按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ark blazed brighter still鈥攁nd went out。
the river ran swiftly； but sabriel set her feet against the current and ignored both it and the cold； concentrating on looking around； alert for a trap or ambush。 it was quiet at this particular entry point to death。 she could hear the water tumbling through the second gate； but nothing else。 no splashing； or gurgling； or strange mewlings。
no dark； formless shapes or grim silhouettes； shadowy in this grey light。
carefully holding her position； sabriel looked all around her again； before sheathing her sword and reaching into one of the thigh pockets in her woollen knickerbockers。 the bell； saraneth； stayed ready in her left hand。 with her right； she drew out a paper boat and； still one…handed； opened it out to its proper shape。 beautifully white； almost luminous in this light； it had one small； perfectly round stain at its bow； where sabriel had carefully blotted a drop of blood from her finger。
sabriel laid it flat on her hand； lifted it to her lips； and blew on it as if she were launching a feather。 like a glider； it flew from her hand into the river。 sabriel held that launching breath as the boat was almost swamped； only to breathe in with relief as it breasted a ripple； righted itself and surged away with the current。 in a few seconds it was out of sight； heading for the second gate。
it was the second time in her life that sabriel had launched just such a paper boat。 her father had shown her how to make them； but had impressed on her to use them sparingly。 no more than thrice every seven years； he had said； or a price would have to be paid； a price much greater than a drop of blood。
as events should follow as they had the first time； sabriel knew what to expect。 still； when the noise of the second gate stilled for a moment some ten or twenty； or forty； minutes later鈥攖ime being slippery in death鈥攕he drew her sword and saraneth hung down in her hand； its clapper free； waiting to be heard。 the gate had stilled because someone 。 。 。 something 。 。 。 was ing back from the deeper realms of death。
sabriel hoped it was the one she had invited with the paper boat。
chapter vi
灏彙ｈ銆倀/x/t澶ｅ爞
charter magic on cloven crest。
it was like a scent on the wind to the thing that lurked in the caves below the hill； some mile or more to the west of the broken charter stone。
it had been human once； or human…like at least； in the years it had lived under the sun。
that humanity had been lost in the centuries the thing spent in the chill waters of death； ferociously holding its own against the current； demonstrating an incredible will to live again。 a will it didn鈥檛 know it possessed before a badly cast hunting spear bounced from a rock and clipped its throat； just enough for a last few minutes of frantic life。
by sheer effort of will； it had held itself on the life side of the fourth gate for three hundred years； growing in power； learning the ways of death。 it preyed on lesser spirits； and served or avoided greater ones。 always； the thing held on to life。 its chance finally came when a mighty spirit erupted from beyond the seventh gate； smashing through each of the upper gates in turn； till it went ravening into life。 hundreds of the dead had followed； and this particular spirit had joined the throng。 there had been terrible confusion and a mighty enemy at the very border between life and death； but； in the melee； it had managed to sneak around the edges and squirm triumphantly into life。
there were plenty of recently vacated bodies where it emerged； so the thing occupied one； animated it and ran away。 soon after； it found the caves it now inhabited。 it even decided to give itself a name。 thralk。 a simple name； not too difficult for a partially deposed mouth to voice。 a male name。 thralk could not remember what its original sex had been； those centuries before； but its new body was male。
it was a name to instill fear in the few small settlements that still existed in this area of the borderlands； settlements thralk preyed upon； capturing and consuming the human life he needed to keep himself on the living side of death。
charter magic flared on cloven crest again； and thralk sensed that it was strong and pure鈥敗ut weakly cast。 the strength of the magic scared him； but the lack of skill behind it was reassuring and strong magic meant a strong life。 thralk needed that life； needed it to shore up the body he used； needed it to replenish the leakage of his spirit back into death。 greed won over fear。 the dead thing left the mouth of the cave and started climbing the hill； his lidless； rotting eyes fixed on the distant crest。
sabriel saw her guide； first as a tall； pale light drifting over the swirling water towards her； and then； as it stopped several yards away； as a blurred； glowing； human shape； its arms outstretched in wele。
鈥渟abriel。鈥�
the words were fuzzy and seemed to e from much farther away than where the shining figure stood； but sabriel smiled as she felt the warmth in the greeting。 abhorsen had never explained who or what this luminous person was； but sabriel thought she knew。 she鈥檇 summoned this advisor only once before鈥攚hen she鈥檇 first menstruated。
there was minimal sex education at wyverley college鈥攏one at all till you were fifteen。 the older girls鈥櫋tories about menstruation were many； varied and often meant to scare。 none of sabriel鈥檚 friends had reached puberty before her； so in fear and desperation she had entered death。 her father had told her that the one the paper boat summoned would answer any question and would protect her鈥攁nd so it had。 the glowing spirit answered all her questions and many more besides； till sabriel was forced to return to life。
鈥渉ello； mother；鈥潯aid sabriel； sheathing her sword and carefully muffling saraneth with her fingers inside the bell。
the shining shape didn鈥檛 answer； but that wasn鈥檛 unexpected。 apart from her one…word greeting； she could only answer questions。
sabriel wasn鈥檛 really sure if the manifestation was the very unusual dead spirit of her mother； which was unlikely； or some residual protective magic left by her。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 have much time；鈥潯abriel continued。
鈥渋鈥檇 love to ask about 。 。 。 oh； everything； i guess 。 。 。 but at the moment； i need to know how to get to father鈥檚 house from cloven crest 。 。 。 i mean barhedrin ridge。鈥�
the sending nodded； and spoke。 as sabriel listened； she also saw pictures in her head of what the woman was describing； vivid images； like memories of a journey she鈥檇 taken herself。
鈥済o to the northern side of the ridge。 follow the spur that begins there down till it reaches the valley floor。 look at the sky 。 。 。 there won鈥檛 be any cloud。 look to the bright red star； uallus； near the horizon； three fingers east of north。
follow that star till you e to a road that runs from south…west to north…east。 take that road for a mile to the north…east； till you reach a mile marker and the charter stone behind it。 a path behind the stone leads to the long cliffs immediately north。 take the path。 it ends in a door in the cliffs。 the door will answer to mosrael。 beyond the door is a tunnel； sloping sharply upwards。
beyond the tunnel lies abhorsen鈥檚 bridge。 the house is over the bridge。 go with love鈥攁nd do not tarry； do not stop； no matter what happens。鈥�
鈥渢hank you；鈥潯abriel began； carefully filing the words away with the acpanying thoughts。
鈥渃ould you also 。 。 。鈥�
she stopped as the mother…sending in front of her suddenly raised both arms as if shocked； and shouted； 鈥済o！鈥�
at the same time； sabriel felt the diamond of protection around her physical body twinge in warning and she became aware that the north mark had failed。 instantly； she turned on her left heel and began racing back to the border with life； drawing her sword。 the current almost seemed to strengthen against her； twining around her legs； but then fell away before her urgency。
sabriel reached the border and； with a furious thrust of will； her spirit emerged back into life。
for a second； she was disoriented； suddenly freezing again and thick…witted。 a grinning； corpse…like creature was just stepping through the failed north mark； its arms reaching to embrace her； carrion…breath misting out of a mouth unnaturally wide。
thralk had been pleased to find the charter mage鈥檚 spirit wandering and a broken diamond of protection。 the sword had worried him a little； but it was frosted over and his shriveled eyes couldn鈥檛 see the charter marks that danced beneath the rime。 similarly； the bell in sabriel鈥檚 left hand looked like a lump of ice or snow； as if she鈥檇 caught a snowball。 all in all； thralk felt very fortunate； particularly as the life that blazed within this still victim was particularly young and strong。 thralk sidled closer still and his double…jointed arms reached to embrace sabriel鈥檚 neck。
just as his slimy； corrupted fingers stretched forward； sabriel opened her eyes and executed the stop…thrust that had earned her second place in fighting arts and； later； lost her the first。 her arm and sword straightened like one limb to their full extent and the sword…point ripped through thralk