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with a slight depression in the middle。 snow lay in this depression； a fat； cigarshaped drift； bright in the moonlight； stark white against the red granite。 there were no trees； no vegetation at all； but in the very center of the drift； a dark grey stone cast a long moonshadow。
it was twice sabriel鈥檚 girth and three times her height； and looked whole till she walked closer and saw the zigzag crack that cut it down the middle。
sabriel had never seen a true charter stone before； but she knew they were supposed to be like the wall； with charter marks running like quicksilver through the stone； forming and dissolving； only to re…form again； in a neverending story that told of the making of the world。
there were charter marks on this stone； but they were still； as frozen as the snow。 dead marks； nothing more than meaningless inscriptions； carved into a sculptured stone。
it wasn鈥檛 what sabriel had expected； though she now realized that she hadn鈥檛 thought about it properly。 she鈥檇 thought of lightning or suchlike as the splitter of the stone； but forgotten lessons remembered too late told her that wasn鈥檛 so。 only some terrible power of free magic could split a charter stone。
she walked closer to the stone； fear rising in her like a toothache in its first growth； signaling worse to e。 the wind was stronger and colder； too； out on the ridge； and the oilskin seemed less forting； as its memories of her father brought back remembrance of certain pages of the book of the dead and tales of horror told by little girls in the darkness of their dormitory； far from the old kingdom。
fears came with these memories； till sabriel wrestled them to the back of her mind； and forced herself closer to the stone。
dark patches of 。 。 。 something 。 。 。 obscured some of the marks； but it wasn鈥檛 until sabriel pushed her face almost to the stone that she could make out what they were； so dull and black in the moonlight。
when she did see； her head snapped up； and she stumbled backwards； almost overbalancing into the snow。 the patches were dried blood； and when she saw them； sabriel knew how the stone had been broken； and why the blood hadn鈥檛 been cleaned away by rain or snow 。 。 。 why the stone never would be clean。
a charter mage had been sacrificed on the stone。 sacrificed by a necromancer to gain access to death； or to help a dead spirit break through into life。
sabriel bit her lower lip till it hurt and her hands； almost unconsciously； fidgeted； halfdrawing charter marks in nervousness and fear。
the spell for that sort of sacrifice was in the last chapter of the book of the dead。 she remembered it now； in sickening detail。 it was one of the many things she seemed to have forgotten from that green…bound book鈥攐r had been made to forget。 only a very powerful necromancer could use that spell。 only a totally evil one would want to。 and evil breeds evil； evil taints places and makes them attractive to further acts of 。 。 。
鈥渟top it！鈥潯hispered sabriel aloud； to still her mind of its imaginings。 it was dark； windy and getting colder by the minute。 she had to make a decision： to camp and call her guide； or to move on immediately in some random direction in the hope that she would be able to summon her guide from somewhere else。
the worst part of it all was that her guide was dead。 sabriel had to enter death； albeit briefly； to call and converse with the guide。 it would be easy to do so here； for the sacrifice had created a semi…permanent entry； as if a door had been wedged ajar。 but who knew what might be lurking； watching； in the cold river beyond。
sabriel stood for a minute； shivering； listening； every sense concentrated； like some small animal that knows a predator hunts nearby。 her mind ran through the pages of the book of the dead； and through the many hours she had spent learning charter magic from magistrix greenwood in the sunny north tower of wyverley college。
at the end of the minute； she knew that camping was out of the question。 she was simply too frightened to sleep anywhere near the ruined charter stone。 but it would be quicker to call her guide here鈥攁nd the quicker she got to her father鈥檚 house； the sooner she could do something to help him； so a promise was called for。 she would protect herself with charter magic as best she could； enter death with all precaution； summon her guide； get directions and get out as quickly as possible。 quicker； even。
with decision came action。 sabriel dropped her skis and pack； stuffed some dried fruit and homemade toffee in her mouth for quick energy； and adopted the meditative pose that made charter magic easier。
after bit of trouble with the toffee and her teeth； she began。 symbols formed in her mind鈥敗he four cardinal charter marks that were the poles of a diamond that would protect her from both physical harm and free magic。 sabriel held them in her mind； fixed them in time； and pulled them out of the flow of the never…ending charter。
then； drawing her sword； she traced rough outlines in the snow around her； one mark at each cardinal point of the pass。 as she finished each mark； she let the one in her mind run from her head to her hand； down the sword and into the snow。 there； they ran like lines of golden fire and the marks became alive； burning on the ground。
the last mark was the north mark； the one closest to the destroyed stone； and it almost failed。 sabriel had to close her eyes and use all her will to force it to leave the sword。 even then； it was only a pallid imitation of the other three； burning so weakly it hardly melted the snow。
sabriel ignored it； quelling the nausea that had brought bile to the back of her mouth； her body reacting to the struggle with the charter mark。
she knew the north mark was weak； but golden lines had run between all four points and the diamond was plete； if shaky。 in any case； it was the best she could do。 she sheathed her sword； took off her gloves； and fumbled with her bellbandolier； cold fingers counting the bells。
鈥渞anna；鈥潯he said aloud； touching the first； the smallest bell。 ranna the sleepbringer； the sweet； low sound that brought silence in its wake。
鈥渕osrael。鈥潯he second bell； a harsh； rowdy bell。 mosrael was the waker； the bell sabriel should never use； the bell whose sound was a seesaw； throwing the ringer further into death； as it brought the listener into life。
鈥渒ibeth。鈥潯ibeth； the walker。 a bell of several sounds； a difficult and contrary bell。 it could give freedom of movement to one of the dead； or walk them through the next gate。 many a necromancer had stumbled with kibeth and walked where they would not。
鈥渄yrim。鈥潯 musical bell； of clear and pretty tone。 dyrim was the voice that the dead so often lost。 but dyrim could also still a tongue that moved too freely。
鈥渂elgaer。鈥潯nother tricksome bell； that sought to ring of its own accord。 belgaer was the thinking bell； the bell most necromancers scorned to use。 it could restore independent thought； memory and all the patterns of a living person。 or； slipping in a careless hand； erase them。
鈥渟araneth。鈥潯he deepest； lowest bell。 the sound of strength。 saraneth was the binder； the bell that shackled the dead to the wielder鈥檚 will。
and last； the largest bell； the one sabriel鈥檚 cold fingers found colder still； even in the leather case that kept it silent。
鈥渁starael； the sorrowful；鈥潯hispered sabriel。
astarael was the banisher； the final bell。 properly rung； it cast everyone who heard it far into death。 everyone； including the ringer。
sabriel鈥檚 hand hovered； touched on ranna； and then settled on saraneth。 carefully； she undid the strap and withdrew the bell。 its clapper； freed of the mask； rang slightly； like the growl of a waking bear。
sabriel stilled it； holding the clapper with her palm inside the bell； ignoring the handle。 with her right hand； she drew her sword and raised it to the guard position。 charter marks along the blade caught the moonlight and flickered into life。 sabriel watched them for a moment； as portents could sometimes be seen in such things。
strange marks raced across the blade； before transmuting into the more usual inscription； one that sabriel knew well。 she bowed her head； and prepared to enter into death。
unseen by sabriel； the inscription began again； but parts of it were not the same。 鈥渋 was made for abhorsen； to slay those already dead；鈥潯as what it usually said。 now it continued； 鈥渢he clayr saw me； the wallmaker made me； the king quenched me； abhorsen wields me。鈥�
sabriel； eyes closed now； felt the boundary between life and death appear。 on her back； she felt the wind； now curiously warm； and the moonlight； bright and hot like sunshine。 on her face； she felt the ultimate cold and； opening her eyes； saw the grey light of death。
with an effort of will； her spirit stepped through； sword and bell prepared。 inside the diamond her body stiffened； and fog blew up in eddies around her feet； twining up her legs。 frost rimed her face and hands and the charter marks flared at each apex of the diamond。 three steadied again； but the north mark blazed brighter still鈥攁nd went out。
the river ran swiftly； but sabriel set her feet against