever…present　current。　the　light　was　worse　too。

not　the　total　darkness　promised　at　the　end　of　the　waterfalls；　but　there　was　a　different　quality　in　its　greyness。　a　blurring　effect；　that　made　it　difficult　to　see　further　than　you　could　touch。

sabriel　continued　carefully；　using　her　sword　to　probe　the　ground　ahead。　there　was　an　easy　way　through；　she　knew；　a　course　mapped　and　plotted　by　many　necromancers　and　not　a　few　abhorsens；　but　she　didn’t　trust　her　memory　to　tread　confidently　ahead　at　speed。

always；　her　senses　quested　for　her　father’s　spirit。　he　was　somewhere　in　death；　she　was　positive　of　that。　there　was　always　the　faintest　trace　of　him；　a　lingering　memory。　but　it　was　not　this　close　to　life。　she　would　have　to　go　on。

the　second　gate　was　essentially　an　enormous　hole；　at　least　two　hundred　yards　across；　into　which　the　river　sank　like　sinkwater　down　a　drain。　unlike　a　normal　drain；　it　was　eerily　silent；　and　with　the　difficult　light；　easy　for　the　unwary　　to　walk　up　to　its　rim。　sabriel　was　always　particularly　careful　with　this　gate—she　had　learned　to　sense　the　feel　of　its　tug　against　her　shins　at　an　early　age。　she　stopped　well　back　when　the　tug　came；　and　tried　to　focus　on　the　silently　raging　whirlpool。

a　faint　squelching　sound　behind　her　made　her　turn；　sword　scything　around　at　full　arm…stretch；　a　great　circle　of　charter…spelled　steel。　it　struck　dead　spirit…flesh；　sparks　flying；　a　scream　of　rage　and　pain　filling　the　silence。　sabriel　almost　jumped　back；　at　that　scream；　but　she　held　her　ground。　the　second　gate　was　too　close。

the　thing　she’d　hit　stepped　back；　its　head　hanging　from　a　mostly　severed　neck。　it　was　humanoid　in　shape；　at　least　to　begin　with；　but　had　arms　that　trailed　down　below　its　knees；　into　the　river。　its　head；　now　flopping　on　one　shoulder；　was　longer　than　it　was　wide　or　tall；　possessed　a　mouth　with　several　rows　of　teeth。　it　had　flaming　coals　in　its　eyepits；　a　characteristic　of　the　deep　dead；　from　beyond　the　fifth　gate。

it　snarled　and　brought　its　long；　skewer…thin　fingers　up　out　of　the　water　to　try　and　straighten　its　head；　attempting　to　rest　it　back　atop　the　cleanly　hewn　neck。

sabriel　struck　again；　and　the　head　and　one　hand　flew　off；　splashing　into　the　river。　they　bobbed　on　the　surface　for　a　moment；　the　head　howling；　eyes　flaming　with　hate　across　the　water。　then　it　was　sucked　down；　down　into　the　hurly…burly　of　the　second　gate。

the　headless　body　stood　where　it　was　for　a　second；　then　started　to　cautiously　step　sideways；　its　remaining　hand　groping　around　in　front　of　it。

sabriel　watched　it　cautiously；　debating　whether　to　use　saraneth　to　bind　it　to　her　will；　and　then　kibeth　to　send　it　on　its　way　to　final　death。　but　using　the　bells　would　alert　everything　dead　between　here　and　the　first　and　third　gates　at　least—and　she　didn’t　want　that。

the　headless　thing　took　another　step；　and　fell　sideways　into　a　deep　hole。　it　scrabbled　there；　long　arms　thrashing　the　water；　but　couldn’t　pull　itself　up　and　out。　it　only　succeeded　in　getting　across　into　the　full　force　of　the　current；　which　snatched　it　up　and　threw　it　into　the　whirlpool　of　the　gate。

once　again；　sabriel　recited　words　of　free　magic　power；　words　impressed　into　her　mind　long　ago　from　the　book　of　the　dead。　the　words　flowed　out　of　her；　blistering　her　lips；　strange　heat　in　this　place　of　leeching　cold。

with　the　words；　the　waters　of　the　second　gate　slowed　and　stilled。　the　whirling　vorteeparated　out　into　a　long　spiral　path；　winding　downwards。

sabriel；　checking　for　a　few　last　holes　near　the　edge；　gingerly　strode　out　to　this　path　and　started　down。　behind　and　above　her；　the　waters　began　to　swirl　again。

the　spiral　path　looked　long；　but　to　sabriel　it　seemed　only　a　matter　of　minutes　before　she　was　passing　through　the　very　base　of　the　whirlpool；　and　out　into　the　third　precinct。

this　was　a　tricksome　place。　the　water　was　shallow　here；　only　ankle…deep；　and　somewhat　warmer。　the　light　was　better　too—still　grey；　but　you　could　see　farther　out。　even　the　ubiquitous　current　was　no　more　than　a　bit　of　a　tickle　around　the　feet。

but　the　third　precinct　had　waves。　for　the　first　time；　sabriel　broke　into　a　run；　sprinting　a