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sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第46章

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ndred heartbeats; no more鈥敗nd i must win a battle against a terrible enemy。

our parts now鈥攚hich perforce we must play鈥敗re not father and daughter; but one old abhorsen; making way for the new。 but behind this; there is always my love。鈥

鈥渁 hundred hundred heartbeats 。 。 。鈥潯hispered 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鈥攁nd then; the reservoir。

xi锛shuotx锛础锛辑



chapter xxiii

锝炲皬锛滆t xt锛嬶紜澶╋紴鍫
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鈥敗ow 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鈥檛 make out what they were doing; till mogget; with his night…sight; explained。

鈥渢hey鈥檙e forming up into two lines; to make a corridor;鈥潯he little cat whispered; though the need for silence was long gone。 鈥渁 corridor of dead hands; reaching from the northern stair to us。鈥

鈥渃an you see the doorway of the stair?鈥

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 。 。 。

鈥測es; i can;鈥潯ontinued mogget; his eyes green with sparkling fire。 鈥渁 tall beast has e; its flesh boiling with dirty flames。 a mordicant。 it鈥檚 crouching in the water; looking back and up like a dog to its master。 fog is rolling down the stairs behind it鈥攁 free magic trick; that one。 i wonder why he has such an urge to impress?鈥

鈥渞ogir always was flamboyant;鈥潯ouchstone stated; as if he might be menting on someone at a dinner party。 鈥渉e liked everyone to be looking at him。 he鈥檚 no different as kerrigor; no different dead。鈥

鈥渙h; but he is;鈥潯aid mogget。 鈥渧ery different。

he knows you鈥檙e here; and the fog鈥檚 for vanity。

he must have been terribly rushed making the body he wears now。 a vain man鈥攅ven a dead one鈥攚ould not like this body looked at。鈥

touchstone swallowed; trying not to think about that。 he wondered if he could charge out of the diamond; fl猫che with his swords into that fog; a mad attack鈥攂ut 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鈥檇 seen鈥攖endrils of fog; lazily drifting across the water between the lines of the dead; keeping to the corridor they鈥檇 made。

鈥渉e鈥檚 playing with us;鈥潯asped touchstone; surprised by his own lack of breath for speech。 he felt like he鈥檇 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鈥攈e wasn鈥檛 sure鈥攖hrew 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。

鈥渢he mordicant!鈥潯elled 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鈥攖hen the mordicant collided with the diamond of protection; and touchstone鈥檚 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鈥檇 stopped their noise; but there was something else鈥攕omething touchstone didn鈥檛 recognize; till the water drained out of his ears。

it was laughter; laughter echoing out of the fog; which now billowed across the water; ing closer and closer; till the retreating mordicant was enveloped in it; and lost to sight。

鈥渄id my hound scare you; little brother?鈥潯aid a voice from within the fog。

鈥渙w!鈥潯xclaimed sabriel; feeling mogget鈥檚 claws on her physical body。 abhorsen looked at her; raising one silvery eyebrow questioningly。

鈥渟omething touched my body in life;鈥潯he explained。 鈥渕ogget; i think。 i wonder what鈥檚 happening?鈥

they stood at the very edge of death; on the border with life。 no dead had tried to stop them;  and they鈥檇 passed easily through the first gate。

perhaps any dead would quail from the sight of two abhorsens 。 。 。

now they waited。 sabriel didn鈥檛 know why。

somehow; abhorsen seemed to be able to see into life; or to work out what was happening。 he stood like an eavesdropper; body slightly bent; ear cocked to a non…existent door。

sabriel; on the other hand; stood like a soldier; keeping watch for the dead。 the broken stones made this part of death an attractive high road into life; and she had expected to find many dead here; trying to take advantage of the 鈥渉ole。鈥潯ut it was not so。 they seemed to be alone in the grey; featureless river; their only neighbors the swells and eddies of the water。

abhorsen closed his eyes; concentrating even harder; then opened them to a wide…eyed stare and touched sabriel lightly on the arm。

鈥渋t is almost time;鈥潯e said gently。 鈥渨hen we emerge; i want you to take 。 。 。 touchstone 。 。 。

and run for the southern stairs。 do not stop for anything; anything at all。 once outside; climb up to the top of the palace hill; to the west yard。

it鈥檚 just an empty field now鈥攖ouchstone will   know how to get there。 if the clayr are watching properly; and haven鈥檛 got their whens mixed up; there鈥檒l be a paperwing there鈥斺

鈥渁 paperwing!鈥潯nterrupted sabriel。 鈥渂ut i crashed it。鈥

鈥渢here are several around;鈥潯eplied abhorsen。

鈥渢he abhorsen who made it鈥攖he forty…sixth; i think鈥攖aught several others how to construct them。 anyway; it should be there。 the clayr will also be there; or a messenger; to tell you where to find kerrigor鈥檚 body in ancelstierre。 fly as close to the wall as possible; cross; find the body鈥攁nd destroy it!鈥

鈥渨hat will you be doing?鈥潯hispered sabriel。

鈥渉ere is saraneth;鈥潯eplied abhorsen; not meeting her gaze。 鈥済ive me your sword; and 。 。 。

astarael。鈥

the seventh bell。 astarael the sorrowful。

weeper。

sabriel didn鈥檛 move; made no motion to hand over bell or blade。 abhorsen pushed saraneth into its pouch; and did up the strap。 he started to undo the strap that held astarael; but sabriel鈥檚 hand closed on his; gripping it tightly。

鈥渢here must be another way;鈥潯he cried。 鈥渨e can all escape together鈥斺

鈥渘o;鈥潯aid abhorsen firmly。 he gently pushed her hand away。 sabriel let go; and he took astarael carefully from the bandolier; making sure it couldn鈥檛 sound。 鈥渄oes the walker choose the path; or the path the walker?鈥

numbly; sabriel handed him her sword 。 。 。 his sword。 her empty hands hung open by her sides。

鈥渋 have walked in death to the very precipice of the ninth gate;鈥潯bhorsen said quietly。 鈥渋 know the secrets and horrors of the nine precincts。 i do not know what lies beyond; but everything that lives must go there; in the proper time。 that is the rule that governs our work as the abhorsen; but it also governs us。 you are the fifty…third abhorsen; sabriel。 i have not taught you as well as i should鈥攍et this be my final lesson。 everyone and everything has a time to die。鈥

he bent forward; and kissed her forehead; just under the rim of her helmet。 for a moment; she stood like a stringed puppet at rest; then she flung herself against his chest; feeling the soft fabric of his surcoat。 she seemed to diminish in size; till once again she was a little girl; running to his embrace at the school gates。 as she could then; she heard the slow beating of his heart。 only now; she heard the beats as grains in a time…  piece; counting his hard…won hundr
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