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

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e the other two platoons; and the signalers; unreeling field telephone wire from a large and cumbersome drum。

it was quiet among the cork trees; the soldiers moving as silently as they could; municating by hand signals rather than shouts; only their heavy tread and the occasional rattle of armor or equipment disturbing the quiet。

sunshine poured down between the trees; rich and golden; but already losing its warmth; like a butter…colored wine that was all taste and no potency。

towards the top of the hill; only the crossing point scouts went on up。 the lead platoon of infantry followed a lower contour around to the northern side; the other two platoons moved to the south…west and south…east; forming a defensive triangle around the hill。 horyse; sabriel; touchstone and the driver continued on。

the trees fell away about twenty yards from the top of the hill; thick weeds and thistles taking their place。 then; at the highest point; there was the cairn: a solid; hut…sized square of grey…green stones。 the twelve scouts were grouped loosely around it; four of them already levering one of the corner stones out with a long crowbar; obviously carried up for this purpose。

as sabriel and touchstone came up; the stone fell with a thud; revealing more blocks underneath。

at the same time; every charter mage present felt a slight buzzing in their ears; and a wave of dizziness。

鈥渄id you feel that?鈥潯sked horyse; unnecessarily; as it was clear from everyone鈥檚 expressions and the hands that had gone to ears that they all had。

鈥測es;鈥潯eplied sabriel。 to a lesser extent; it was the same sort of feeling the broken stones caused in the reservoir。 鈥渋t will get worse; i鈥檓 afraid; as we get closer to the sarcophagus。鈥

鈥渉ow far in is it?鈥

鈥渇our blocks deep; i think;鈥潯aid sabriel。 鈥渙r five。 i 。 。 。 saw it 。 。 。 from an odd perspective。鈥

horyse nodded; and indicated to the men to  keep prying away the stones。 they went to it with a will; but sabriel noticed they kept looking at the position of the sun。 all the scouts were charter mages; of various power鈥攁ll knew what sundown would bring。

in fifteen minutes; they鈥檇 made a hole two blocks wide and two deep in one end; and the sickness was growing worse。 two of the younger scouts; men in their early twenties; had bee violently sick and were recuperating further down the hill。 the others were working more slowly; their energies directed to keeping lunches down and quelling shaking limbs。

surprisingly; given their lack of sleep and generally run…down state; sabriel and touchstone found it relatively easy to resist the waves of nausea emanating from the cairn。 it didn鈥檛 pare with the cold; dark fear of the reservoir; there on the hill; with the sunshine and the fresh breeze; warming and cooling at the same time。

when the third blocks came out; horyse called a brief rest break; and they all retreated down the hill to the tree line; where the cairn鈥檚 sickening aura dissipated。 the signalers had a  telephone there; the handset sitting on the upturned drum。 horyse took it; but turned to sabriel before the signaler wound the charging handle。

鈥渁re there any preparations to be made before we remove the last blocks? magical ones; i mean。鈥

sabriel thought for a moment; willing her tiredness away; then shook her head。 鈥渋 don鈥檛 think so。 once we have access to the sarcophagus; we may have to spell it open鈥攊鈥檒l need everyone鈥檚 help for that。 then; the final rites on the body鈥攖he usual cremation spell。 there will be resistance then; too。 have your men often cast charter magic in concert?鈥

鈥渦nfortunately; no;鈥潯eplied horyse; frowning。

鈥渂ecause the army doesn鈥檛 officially admit the existence of charter magic; everyone here is basically self…taught。鈥

鈥渘ever mind;鈥潯abriel said; trying to sound confident; aware that everyone around her was listening。 鈥渨e鈥檒l manage。鈥

鈥済ood;鈥潯eplied horyse; smiling。 that made him look very confident; thought sabriel。 she tried to smile too; but was uncertain about the result。 it felt too much like a grimace of pain。

鈥渨ell; let鈥檚 see where our uninvited guest has got to;鈥潯oryse continued; still smiling。 鈥渨here does this phone connect to; sergeant?鈥

鈥渂ain police;鈥潯eplied the signals sergeant; winding the charging handle vigorously。 鈥渁nd army hq north; sir。 you鈥檒l have to ask corporal synge to switch you。 he鈥檚 on the board at the village。鈥

鈥済ood;鈥潯eplied horyse。 鈥渉ello。 oh; synge? put me through to bain。 no; tell north you can鈥檛 get through to me。 yes; that鈥檚 right; corporal。

thank you 。 。 。 ah 。 。 。 bainshire constabulary? it鈥檚 colonel horyse。 i want to speak to chief superintendent dingley 。 。 。 yes。 hello; superintendent。 have you had any reports of a strange; dense fog 。 。 。 what! already! no; on no account investigate。 get everyone in。 shutter the windows 。 。 。 yes; the usual drill。 yes; whatever is in 。 。 。 yes; extraordinarily dangerous 。 。 。

hello! hello!鈥

he put the handset down slowly; and pointed back up the hill。

鈥渢he fog is already moving through the northern part of bain。 it must be going much faster。 is it possible that this kerrigor could know what we鈥檙e up to?鈥

鈥測es;鈥潯eplied sabriel and touchstone; together。

鈥渨e鈥檇 better get a move on then;鈥潯oryse announced; looking at his watch。 鈥渋鈥檇 say we now have less than forty minutes。鈥

w w w。 xiao shuotxt。 co m



chapter xxvii

锛堝皬锛忥紡璇达紡锛弔锛忥紡xt锝//澶//鍫傦級
the last blocks came away slowly; pulled out by sweating; white…faced men; their hands and legs shivering; breath ragged。 as soon as the way was clear; they staggered back; away from the cairn; seeking patches of sunlight to bat the dreadful chill that seemed to eat at their bones。 one soldier; a dapper man with a white…blond moustache; fell down the hill; and lay retching; till stretcher…bearers ran up to take him away。

sabriel looked at the dark hole in the cairn; and saw the faint; unsettling sheen from the bronze sarcophagus within。 she felt sick too; with the hair on the back of her neck frizzing up; skin crawling。 the air seemed thick with the reek of free magic; a hard; metallic taste in her mouth。

鈥渨e will have to spell it open;鈥潯he announced; with a sinking heart。 鈥渢he sarcophagus is very strongly protected。 i think 。 。 。 the best thing would be if i go in with touchstone taking my hand; horyse his; and so on; to form a line reinforcement of the charter magic。 does everyone know the charter marks for the opening spell?鈥

the soldiers nodded; or said; 鈥測es; ma鈥檃m。鈥

one said; 鈥測es; abhorsen。鈥

sabriel looked at him。 a middle…aged corporal; with the chevrons of long service on his sleeve。 he seemed one of the least affected by the free magic。

鈥測ou can call me sabriel; if you want;鈥潯he said; strangely unsettled by what he had called her。

the corporal shook his head。 鈥渘o; miss。 i knew your dad。 you鈥檙e just like him。 the abhorsen; now。 you鈥檒l make this dead bugger鈥敗egging your pardon鈥攚ish he鈥檇 stayed properly bloody dead。鈥

鈥渢hank you;鈥潯abriel replied; uncertainly。

she knew the corporal didn鈥檛 have the sight鈥敗ou could always tell鈥攂ut his belief in her was so concrete 。 。 。

鈥渉e鈥檚 right;鈥潯aid touchstone。 he gestured for her to go in front of him; making a courtly bow。

鈥渓et鈥檚 finish what we came to do; abhorsen。鈥

sabriel bowed back; in a motion that had almost the feel of ritual about it。 the abhorsen bowing to the king。 then she took a deep breath; her face settling into a determined mold。

beginning to form the charter marks of opening in her mind; she took touchstone鈥檚 hand and advanced towards the open cairn; its dark; shadowy interior in stark contrast with the sunlit thistles and the tumbled stones。 behind her; touchstone half…turned to take horyse鈥檚 calloused hand as well; the colonel鈥檚 other hand already gripping lieutenant aire鈥檚; aire gripping a sergeant鈥檚; the sergeant the long…service corporal鈥檚; and so on down the hillside。 fourteen charter mages in all; if only two of the first rank。

sabriel felt the charter magic welling up the line; the marks glowing brighter and brighter in her mind; till she almost lost her normal vision in their brilliance。 she shuffled forwards into the cairn; each step bringing that all…too…familiar nausea; the pins and needles; uncontrollable shaking。 but the marks were strong in her mind; stronger than the sickness。

she reached the bronze sarcophagus; slapped her hand down and let the charter magic go。

instantly; there was an explosion of light; and a terrible scream echoed all through the cairn。 the bronze grew hot; and sabriel snatched back her hand; the palm red and blistered。 a second later; steam billowed out all around the sarcophagus; great gouts of scalding steam; forcing sabriel out; the whole line going down like dominoes; tumbling out of the cairn and down the hill。

sabriel and touchstone were thrown together; about five yards down from the entrance to the cairn。 somehow; sabriel鈥檚 head had landed on touchstone鈥檚 stomach。 his head was on a thistle; but both of them lay still for a moment; drained by the magic and the strength of the free magic defenses。 they looked up at the blue sky; already tinged with the red of the impending sunset。

around them there was much swearing and cursing; as the soldiers picked themselves up。

鈥渋t didn鈥檛 open;鈥潯abriel said; in a quiet; matter…of…fact voice。 鈥渨e don鈥檛 have the power; or the skill鈥斺

she paused; and then added; 鈥渋 wish mogget wasn鈥檛 。 。 。 i wish he was here。 he鈥檇 think of something 。 。 。鈥

touchstone was silent; then he said; 鈥渨e need more charter mages鈥攊t would work if the marks were reinforced enough。鈥

鈥渕ore charter mages;鈥潯abriel said tiredly。

鈥渨e鈥檙e on the wrong side of the wall 。 。 。鈥

鈥渨hat about your school?鈥潯sked touchstone; and then 鈥渙w!鈥潯s sabriel suddenly shot up; disrupting his balance; then 鈥渙w!鈥潯gain as she bent down and kissed him; pushing his head further into the thistle。

鈥渢ouchstone! i should have thought 。 。 。 the senior magic classes。 there must be thirty…five girls with the charter mark and the basic skills。鈥

鈥済ood;鈥潯uttered touchstone; from the depths of the thistle。 sabriel put out her hands; and helped him up; smelling the sweat on him; and the fresh; pungent odor of crushed thistles。

he was halfway up when she suddenly seemed to lose her enthusiasm; and he almost fell back down again。

鈥渢he girls are there;鈥潯aid sabriel; slowly; as if thinking aloud。 鈥渂ut have i any right to involve them in something that 。 。 。鈥

鈥渢hey鈥檙e involved anyway;鈥潯nterrupted touchstone。 鈥渢he only reason that ancelstierre  isn鈥檛 like the old kingdom is the wall; and it won鈥檛 last once kerrigor breaks the remaining stones。鈥

鈥渢hey鈥檙e only schoolchildren;鈥潯abriel said sadly。 鈥渇or all we always thought we were grown women。鈥

鈥渨e need them;鈥潯aid touchstone; again。

鈥測es;鈥潯aid sabriel; turning back towards the knot of men gathered as close as they dared to the cairn。 horyse; and some of the stronger c
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