Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy)-第45章

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kingdom　deteriorated—　and　we　grew　weaker。”

“who’s　we？”　asked　sabriel。　all　this　information　was　ing　too　quickly；　particularly　when　given　at　the　run。

“the　great　charter　bloodlines；”　replied　abhorsen。　“which　to　all　intents　and　purposes　means　abhorsens　and　the　clayr；　since　the　royal　line　is　all　but　extinct。　and　there　is；　of　course；　the　relict　of　the　wallmakers；　a　sort　of　construct　left　over　after　they　put　their　powers　in　the　wall　and　the　great　stones。”

he　left　the　rim　of　the　whirlpool；　and　strode　confidently　out　into　the　second　precinct；　sabriel　close　at　his　heels。　unlike　her　earlier　halting；　probing　advance；　abhorsen　practically　jogged　along；　obviously　following　a　familiar　route。

how　he　could　tell；　without　landmarks　or　any　obvious　signs；　sabriel　had　no　idea。　perhaps；　when　she　had　spent　thirty…odd　years　traversing　death；　she　would　find　it　as　easy。

“so；”　continued　abhorsen。　“we　finally　have　the　chance　to　finish　kerrigor　once　and　for　all。

the　clayr　will　direct　you　to　his　body；　you　will　destroy　it；　and　then　banish　kerrigor’s　spirit　form—which　will　be　severely　weakened。　after　that；　you　can　get　the　surviving　royal　prince　out　of　his　suspended　state；　and　with　the　aid　of　the　　wallmaker　relict；　repair　the　great　charter　stones　。　。　。”

“the　surviving　royal　prince；”　asked　sabriel；　with　a　feeling　of　unlooked…for　knowledge　rising　in　her。　“he　wasn’t　。　。　。　ah　。　。　。　suspended　as　a　figurehead　in　holehallow；　was　he　。　。　。　and　his　spirit　in　death？”

“a　bastard　son；　actually；　and　possibly　crazy；”

abhorsen　said；　without　really　listening。　“but　he　has　the　blood。　what？　oh；　yes；　yes　he　is　。　。　。　you　said　was　。　。　。　you　mean—”

“yes；”　said　sabriel；　unhappily。　“he　calls　himself　touchstone。　and　he’s　waiting　in　the　reservoir。

near　the　stones。　with　mogget。”

abhorsen　paused　for　the　first　time；　clearly　taken　aback。

“all　our　plans　go　astray；　it　seems；”　he　said　somberly；　sighing。　“kerrigor　lured　me　to　the　reservoir　to　use　my　blood　to　break　a　great　stone；　but　i　managed　to　protect　myself；　so　he　contented　himself　with　trapping　me　in　death。

he　thought　you　would　be　lured　to　my　body；　and　he　could　use　your　blood—but　i　was　not　trapped　as　securely　as　he　thought；　and　planned　a　reverse。

but　now；　if　the　prince　is　there；　he　has　another　source　of　blood　to　break　the　great　charter—”

“he’s　in　the　diamond　of　protection；”　sabriel　said；　suddenly　feeling　afraid　for　touchstone。

“that　may　not　suffice；”　replied　abhorsen　grimly。　“kerrigor　grows　stronger　every　day　he　spends　in　life；　taking　the　strength　from　living　folk；　and　feeding　off　the　broken　stones。　he　will　soon　be　able　to　break　even　the　strongest　charter　magic　defenses。　he　may　be　strong　enough　now。

but　tell　me　of　the　prince’s　panion。　who　is　mogget？”

“mogget？”　repeated　sabriel；　surprised　again。

“but　i　met　him　at　our　house！　he’s　a　free　magic—something—wearing　the　shape　of　a　white　cat；　with　a　red　collar　that　carries　a　miniature　saraneth。”

“mogget；”　said　abhorsen；　as　if　trying　to　get　his　mouth　around　an　unpalatable　morsel。　“that　is　the　wallmaker　relict；　or　their　last　creation；　or　their　child—no　one　knows；　possibly　not　even　him。　i　wonder　why　he　took　the　shape　of　a　cat？　he　was　always　a　sort　of　albino　dwarf…boy　to　me；　and　he　practically　never　left　the　house。　i　suppose　he　may　be　some　sort　of　protection　for　the　prince。　we　must　hurry。”

“i　thought　we　were！”　snapped　sabriel；　as　he　started　off　again。　she　didn’t　mean　to　be　bad…　　tempered；　but　this　was　not　her　idea　of　a　heartfelt　reunion　between　father　and　daughter。　he　hardly　seemed　to　notice　her；　except　as　a　repository　for　numerous　revelations　and　as　an　agent　to　deal　with　kerrigor。

abhorsen　suddenly　stopped；　and　gathered　her　into　a　quick；　one…armed　embrace。　his　grip　felt　strong；　but　sabriel　felt　another　reality　there；　as　if　his　arm　was　a　shadow；　temporarily　born　of　light；　but　doomed　to　fade　at　nightfall。

“i　have　not　been　an　ideal　parent；　i　know；”

abhorsen　said　quietly。　“none　of　us　ever　are。

when　we　bee　the　abhorsen；　we　lose　much　else。　responsibility　to　many　people　rides　roughshod　over　personal　responsibilities；　difficulties　and　enemies　crush　out　softness；　our　horizons　narrow。　you　are　my　daughter；　and　i　have　always　loved　you。　but　now；　i　live　again　for　only　a　short　time—a　hundred　hundred　heartbeats；　no　more—　and　i　must　win　a　battle　against　a　terrible　enemy。

our　parts　now—which　perforce　we　must　play—　are　not　father　and　daughter；　but　one　old　abhorsen；　making　way　for　the　new。　but　behind　this；　there　is　always　my　love。”

“a　hundred　hundred　heartbeats　。　。　。”　whispered　sabriel；　tears　falling　down　her　face。　she　　gently　pushed　herself　out　of　his　embrace；　and　they　started　forward　together；　towards　the　first　gate；　the　first　precinct；　life—and　then；　the　reservoir。

d　　



chapter　xxiii

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touchstone　could　see　the　dead　now；　and　had　no　difficulty　hearing　them。　they　were　chanting　and　clapping；　decayed　hands　meeting　together　in　a　steady；　slow　rhythm　that　put　all　the　hair　on　the　back　of　his　head　on　edge。

a　ghastly　noise；　hard　sounds　of　bone　on　bone；　or　the　liquid　thumpings　of　deposed；　jellying　flesh。　the　chanting　was　even　worse；　for　very　few　of　them　had　functioning　mouths。

touchstone　had　never　seen　or　heard　a　shipwreck—　now　he　knew　the　sound　of　a　thousand　sailors　drowning；　all　at　once；　in　a　quiet　sea。

the　lines　of　the　dead　had　marched　out　close　to　where　touchstone　stood；　forming　a　great　mass　of　shifting　shadow；　spread　like　a　choking　fungus　around　the　columns。　touchstone　couldn’t　make　out　what　they　were　doing；　till　mogget；　with　his　night…sight；　explained。

“they’re　forming　up　into　two　lines；　to　make　a　corridor；”　the　little　cat　whispered；　though　the　need　for　silence　was　long　gone。　“a　corridor　of　dead　hands；　reaching　from　the　northern　stair　to　us。”

“can　you　see　the　doorway　of　the　stair？”

touchstone　asked。　he　was　no　longer　afraid；　now　he　could　see　and　smell　the　putrescent；　stinking　corpses　lined　up　in　mockery　of　a　parade。　i　should　have　died　in　this　reservoir　long　ago；　he　thought。

there　has　just　been　a　delay　of　two　hundred　years　。　。　。

“yes；　i　can；”　continued　mogget；　his　eyes　green　with　sparkling　fire。　“a　tall　beast　has　e；　its　flesh　boiling　with　dirty　flames。　a　mordicant。　it’s　crouching　in　the　water；　looking　back　and　up　like　a　dog　to　its　master。　fog　is　rolling　down　the　stairs　behind　it—a　free　magic　trick；　that　one。　i　wonder　why　he　has　such　an　urge　to　impress？”

“rogir　always　was　flamboyant；”　touchstone　stated；　as　if　he　might　be　menting　on　someone　at　a　dinner　party。　“he　liked　everyone　to　be　looking　at　him。　he’s　no　different　as　kerrigor；　no　different　dead。”

“oh；　but　he　is；”　said　mogget。　“very　different。

he　knows　you’re　here；　and　the　fog’s　for　vanity。

he　must　have　been　terribly　rushed　making　the　body　he　wears　now。　a　vain　man—even　a　dead　one—would　not　like　this　body　looked　at。”

touchstone　swallowed；　trying　not　to　think　about　that。　he　wondered　if　he　could　charge　out　of　the　diamond；　flèche　with　his　swords　into　that　fog；　a　mad　attack—but　even　if　he　got　there；　would　his　swords；　charter…spelled　though　they　were；　have　any　effect　on　the　magical　flesh　kerrigor　now　wore？　something　moved　in　the　water；　at　the　limits　of　his　vision；　and　the　hands　increased　the　tempo　of　their　drumming；　the　frenzied　gurgle…chanting　rising　in　volume。

touchstone　squinted；　confirming　what　he　thought　he’d　seen—tendrils　of　fog；　lazily　drifting　across　the　water　between　the　lines　of　the　dead；　keeping　to　the　corridor　they’d　made。

“he’s　playing　with　us；”　gasped　touchstone；　surprised　by　his　own　lack　of　breath　for　speech。　he　felt　like　he’d　already　sprinted　a　mile；　his　heart　going　thump…thump…thump…thump　。　。　。

a　terrible　howl　suddenly　rose　above　the　dead　drumming；　and　touchstone　leapt　back；　nearly　　dislodging　mogget。　the　howl　rose　and　rose；　being　unbearable；　and　then　a　huge　shape　broke　out　of　the　fog　and　darkness；　stampeding　towards　them　with　fearful　power；　great　swaths　of　spray　exploding　around　it　as　it　ran。

touchstone　shouted；　or　screamed—he　wasn’t　sure—threw　away　his　candle；　drew　his　left　sword　and　thrust　both　blades　out；　crouching　to　receive　the　charge；　knees　so　bent　he　was　chestdeep　in　the　water。

“the　mordicant！”　yelled　mogget；　then　he　was　gone；　leaping　from　touchstone　to　the　still…frosted　sabriel。

touchstone　barely　had　time　to　absorb　this　information；　and　a　split…second　image　of　something　like　an　enormous；　flame…shrouded　bear；　howling　like　the　final　scream　of　a　sacrifice—then　the　mordicant　collided　with　the　diamond　of　protection；　and　touchstone’s　out…thrust　swords。

silver　sparks　exploded　with　a　bang　that　drowned　the　howling；　throwing　both　touchstone　and　the　mordicant　back　several　yards。　touchstone　lost　his　footing；　and　went　under；　water　bubbling　into　his　nose　and　still…screaming　mouth。

he　panicked；　thinking　the　mordicant　would　be　on　him　in　a　second；　and　flipped　himself　back　up　　with　unnecessary　force；　savagely　ripping　his　stomach　muscles。

he　almost　flew　out　of　the　water；　swords　at　guard　again；　but　the　diamond　was　intact；　and　the　mordicant　retreating；　backing　away　along　the　corridor　of　hands。　they’d　stopped　their　noise；　but　there　was　something　else—something　touchstone　didn’t　recognize；　till　the　water　drained　out