sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第44部分

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鈥攁nd　fell　over；　eyes　rolling　back　to　whiteness；　limbs　twitching。

sabriel　tried　to　crawl　over　to　him；　but　the　pain　in　her　side　suddenly　bit　sharp　and　deadly；　so　it　was　all　she　could　do　to　sit　up　and　look　at　the　two　people；　and　beyond　them；　the　paperwings。

鈥渉ello；鈥潯�they　said；　in　unison。　鈥渨e　are；　for　the　moment；　the　clayr。　you　must　be　the　abhorsen　and　the　king。鈥�

sabriel　stared；　dry…mouthed。　the　sun　was　in　her　eyes；　making　it　hard　for　her　to　see　them　clearly。　young　women；　both；　with　long　blond　hair　and　bright；　piercing　blue　eyes。　they　wore　white　linen　dresses；　with　long；　open　sleeves。

freshly　pressed　dresses　that　made　sabriel　feel　extremely　dirty　and　uncivilized；　in　her　reservoirsoaked　breeches　and　sweaty　armor。　like　their　voices；　their　faces　were　identical。　very　pretty。

twins。

they　smiled；　and　knelt　down；　one　by　sabriel鈥檚　side；　the　other　by　touchstone鈥檚。　sabriel　felt　charter　magic　slowly　welling　up　in　them；　like　water　rising　in　a　spring鈥攖hen　it　flowed　into　her；　taking　away　the　hurt　and　pain　of　the　arrow。

next　to　her；　touchstone鈥檚　breath　became　less　labored；　and　he　sank　into　the　easy　quiet　of　sleep。

鈥渢hank　you；鈥潯�croaked　sabriel。　she　tried　to　smile；　but　seemed　to　have　lost　the　knack　of　it。　鈥渢here　are　slavers　。　。　。　human　allies　of　the　dead　。　。　。　behind　us。鈥�

鈥渨e　know；鈥潯�said　the　duo。　鈥渂ut　they　are　ten　　　minutes　behind。　your　friend鈥攖he　king鈥攔an　very；　very　fast。　we　saw　him　run　yesterday。　or　tomorrow。鈥�

鈥渁h；鈥潯�said　sabriel；　laboriously　pushing　herself　up　onto　her　feet；　thinking　of　her　father　and　what　he　had　said　about　the　clayr　confusing　their　whens。　best　to　find　out　what　she　needed　to　know　before　things　got　really　confusing。

鈥渢hank　you；鈥潯�she　said　again；　for　the　arrow　fell　on　the　ground　as　she　fully　straightened　up。　it　was　a　hunting　arrow；　narrow…headed；　not　an　armor…punching　bodkin。　they　had　only　meant　to　slow　her　down。　she　shivered；　and　felt　the　hole　between　the　armor　plates。　the　wound　didn鈥檛　feel　healed　exactly鈥攋ust　older；　as　if　it　had　struck　a　week　ago；　instead　of　minutes。

鈥渇ather　said　you　would　be　here　。　。　。　that　you　have　been　watching　for　us；　and　watching　for　where　kerrigor　has　his　body。鈥�

鈥測es；鈥潯�replied　the　clayr。　鈥渨ell；　not　us　exactly。

we鈥檝e　only　been　allowed　to　be　the　clayr　today；　because　we鈥檙e　the　best　paperwing　pilots　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渙r　actually；　ryelle　is　。　。　。鈥潯�one　of　the　twins　said；　pointing　at　the　other。　鈥渂ut　since　she　would　need　a　paperwing　to　fly　home　in；　two　paperwings　were　needed；　so　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渟anar　came　too；鈥潯�ryelle　continued；　pointing　back　at　her　sister。

鈥渂oth　of　us；鈥潯�they　chorused。　鈥渘ow；　there　isn鈥檛　much　time。　you　can　take　the　red　and　gold　paperwing　。　。　。　we　painted　it　in　the　royal　colors　when　we　knew　last　week。　but　first；　there鈥檚　kerrigor鈥檚　body。鈥�

鈥測es；鈥潯�said　sabriel。　her　father鈥檚鈥攈er　family鈥檚鈥敗�the　kingdom鈥檚　enemy。　for　her　to　deal　with。　her　burden；　no　matter　how　heavy；　and　how　feeble　her　shoulders　currently　felt；　she　had　to　bear　it。

鈥渉is　body　is　in　ancelstierre；鈥潯�said　the　twins。

鈥渂ut　our　vision　is　weak　across　the　wall；　so　we　don鈥檛　have　a　map；　or　know　the　place　names。

we鈥檒l　have　to　show　you鈥攁nd　you鈥檒l　have　to　remember。鈥�

鈥測es；鈥潯�agreed　sabriel；　feeling　like　a　dull　student　promising　to　deal　with　a　question　quite　beyond　her。　鈥測es。鈥�

the　clayr　nodded；　and　smiled　again。　their　teeth　were　very　white　and　even。　one；　possibly　ryelle鈥攕abriel　had　already　got　them　confused鈥敗�brought　a　bottle　made　of　clear　green　glass　out　from　the　flowing　sleeve　of　her　robe；　the　telltale　flash　of　charter　magic　showing　it　hadn鈥檛　been　there　before。　the　other　woman鈥攕anar鈥敗　�produced　a　long　ivory　wand　out　of　her　sleeve。

鈥渞eady？鈥潯�they　asked　each　other　simultaneously；　and；　鈥測es；鈥潯�before　their　question　had　even　penetrated　sabriel鈥檚　tired　brain。

ryelle　unstoppered　the　bottle　with　a　resonant　鈥減op；鈥潯�and　in　one　quick　motion；　poured　out　the　contents　along　a　horizontal　line。　sanar；　equally　quickly；　drew　the　wand　across　the　falling　water鈥攁nd　it　froze　in　mid…air；　to　form　a　pane　of　transparent　ice。　a　frozen　window；　suspended　in　front　of　sabriel。

鈥渨atch；鈥潯�manded　the　women；　and　sanar　tapped　the　ice…window　with　her　wand。　it　clouded　over　at　that　touch；　briefly　showed　a　scene　of　whirling　snow；　a　glimpse　of　the　wall；　then　steadied　into　a　moving　vision鈥攎uch　like　a　film　shot　from　a　traveling　car。　wyverley　college　had　frowned　on　films；　but　sabriel　had　been　to　see　quite　a　few　in　bain。　this　was　much　the　same；　but　in　color；　and　she　could　hear　natural　sounds　as　clearly　as　if　she　were　there。

the　window　showed　typical　ancelstierran　farmland鈥攁　long　field　of　wheat；　ripe　for　the　harvest；　with　a　tractor　stopped　in　the　distance；　its　driver　chatting　with　another　man　perched　atop　a　cart；　his　two　draft…horses　standing　　stolidly；　peering　out　through　their　blinkers。

the　view　raced　closer　towards　these　two　men；　veered　around　them　with　a　snatch　of　caught　conversation；　and　continued鈥攆ollowing　a　road；　up　and　over　a　hill；　through　a　small　wood　and　up　to　a　crossroads；　where　the　gravel　intersected　with　a　macadamized　route　of　greater　importance。　there　was　a　sign　there；　and　the　鈥渆ye；鈥潯�or　whatever　it　was；　zoomed　up　to　it；　till　the　signpost　filled　the　whole　of　the　ice…window。　鈥渨yverley　？　miles；鈥�

it　read；　directing　travelers　along　the　major　road；　and　they　were　off　again；　shooting　down　towards　wyverley　village。

a　few　seconds　later；　the　moving　image　slowed；　to　show　the　familiar　houses　of　wyverley　village；　the　blacksmith…cum…mechanic鈥檚　shop；　the　wyvern　public　house；　the　constable鈥檚　trim　house　with　the　blue　lantern。　all　landmarks　known　to　sabriel。　she　concentrated　even　more　carefully；　for　surely　the　vision；　having　shown　her　a　fixed　point　of　reference；　would　now　race　off　to　parts　of　ancelstierre　which　were　unknown　to　her。

but　the　picture　still　moved　slowly。　at　a　walking　pace；　it　went　through　the　village；　and　turned　off　the　road；　following　a　bridle…path　up　the　forested　hill　known　as　docky　point。　a　nice　　enough　hill；　to　be　sure；　covered　by　a　cork　tree　plantation；　with　some　quite　old　trees。　its　only　point　of　interest　was　the　rectangular　cairn　upon　the　hilltop　。　。　。　the　cairn　。　。　。　the　image　changed；　closing　in　on　the　huge；　grey…green　stones；　square…cut　and　tightly　packed　together。　a　relatively　recent　folly；　sabriel　remembered　from　their　local　history　lessons。　a　little　less　than　two　hundred　years　old。　she鈥檇　almost　visited　it　once；　but　something　had　changed　her　mind　。　。　。

the　image　changed　again；　somehow　sinking　through　the　stone；　down　between　the　lines　of　mortar；　zigzagging　around　the　blocks；　to　the　dark　chamber　at　its　heart。　for　an　instant　the　icewindow　went　pletely　dark；　then　light　came。　a　bronze　sarcophagus　lay　under　the　cairn；　metal　crawling　with　free　magic　perversions　of　charter　marks。　the　vision　dodged　these　shifting　marks；　penetrated　the　bronze。　a　body　lay　inside；　a　living　body；　wreathed　in　free　magic。

the　scene　shifted；　moving　with　jagged　difficulty　to　the　face　of　the　body。　a　handsome　face；　that　swam　closer　and　closer　into　focus；　a　face　that　showed　what　kerrigor　once　had　been。　the　human　face　of　rogir；　his　features　clearly　showing　that　he　had　shared　a　mother　with　touchstone。

sabriel　stared；　sickened　and　fascinated　by　the　similarities　between　the　half…brothers鈥攖hen　the　vision　suddenly　blurred；　spinning　into　greyness；　greyness　acpanied　by　rushing　water。　death。

something　huge　and　monstrous　was　wading　against　the　current；　a　jagged　cutting　of　darkness；　formless　and　featureless；　save　for　two　eyes　that　burned　with　unnatural　flame。　it　seemed　to　see　her　beyond　the　ice…window；　and　lurched　forward；　two　arms　like　blown　storm　clouds　reaching　forward。

鈥渁bhorsen鈥檚　get！鈥潯�screamed　kerrigor。　鈥測our　blood　will　gush　upon　the　stones　。　。　。鈥�

his　arms　seemed　about　to　e　through　the　window；　but　suddenly；　the　ice　cracked；　the　pieces　collapsing　into　a　pile　of　swift…melting　slush。

鈥測ou　saw；鈥潯�the　clayr　said　together。　it　wasn鈥檛　a　question。　sabriel　nodded；　shaking；　her　thoughts　still　on　the　likeness　between　kerrigor鈥檚　original　human　body　and　touchstone。　where　was　the　fork　in　their　paths？　what　had　put　rogir鈥檚　feet　on　the　long　road　that　led　to　the　abomination　known　as　kerrigor？　鈥渨e　have　four　minutes；鈥潯�announced　sanar。

鈥渢ill　the　slavers　e。　we鈥檒l　help　you　get　the　king　to　your　paperwing；　shall　we？鈥�

鈥測es；　please；鈥潯�replied　sabriel。　despite　the　fear…　　some　sight　of　kerrigor鈥檚　raw　spirit　form；　the　vision　had　imbued　her　with　a　new　and　definite　sense　of　purpose。　kerrigor鈥檚　body　was　in　ancelstierre。　she　would　find　it　and　destroy　it；　and　then　deal　with　his　spirit。　but　they　had　to　get　to　the　body　first　。　。　。

the　two　women　lifted　touchstone　up；　grunting　with　the　effort。　he　was　no　lightweight　at　any　time；　and　now　was　even　heavier；　still　sodden　with　water　from　his　ducking　in　the　reservoir。　but　the　clayr；　despite　their　rather　ethereal　appearance；　seemed　to　manage　well　enough。

鈥渨e　wish　you　luck；　cousin；鈥潯�they　said；　as　they　walked　slowly　to　the　red　and　gold　paperwing；　balanced　so　close　to　the　edge　of　the　broken　wall；　the　saere　glistening　white　and　blue　below。

鈥渃ousin？鈥潯�sabriel　murmured。　鈥渋　suppose　we　are　cousins鈥攐f　a　sort；　aren鈥檛　we？鈥�

鈥渂lood　relatives；　all　the　children　of　the　great　charters；鈥潯�the　clayr　agreed。　鈥渢hough　the　clan　dwindles　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渄o　you　always鈥攌now　what　is　going　to　happen？鈥�

sabriel　asked；　as　they　gently　lowered　touchstone　into　the　back　of　the　cockpit；　and　strapped　him　in　with　the　belts　normally　used　for　securing　luggage。

both　the　clayr　laughed。　鈥渘o；　thank　the　charter！　our　family　is　the　most　numerous　of　the　bloodlines；　and　the　gift　is　spread　among　many。　our　visions　e　in　snatches　and　splinters；　glimpses　and　shadows。　when　we　must；　the　whole　family　can　spend　its　strength　to　narrow　our　sight鈥攁s　it　has　done　through　us　today。

tomorrow；　we　will　be　back　to　dreams　and　confusion；　not　knowing　where；　when　or　what　we　see。　now；　we　have　only　two　minutes　。　。　。鈥�

suddenly；　they　hugged　sabriel；　surprising　her　with　the　obvious　warmth　of　the　gesture。　she　hugged　them　back；　gladly；　grateful　for　their　care。

with　her　father　gone；　she　had　no　family　left鈥敗�but　perhaps　she　would　find　sisters　in　the　cl