sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第43部分

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still　he　slipped　away。　desperate；　she　grabbed　him　by　the　ears；　and　kissed　him　savagely；　biting　his　lip；　the　salty　blood　filling　both　their　mouths。　his　eyes　cleared；　and　she　felt　him　concentrate　again；　concentrate　on　life；　on　living。

his　sword　fell；　and　he　brought　his　arms　up　around　her　and　returned　her　kiss。　then　he　put　his　head　on　her　shoulder；　and　she　on　his；　and　they　held　each　other　tightly　till　the　single　note　of　astarael　slowly　died。

silence　came　at　last。　gingerly；　they　let　each　other　go。　touchstone　shakily　groped　around　for　his　sword；　but　sabriel　lit　a　candle　before　he　could　cut　his　fingers　in　the　dark。　they　looked　at　each　other　in　the　flickering　light。　sabriel鈥檚　eyes　were　wet；　touchstone鈥檚　mouth　bloody。

鈥渨hat　was　that？鈥潯�touchstone　asked　huskily。

鈥渁starael；鈥潯�replied　sabriel。　鈥渢he　final　bell。　it　calls　everyone　who　hears　it　into　death。鈥�

鈥渒errigor　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渉e鈥檒l　e　back；鈥潯�whispered　sabriel。　鈥渉e鈥檒l　always　e　back；　till　his　real　body鈥檚　destroyed。鈥�

鈥測our　father？鈥潯�touchstone　mumbled。　鈥渕ogget？鈥�

鈥渄ad鈥檚　dead；鈥潯�said　sabriel。　her　face　was　posed；　but　her　eyes　overflowed　into　tears。　鈥渉e鈥檒l　go　quickly　beyond　the　final　gate。　mogget鈥攊　don鈥檛　know。鈥�

she　fingered　the　silver　ring　on　her　hand；　frowned；　and　bent　to　pick　up　the　sword　she鈥檇　taken　from　touchstone。

鈥渆　on；鈥潯�she　ordered。　鈥渨e　have　to　get　up　to　the　west　yard。　quickly。鈥�

鈥渢he　west　yard？鈥潯�asked　touchstone；　retrieving　his　own　sword。　he　was　confused　and　sick；　but　he　forced　himself　up。　鈥渙f　the　palace？鈥�

鈥測es；鈥潯�replied　sabriel。　鈥渓et鈥檚　go。鈥�

ww锛枫��=



chapter　xxiv

銆傚皬％璇碸t*xt…澶�。鍫�
the　sunshine　was　harsh　to　their　eyes；　for　it　was　surprisingly　only　a　little　past　noon。　they　stumbled　out　onto　the　marble　steps　of　the　cave；　blinking　like　nocturnal　animals　prematurely　flushed　out　of　an　underground　warren。

sabriel　looked　around　at　the　quiet；　sunlit　trees；　the　placid　expanse　of　grass；　the　clogged　fountain。

everything　seemed　so　normal；　so　far　removed　from　the　crazed　and　twisted　chamber　of　horrors　that　was　the　reservoir；　deep　beneath　their　feet。

she　looked　at　the　sky；　too；　losing　focus　in　the　blue；　retreating　lines　of　clouds　just　edging　about　the　fuzzy　periphery　of　her　vision。　my　father　is　dead；　she　thought。　gone　forever　。　。　。

鈥渢he　road　winds　around　the　south…western　part　of　palace　hill；鈥潯�a　voice　said；　somewhere　near　her；　beyond　the　blueness。

鈥渨hat？鈥�

鈥渢he　road。　up　to　the　west　yard。鈥�

it　was　touchstone　talking。　sabriel　closed　her　eyes；　told　herself　to　concentrate；　to　get　a　grip　on　the　here　and　now。　she　opened　her　eyes　and　looked　at　touchstone。

he　was　a　mess。　face　blood…streaked　from　his　bleeding　lip；　hair　wet；　plastered　flat；　armor　and　clothes　darkly　sodden。　water　dripped　down　the　sword　he　still　held　out；　angled　to　the　ground。

鈥測ou　didn鈥檛　tell　me　you　were　a　prince；鈥潯�sabriel　said；　in　a　conversational　tone。　she　might　have　been　menting　on　the　weather。　her　voice　sounded　strange　in　her　own　ears；　but　she　didn鈥檛　have　the　energy　to　do　anything　about　it。

鈥渋鈥檓　not；鈥潯�touchstone　replied；　shrugging。　he　looked　up　at　the　sky　while　he　spoke。　鈥渢he　queen　was　my　mother；　but　my　father　was　an　obscure　northern　noble；　who　鈥榯ook　up　with　her鈥櫋�a　few　years　after　her　consort鈥檚　death。　he　was　killed　in　a　hunting　accident　before　i　was　born　。　。　。　look；　shouldn鈥檛　we　be　going？　to　the　west　yard？鈥�

鈥渋　suppose　so；鈥潯�sabriel　said　dully。　鈥渇ather　said　there　will　be　a　paperwing　waiting　for　us　there；　　and　the　clayr；　to　tell　us　where　to　go。鈥�

鈥渋　see；鈥潯�said　touchstone。　he　came　closer；　and　peered　at　sabriel鈥檚　vacant　eyes；　then　took　her　unresisting　and　oddly　floppy　arm；　and　steered　her　towards　the　line　of　beech　trees　that　marked　a　path　to　the　western　end　of　the　park。　sabriel　walked　obediently；　increasing　her　pace　as　touchstone　sped　up；　till　they　were　practically　jogging。　touchstone　was　pushing　on　her　arm；　with　many　backward　glances；　sabriel　moving　with　a　sleepwalker鈥檚　jerky　animation。

a　few　hundred　yards　from　the　ornamental　caves；　the　beeches　gave　way　to　more　lawn；　and　a　road　started　up　the　side　of　palace　hill；　switchbacking　twice　to　the　top。

the　road　was　well　paved；　but　the　flagstones　had　pushed　up；　or　sunk　down；　over　two　decades　without　maintenance；　and　there　were　some　quite　deep　ruts　and　holes。　sabriel　caught　her　foot　in　one　and　she　almost　fell；　touchstone　just　catching　her。　but　this　small　shock　seemed　to　break　her　from　the　effects　of　the　larger　shock；　and　she　found　a　new　alertness　cutting　through　her　dumb　despair。

鈥渨hy　are　we　running？鈥�

鈥渢hose　scavengers　are　following　us；鈥�

touchstone　replied　shortly；　pointing　back　through　the　park。　鈥渢he　ones　who　had　the　children　at　the　gate。鈥�

sabriel　looked　where　he　pointed　and；　sure　enough；　there　were　figures　slowly　moving　through　the　beech…lined　path。　all　nine　were　there；　close　together；　laughing　and　talking。

they　seemed　confident　sabriel　and　touchstone　could　not　escape　them；　and　their　mood　looked　to　be　that　of　casual　beaters；　easily　driving　their　stupid　prey　to　a　definite　end。　one　of　them　saw　sabriel　and　touchstone　watching　and　used　a　gesture　that　distance　made　unclear；　but　was　probably　obscene。　laughter　carried　to　them；　borne　by　the　breeze。　the　men鈥檚　intentions　were　clear。　hostile。

鈥渋　wonder　if　they　deal　with　the　dead；鈥�

sabriel　said　bleakly；　revulsion　in　those　words。

鈥渢o　do　their　deeds　when　sunlight　lends　its　aid　to　the　living　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渢hey　mean　no　good；　anyway；鈥潯�said　touchstone；　as　they　set　off　again；　building　up　from　a　fast　walk　to　a　jog。　鈥渢hey　have　bows　and　i　bet　they　can　shoot；　unlike　the　villagers　of　nestowe。鈥�

鈥測es；鈥潯�replied　sabriel。　鈥渋　hope　there　is　a　paperwing　up　there　。　。　。鈥�

she　didn鈥檛　need　to　expand　upon　what　would　happen　if　it　wasn鈥檛。　neither　of　them　were　in　any　shape　for　fighting；　or　much　charter　magic；　and　nine　bowmen　could　easily　finish　them　off鈥攐r　capture　them。　if　the　men　were　working　for　kerrigor；　it　would　be　capture；　and　the　knife；　down　in　the　dark　of　the　reservoir　。　。　。

the　road　grew　steeper；　and　they　jogged　in　silence；　breath　ing　fast　and　ragged；　with　none　to　spare　for　words。　touchstone　coughed；　and　sabriel　looked　at　him　with　concern；　till　she　realized　she　was　coughing　too。　the　shape　they　were　in；　it　might　not　take　an　arrow　to　finish　matters。

the　hill　would　do　it　anyway。

鈥渘ot　。　。　。　much　。　。　。　further；鈥潯�touchstone　gasped　as　they　turned　at　the　switchback；　tired　legs　gaining　a　few　seconds　of　relief　on　the　flat；　before　starting　the　next　incline。

sabriel　started　to　laugh；　a　bitter；　coughing　laugh；　because　it　was　still　a　lot　further。　the　laugh　became　a　shocked　cry　as　something　struck　her　in　the　ribs　like　a　sucker　punch。　she　fell　sideways；　into　touchstone；　carrying　both　of　them　down　onto　the　hard　flagstones。　a　long…shot　arrow　had　found　its　mark。

鈥渟abriel！鈥潯�touchstone　shouted；　voice　high　　with　fear　and　anger。　he　shouted　her　name　again；　and　then　sabriel　suddenly　felt　charter　magic　explode　into　life　within　him。　as　it　grew；　he　leapt　up；　and　thrust　his　arms　out　and　down　towards　the　enemy；　towards　that　over…gifted　marksman。

eight　small　suns　flowered　at　his　fingertips；　grew　to　the　size　of　his　clenched　fists；　and　shot　out；　leaving　white　trails　of　after…image　in　the　air。　a　split　second　later；　a　scream　from　below　testified　to　their　finding　at　least　one　target。

numbly；　sabriel　wondered　how　touchstone　could　possibly　still　have　the　strength　for　such　a　spell。　wonder　became　surprise　as　he　suddenly　bent　and　lifted　her　up；　pack　and　all；　cradling　her　in　his　arms鈥攁ll　in　one　easy　motion。　she　screamed　a　little　as　the　arrow　shifted　in　her　side；　but　touchstone　didn鈥檛　seem　to　notice。　he　threw　his　head　back；　roared　out　an　animal…like　challenge；　and　started　to　run　up　the　road；　gathering　speed　from　an　ungainly　lurch　to　an　inhuman　sprint。　froth　burst　from　his　lips；　blowing　out　over　his　chin　and　onto　sabriel。　every　vein　and　muscle　in　his　neck　and　face　corded　out；　and　his　eyes　went　wild　with　unseeing　energy。

he　was　berserk；　and　nothing　could　stop　him　now；　save　total　dismemberment。　sabriel　　shivered　in　his　grasp　and　turned　her　face　into　his　chest；　too　disturbed　to　look　on　the　savage；　snorting　face　that　bore　so　little　resemblance　to　the　touchstone　she　knew。　but　at　least　he　was　running　away　from　the　enemy　。　。　。

on　he　ran；　leaving　the　road；　climbing　over　the　tumbled　stones　of　what　had　once　been　a　gateway；　hardly　pausing；　jumping　from　one　rock　to　another　with　goat…like　precision。　his　face　was　as　bright　red　as　a　fire　engine　now；　the　pulse　in　his　neck　beating　as　fast　as　a　hummingbird鈥檚　wings。

sabriel；　forgetting　her　own　wound　in　sudden　fear　that　his　heart　would　burst；　started　shouting　at　him；　begging　him　to　e　out　of　the　rage。

鈥渢ouchstone！　we鈥檙e　safe！　put　me　down！　stop！　please；　stop！鈥�

he　didn鈥檛　hear　her；　his　whole　concentration　bent　on　their　path。　through　the　ruined　gateway　he　ran；　on　along　a　walled　path；　nostrils　wide；　head　darting　from　side　to　side　like　a　scentfollowing　hound。

鈥渢ouchstone！　touchstone！鈥潯�sabriel　sobbed；　beating　on　his　chest　with　her　hands。　鈥渨e鈥檝e　got　away！　i鈥檓　all　right！　stop！　stop！鈥�

still　he　ran；　through　another　arch；　along　a　raised　way；　the　stones　falling　away　under　his　　feet；　down　a　short　stair；　jumping　gaping　holes。　a　closed　door　halted　him　for　a　moment；　and　sabriel　breathed　a　sigh　of　relief；　but　he　kicked　at　it　viciously；　till　the　rotten　wood　collapsed　and　he　could　back　through；　carefully　shielding　sabriel　from　splinters。

beyond　the　door　was　a　large；　open　field；　bordered　by　tumbledown　walls。　tall　weeds　covered　the　expanse；　with　the　occasional　stunted；　selfsown　tree　rising　above　them。　right　at　the　western　edge；　perched　where　a　wall　had　long　since　crumbled　down　the　hill；　there　were　two　paperwings；　one　facing　south　and　the　other　north鈥攁nd　two　people；　indistinct　silhouettes　bordered　with　the　flaming　orange　of　the　afternoon　sun　that　was　sinking　down　behind　them。

touchstone　broke　into　a　gait　that　could　only　be　described　as　a　gallop；　parting　the　weeds　like　a　ship　ploughing　a　sargasso　sea。　he　ran　right　up　to　the　two　standing　figures；　gently　placed　sabriel　on　the　ground　before　them鈥攁nd　fell　over；　eyes　rolling　back　to　whiteness；　limbs　twitching。

sabr