sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第6部分

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a　telephone　handset　and　a　bell…chain　proclaimed　the　usual　dichotomy　of　the　perimeter。

colonel　horyse　picked　up　the　handset；　wound　the　handle；　listened　for　a　moment；　then　replaced　it。　frowning；　he　pulled　the　bell…chain　three　times　in　quick　succession。

鈥渁nyway；鈥潯�he　continued；　as　they　waited　for　　the　sentry。　鈥渨hatever　it　was；　it　worked。　so　we　are　deeply　indebted　to　abhorsen；　and　that　makes　his　daughter　an　honored　guest。鈥�

鈥渋　may　be　less　honored　and　more　reviled　as　a　messenger　of　ill　omen；鈥潯�said　sabriel　quietly。　she　hesitated；　for　it　was　hard　to　talk　about　abhorsen　without　tears　ing　to　her　eyes；　then　continued　quickly；　to　get　it　over　and　done　with。　鈥渢he　reason　i　am　going　into　the　old　kingdom　is　to　。　。　。

to　look　for　my　father。　something　has　happened　to　him。鈥�

鈥渋　had　hoped　there　was　another　reason　for　you　to　carry　his　sword；鈥潯�said　horyse。　he　moved　the　skis　into　the　crook　of　his　left　arm；　freeing　his　right；　to　return　the　salute　of　the　two　sentries　who　were　running　at　the　double　up　the　munication　trench；　hobnails　clacking　on　the　wooden　slats。

鈥渢here　is　worse；　i　think；鈥潯�added　sabriel；　taking　a　deep　breath　to　stop　her　voice　from　breaking　into　sobs。　鈥渉e　is　trapped　in　death　。　。　。　or　。　。　。　or　he　may　even　be　dead。　and　his　bindings　will　be　broken。鈥�

鈥渢he　wind　flutes？鈥潯�asked　horyse；　grounding　the　end　of　the　skis；　his　salute　dying　out　halfway　to　his　head。　鈥渁ll　the　dead　here？鈥�

鈥渢he　flutes　play　a　song　only　heard　in　death；鈥�

replied　sabriel；　鈥渃ontinuing　a　binding　laid　down　by　abhorsen。　but　the　bound　are　tied　to　him；　and　the　flutes　will　have　no　power　if　。　。　。　they　will　have　no　power　if　abhorsen　is　now　among　the　dead。

they　will　bind　no　more。鈥�

w　w　w。　xiao　shuotxt。　co　m



chapter　III

灏彛昏�磘；xt；澶�；鍫�
鈥渋　am　not　one　to　blame　a　messenger　for　her　tidings；鈥潯�said　horyse；　as　he　handed　a　cup　of　tea　over　to　sabriel；　who　was　sitting　on　what　looked　like　the　only　fortable　chair　in　the　dugout　which　was　the　colonel鈥檚　headquarters；　鈥渂ut　you　bring　the　worst　news　i　have　heard　for　many　years。鈥�

鈥渁t　least　i　am　a　living　messenger　。　。　。　and　a　friendly　one；鈥潯�sabriel　said　quietly。　she　hadn鈥檛　really　thought　beyond　her　own　concern　for　her　father。　now；　she　was　beginning　to　expand　her　knowledge　of　him；　to　understand　that　he　was　more　than　just　her　father；　that　he　was　many　different　things　to　different　people。　her　simple　image　of　him鈥攔elaxing　in　the　armchair　of　her　study　at　wyverley　college；　chatting　about　her　schoolwork；　ancelstierre　technology；　charter　magic　and　necromancy鈥攚as　a　limited　view；　like　a　painting　that　only　captured　one　dimension　of　the　man。

鈥渉ow　long　do　we　have　until　abhorsen鈥檚　bindings　are　broken？鈥潯�asked　horyse；　breaking　into　sabriel鈥檚　remembrance　of　her　father。　the　image　she　had　of　her　father　reaching　for　a　teacup　in　her　study　disappeared；　banished　by　real　tea　slopping　over　in　her　enamel　mug　and　burning　her　fingers。

鈥渙h！　excuse　me。　i　wasn鈥檛　thinking　。　。　。　how　long　till　what？鈥�

鈥渢he　binding　of　the　dead；鈥潯�the　colonel　reiterated；　patiently。　鈥渉ow　long　till　the　bindings　fail；　and　the　dead　are　free？鈥�

sabriel　thought　back　to　her　father鈥檚　lessons；　and　the　ancient　grimoire　she鈥檇　spent　every　holiday　slowly　memorizing。　the　book　of　the　dead　it　was　called　and　parts　of　it　still　made　her　shudder。

it　looked　innocuous　enough；　bound　in　green　leather；　with　tarnished　silver　clasps。　but　if　you　looked　closely；　both　leather　and　silver　were　etched　with　charter　marks。　marks　of　binding　and　blinding；　closing　and　imprisonment。　only　a　trained　necromancer　could　open　that　book　。　。　。

and　only　an　uncorrupted　charter　mage　could　　close　it。　her　father　had　brought　it　with　him　on　his　visits；　and　always　took　it　away　again　at　the　end。

鈥渋t　depends；鈥潯�she　said　slowly；　forcing　herself　to　consider　the　question　objectively；　without　letting　emotion　interfere。　she　tried　to　recall　the　pages　that　showed　the　carving　of　the　wind　flutes；　the　chapters　on　music　and　the　nature　of　sound　in　the　binding　of　the　dead。　鈥渋f　father　。　。　。　if　abhorsen　is　。　。　。　truly　dead；　the　wind　flutes　will　simply　fall　apart　under　the　light　of　the　next　full　moon。　if　he　is　trapped　before　the　ninth　gate；　the　binding　will　continue　until　the　full　moon　after　he　passes　beyond；　or　a　particularly　strong　spirit　breaks　the　weakened　bonds。鈥�

鈥渟o　the　moon　will　tell；　in　time；鈥潯�said　horyse。

鈥渨e　have　fourteen　days　till　it　is　full。鈥�

鈥渋t　is　possible　i　could　bind　the　dead　anew；鈥�

sabriel　said　cautiously。　鈥渋　mean；　i　haven鈥檛　done　it　on　this　sort　of　scale。　but　i　know　how。　the　only　thing　is；　if　father　isn鈥檛　。　。　。　isn鈥檛　beyond　the　ninth　gate；　then　i　need　to　help　him　as　soon　as　i　can。　and　before　i　can　do　that；　i　must　get　to　his　house　and　gather　a　few　things　。　。　。　check　some　references。鈥�

鈥渉ow　far　is　this　house　beyond　the　wall？鈥潯�asked　　horyse；　a　calculating　look　on　his　face。

鈥渋　don鈥檛　know；鈥潯�replied　sabriel。

鈥渨hat？鈥�

鈥渋　don鈥檛　know。　i　haven鈥檛　been　there　since　i　was　about　four。　i　think　it鈥檚　supposed　to　be　a　secret。

father　had　many　enemies；　not　just　among　the　dead。　petty　necromancers；　free　magic　sorcerers；　witches鈥斺��

鈥測ou　don鈥檛　seem　disturbed　by　your　lack　of　directions；鈥潯�interrupted　the　colonel　dryly。　for　the　first　time；　a　hint　of　doubt；　even　fatherly　condescension；　had　crept　into　his　voice；　as　if　sabriel鈥檚　youth　undermined　the　respect　due　to　her　as　both　a　charter　mage　and　necromancer。

鈥渇ather　taught　me　to　how　to　call　a　guide　who　will　give　me　directions；鈥潯�replied　sabriel　coolly。

鈥渁nd　i　know　it鈥檚　less　than　four　days鈥櫋�travel　away。鈥�

that　silenced　horyse；　at　least　for　the　moment。

he　nodded　and；　standing　cautiously；　so　his　head　didn鈥檛　hit　the　exposed　beams　of　the　dugout；　he　walked　over　to　a　steel　filing　cabinet　that　was　rusting　from　the　dark　brown　mud　that　oozed　between　the　pale　planks　of　the　revetment。

opening　the　cabinet　with　a　practiced　heave　of　considerable　force；　he　found　a　mimeographed　　map　and　rolled　it　out　on　the　table。

鈥渨e鈥檝e　never　been　able　to　get　our　hands　on　a　genuine　old　kingdom　map。　your　father　had　one；　but　he　was　the　only　person　who　could　see　anything　on　it鈥攊t　just　looked　like　a　square　of　calfskin　to　me。　a　small　magic；　he　said；　but　since　he　couldn鈥檛　teach　it；　perhaps　not　so　small　。　。　。

anyway；　this　map　is　a　copy　of　the　latest　version　of　our　patrol　map；　so　it　only　goes　out　about　ten　miles　from　the　crossing　point。　the　garrison　standing　orders　strictly　forbid　us　to　go　further。

patrols　tend　not　to　e　back　beyond　that　distance。

maybe　they　desert；　or　maybe　。　。　。鈥�

his　tone　of　voice　suggested　that　even　nastier　things　happened　to　the　patrols；　but　sabriel　didn鈥檛　question　him。　a　small　portion　of　the　old　kingdom　lay　spread　out　on　the　table　and；　once　again；　excitement　stirred　up　within　her。

鈥渨e　generally　go　out　along　the　old　north　road；鈥潯�said　horyse；　tracing　it　with　one　hand；　the　sword　calluses　on　his　fingers　rasping　across　the　map；　like　the　soft　sandpapering　of　a　master　craftsman。　鈥渢hen　the　patrols　sweep　back；　either　south…east　or　south…west；　till　they　hit　the　wall。

then　they　follow　that　back　to　the　gate。鈥�

鈥渨hat　does　this　symbol　mean？鈥潯�asked　sabriel；　　　pointing　to　a　blacked…in　square　atop　one　of　the　farther　hills。

鈥渢hat鈥檚　a　charter　stone；鈥潯�replied　the　colonel。

鈥渙r　part　of　one　now。　it　was　riven　in　two；　as　if　struck　by　lightning；　a　month　or　so　ago。　the　patrols　have　started　to　call　it　cloven　crest；　and　they　avoid　it　if　possible。　its　true　name　is　barhedrin　hill　and　the　stone　once　carried　the　charter　for　a　village　of　the　same　name。　before　my　time；　anyway。　if　the　village　still　exists　it　must　be　further　north；　beyond　the　reach　of　our　patrols。　we鈥檝e　never　had　any　reports　of　inhabitants　from　it　ing　south　to　cloven　crest。　the　fact　is；　we　have　few　reports　of　people；　fullstop。

the　garrison　log　used　to　show　considerable　interaction　with　old　kingdom　people鈥攆armers；　merchants；　travelers　and　so　on鈥攂ut　encounters　have　bee　rarer　over　the　last　hundred　years；　and　very　rare　in　the　last　twenty。　the　patrols　would　be　lucky　to　see　even　two　or　three　people　a　year　now。　real　people　that　is；　not　creatures　or　free　magic　constructs；　or　the　dead。　we　see　far　too　many　of　those。鈥�

鈥渋　don鈥檛　understand；鈥潯�muttered　sabriel。　鈥渇ather　often　used　to　talk　of　villages　and　towns　。　。　。　even　cities；　in　the　old　kingdom。　i　remember　some　of　them　from　my　childhood　。　。　。　well；　i　sort　of　remember　。　。　。　i　think。鈥�

鈥渇urther　into　the　old　kingdom；　certainly；鈥�

replied　the　colonel。　鈥渢he　records　mention　quite　a　few　names　of　towns　and　cities。　we　know　that　the　people　up　there　call　the　area　around　the　wall　鈥榯he　borderlands。鈥櫋�and　they　don鈥檛　say　it　with　any　fondness。鈥�

sabriel　didn鈥檛　answer；　bending　her　head　lower　over　the　map；　thinking　about　the　journey　that　lay　ahead　of　her。　cloven　crest　might　be　a　good　waypoint。　it　was　no　more　than　eight　miles　away；　so　she　should　be　able　to　ski　there　before　nightfall　if　she　left　fairly　soon；　and　if　it　wasn鈥檛　snowing　too　hard　across　the　wall。　a　broken　charter　stone　did　not　bode　well；　but　there　would　be　some　magic　there　and　the　path　into　death　would　be　easier　to　tread。　charter　stones　were　often　erected　where　free　magic　flowed　and　crossroads　of　the　free　magic　currents　were　often　natural　doorways　into　the　realm　of　death。　sabriel　felt　a　shiver　inch　up　her　spine　at　the　thought　of　what　might　use　such　a　doorway　and　the　tremor　passed　through　to　her　fingers　on　the　map。

she　looked　up　suddenly；　and　saw　colonel　　horyse　looking　at　her　long；　pale　hands；　the　heavy　paper　of　the　map　still　shuddering　at　her　touch。　with　an　effort　of　will；　she　stilled　the　movement。

鈥渋　have　a　daughter　almost　your　age；鈥潯�he　said　quietly。　鈥渂ack　in　corvere；　with　my　wife。　i　would　not　let　her　cross　into　the　old　kingdom。鈥�

sabriel　met　his　gaze；　and　her　eyes　were　not　the　uncertain；　flickering　beacons　of　adolescence。

鈥渋　am　only　eighteen　years　old　on　the　outside；鈥�

she　said；　touching　her　palm　against　her　breast　with　an　almost　wistful　motion。　鈥渂ut　i　first　walked　in　death　when　i　was　twelve。　i　encountered　a　fifth　gate　rester　when　i　was　fourteen；　and　banished　it　beyond　the　ninth　gate。　when　i　was　sixteen　i　stalked　and　banished　a　mordicant　that　came　near　the　school。