sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第4部分

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eir　helmets　and　carried　extremely　old…fashioned　sword…bayonets　in　wellworn　scabbards。　shields；　or　more　correctly；　鈥渂ucklers；　small；　perimeter　garrison　only；鈥潯�were　carried　on　their　backs；　the　factory　khaki　long　since　submerged　under　brightly　painted　regimental　or　personal　signs。　camouflage　was　not　considered　an　issue　at　this　particular　posting。

sabriel　watched　a　platoon　of　young　soldiers　march　past　the　bus；　while　she　waited　for　the　tourists　ahead　of　her　to　stampede　out　the　front　door；　and　wondered　what　they　thought　of　their　strange　duties。　most　would　have　to　be　conscripts　from　far　to　the　south；　where　no　magic　crept　over　the　wall　and　widened　the　cracks　in　what　they　thought　of　as　reality。　here；　she　could　feel　magic　potential　brewing；　lurking　in　the　atmosphere　like　　charged　air　before　a　thunderstorm。

the　wall　itself　looked　normal　enough；　past　the　wasteland　of　wire　and　trenches。　just　like　any　other　medieval　remnant。　it　was　stone　and　old；　about　forty　feet　high　and　crenellated。　nothing　remarkable；　until　the　realization　set　in　that　it　was　in　a　perfect　state　of　preservation。　and　for　those　with　the　sight；　the　very　stones　crawled　with　charter　marks鈥攎arks　in　constant　motion；　twisting　and　turning；　sliding　and　rearranging　themselves　under　a　skin　of　stone。

the　final　confirmation　of　strangeness　lay　beyond　the　wall。　it　was　clear　and　cool　on　the　ancelstierre　side；　and　the　sun　was　shining鈥攂ut　sabriel　could　see　snow　falling　steadily　behind　the　wall；　and　snow…heavy　clouds　clustered　right　up　to　the　wall；　where　they　suddenly　stopped；　as　if　some　mighty　weather…knife　had　simply　sheared　through　the　sky。

sabriel　watched　the　snow　fall；　and　gave　thanks　for　her　almanac。　printed　by　letterpress；　the　type　had　left　ridges　in　the　thick；　linen…rich　paper；　making　the　many　handwritten　annotations　waver　precariously　between　the　lines。　one　spidery　remark；　written　in　a　hand　she　knew　wasn鈥檛　her　father鈥檚；　gave　the　weather　to　be　expected　　under　the　respective　calendars　for　each　country。

ancelstierre　had　鈥渁utumn。　likely　to　be　cool。鈥�

the　old　kingdom　had　鈥渨inter。　bound　to　be　snowing。　skis　or　snowshoes。鈥�

the　last　tourist　left；　eager　to　reach　the　observation　platform。　although　the　army　and　the　government　discouraged　tourists；　and　there　was　no　acmodation　for　them　within　twenty　miles　of　the　wall；　one　busload　a　day　was　allowed　to　e　and　view　the　wall　from　a　tower　located　well　behind　the　lines　of　the　perimeter。

even　this　concession　was　often　cancelled；　for　when　the　wind　blew　from　the　north；　the　bus　would　inexplicably　break　down　a　few　miles　short　of　the　tower；　and　the　tourists　would　have　to　help　push　it　back　towards　bain鈥攐nly　to　see　it　start　again　just　as　mysteriously　as　it　stopped。

the　authorities　also　made　some　slight　allowance　for　the　few　people　authorized　to　travel　from　ancelstierre　to　the　old　kingdom；　as　sabriel　saw　after　she　had　successfully　negotiated　the　bus鈥檚　steps　with　her　backpack；　crosscountry　skis；　stocks　and　sword；　all　threatening　to　go　in　different　directions。　a　large　sign　next　to　the　bus　stop　proclaimed：　　perimeter　mand　northern　army　group　unauthorized　egress　from　the　perimeter　zone　is　strictly　forbidden。

anyone　attempting　to　cross　the　perimeter　zone　will　be　shot　without　warning。

authorized　travelers　must　report　to　the　perimeter　mand　h。q。

remember鈥敗�no　warning　will　be　made　sabriel　read　the　note　with　interest；　and　felt　a　quickening　sense　of　excitement　start　within　her。

her　memories　of　the　old　kingdom　were　dim；　from　the　perspective　of　a　child；　but　she　felt　a　sense　of　mystery　and　wonder　kindle　with　the　force　of　the　charter　magic　she　felt　around　her鈥敗�a　sense　of　something　so　much　more　alive　than　the　bitumened　parade　ground；　and　the　scarlet　warning　sign。　and　much　more　freedom　than　wyverley　college。

but　that　feeling　of　wonder　and　excitement　　came　laced　with　a　dread　that　she　couldn鈥檛　shake；　a　dread　made　up　of　fear　for　what　might　be　happening　to　her　father　。　。　。　what　might　have　already　happened　。　。　。

the　arrow　on　the　sign　indicating　where　authorized　travelers　should　go　seemed　to　point　in　the　direction　of　a　bitumen　parade　ground；　lined　with　white…painted　rocks；　and　a　number　of　unprepossessing　wooden　buildings。　other　than　that；　there　were　simply　the　beginnings　of　the　munication　trenches　that　sank　into　the　ground　and　then　zigzagged　their　way　to　the　double　line　of　trenches；　blockhouses　and　fortifications　that　confronted　the　wall。

sabriel　studied　them　for　a　while；　and　saw　the　flash　of　color　as　several　soldiers　hopped　out　of　one　trench　and　went　forward　to　the　wire。　they　seemed　to　be　carrying　spears　rather　than　rifles　and　she　wondered　why　the　perimeter　was　built　for　modern　war；　but　manned　by　people　expecting　something　rather　more　medieval。　then　she　remembered　a　conversation　with　her　father　and　his　ment　that　the　perimeter　had　been　designed　far　away　in　the　south；　where　they　refused　to　admit　that　this　perimeter　was　different　from　any　other　contested　border。　up　until　a　　century　or　so　ago；　there　had　also　been　a　wall　on　the　ancelstierre　side。　a　lowish　wall；　made　of　rammed　earth　and　peat；　but　a　successful　one。

recalling　that　conversation；　her　eyes　made　out　a　low　rise　of　scarred　earth　in　the　middle　of　the　desolation　of　wire；　and　she　realized　that　was　where　the　southern　wall　had　been。　peering　at　it；　she　also　realized　that　what　she　had　taken　to　be　loose　pickets　between　lines　of　concertina　wire　were　something　different鈥攖all　constructs　more　like　the　trunks　of　small　trees　stripped　of　every　branch。　they　seemed　familiar　to　her；　but　she　couldn鈥檛　place　what　they　were。

sabriel　was　still　staring　at　them；　thinking；　when　a　loud　and　not　very　pleasant　voice　erupted　a　little　way　behind　her　right　ear。

鈥渨hat　do　you　think　you鈥檙e　doing；　miss？　you　can鈥檛　loiter　about　here。　on　the　bus；　or　up　to　the　tower！鈥�

sabriel　winced　and　turned　as　quickly　as　she　could；　skis　sliding　one　way　and　stocks　the　other；　framing　her　head　in　a　st。　andrew鈥檚　cross。　the　voice　belonged　to　a　large　but　fairly　young　soldier；　whose　bristling　mustaches　were　more　evidence　of　martial　ambition　than　proof　of　them。　he　had　two　gilded　bands　on　his　sleeve；　but　didn鈥檛　wear　　the　mail　hauberk　and　helmet　sabriel　had　seen　on　the　other　soldiers。　he　smelled　of　shaving　cream　and　talc；　and　was　so　clean；　polished　and　full　of　himself　that　sabriel　immediately　catalogued　him　as　some　sort　of　natural　bureaucrat　currently　disguised　as　a　soldier。

鈥渋　am　a　citizen　of　the　old　kingdom；鈥潯�she　replied　quietly；　staring　back　into　his　red　flushed　face　and　piggy　eyes　in　the　manner　which　miss　prionte　had　taught　her　girls　to　instruct　lesser　domestic　servants　in　etiquette　iv。　鈥渋　am　returning　there。鈥�

鈥減apers！鈥潯�demanded　the　soldier；　after　a　moment鈥檚　hesitation　at　the　words　鈥渙ld　kingdom。鈥�

sabriel　gave　a　frosty　smile　（also　part　of　miss　prionte鈥檚　curriculum）　and　made　a　ritual　movement　with　the　tips　of　her　fingers鈥攖he　symbol　of　disclosing；　of　things　hidden　being　seen；　of　unfolding。　as　her　fingers　sketched；　she　formed　the　symbol　in　her　mind；　linking　it　with　the　papers　she　carried　in　the　inner　pocket　of　her　leather　tunic。　finger…sketched　and　minddrawn　symbol　merged；　and　the　papers　were　in　her　hand。　an　ancelstierre　passport；　as　well　as　the　much　rarer　document　the　ancelstierre　perimeter　mand　issued　to　people　who　had　　traffic　in　both　countries：　a　hand…bound　document　printed　by　letterpress　on　handmade　paper；　with　an　artist鈥檚　sketch　instead　of　a　photograph　and　prints　from　thumbs　and　toes　in　a　purple　ink。

the　soldier　blinked；　but　said　nothing。　perhaps；　thought　sabriel；　as　he　took　the　proffered　documents；　the　man　thought　it　was　a　parlor　trick。　or　perhaps　he　just　didn鈥檛　notice。　maybe　charter　magic　was　mon　here；　so　close　to　the　wall。

the　man　looked　through　her　documents　carefully；　but　without　real　interest。　sabriel　now　felt　certain　that　he　was　no　one　important　from　the　way　he　pawed　through　her　special　passport。　he鈥檇　obviously　never　seen　one　before。　mischievously；　she　started　to　weave　the　charter　mark　for　a　snatch；　or　catch；　to　flick　the　papers　out　of　his　hands　and　back　into　her　pocket　before　his　piggy　eyes　worked　out　what　was　going　on。

but；　in　the　first　second　of　motion；　she　felt　the　flare　of　other　charter　magic　to　either　side　and　behind　her鈥攁nd　heard　the　clattering　of　hobnails　on　the　bitumen。　her　head　snapped　back　from　the　papers；　and　she　felt　her　hair　whisk　across　her　forehead　as　she　looked　from　side　to　side。　soldiers　were　pouring　out　of　the　　huts　and　out　of　the　trenches；　sword…bayonets　in　their　hands　and　rifles　at　the　shoulder。

several　of　them　wore　badges　that　she　realized　marked　them　as　charter　mages。　their　fingers　were　weaving　warding　symbols；　and　barriers　that　would　lock　sabriel　into　her　footsteps；　tie　her　to　her　shadow。　crude　magic；　but　strongly　cast。

instinctively；　sabriel鈥檚　mind　and　hands　flashed　into　the　sequence　of　symbols　that　would　wipe　clean　these　bonds；　but　her　skis　shifted　and　fell　into　the　crook　of　her　elbow；　and　she　winced　at　the　blow。

at　the　same　time；　a　soldier　ran　ahead　of　the　others；　sunlight　glinting　on　the　silver　stars　on　his　helmet。

鈥渟top！鈥潯�he　shouted。　鈥渃orporal；　step　back　from　her！鈥�

the　corporal；　deaf　to　the　hum　of　charter　magic；　blind　to　the　flare　of　half…wrought　signs；　looked　up　from　her　papers　and　gaped　for　a　second；　fear　erasing　his　features。　he　dropped　the　passports；　and　stumbled　back。

in　his　face；　sabriel　suddenly　realized　what　it　meant　to　use　magic　on　the　perimeter；　and　she　held　herself　absolutely　still；　blanking　out　the　　partly　made　signs　in　her　mind。　her　skis　slipped　further　down　her　arm；　the　bindings　catching　for　a　moment　before　tearing　loose　and　clattering　onto　the　ground。　soldiers　rushed　forward　and；　in　seconds；　formed　a　ring　around　her；　swords　angled　towards　her　throat。

she　saw　streaks　of　silver；　plated　onto　the　blades；　and　crudely　written　charter　symbols；　and　understood。　these　weapons　were　made　to　kill　things　that　were　already　dead鈥攊nferior　versions　of　the　sword　she　wore　at　her　own　side。

the　man　who鈥檇　shouted鈥攁n　officer；　sabriel　realized鈥攂ent　down　and　picked　up　her　passports。

he　studied　them　for　a　moment；　then　looked　up　at　sabriel。　his　eyes　were　pale　blue　and　held　a　mixture　of　harshness　and　passion　that　sabriel　found　familiar；　though　she　couldn鈥檛　place　it鈥攖ill　she　remembered　her　father鈥檚　eyes。

abhorsen鈥檚　eyes　were　so　dark　brown　they　seemed　black；　but　they　held　a　similar　feeling。

the　officer　closed　the　passport；　tucked　it　in　his　belt　and　tilted　his　helmet　back　with　two　fingers；　revealing　a　charter　mark　still　glowing　with　some　residual　charm　of　warding。　cautiously；　sabriel　lifted　her　hand；　and　then；　as　he　didn鈥檛　dissuade　　her；　reached　out　with　two　fingers　to　touch　the　mark。　as　she　did　so；　he　reached　forward　and　touched　her　own鈥攕abriel　felt　the　familiar　swirl　of　energy；　and　the　feeling　of　falling　into　some　endless　galaxy　of　stars。　but　the　stars　here　were　charter　symbols；　linked　in　some　great　dance　that　had　no　beginning　or　end；　but　contained　and　described　the　world　in　its　movement。　sabriel　knew　only　a　small　fraction　of　the　symbols；　but　she　knew　what　they　danced；　and　she　felt　the　purity　of　the　charter　wash　over　her。

鈥渁n　unsullied　charter　mark；鈥潯�the　officer　pronounced　loudly；　as　their　fingers　fell　back　to　their　sides。　鈥渟he　is　no　creature　or　sending。鈥�

the　sold