sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第41章

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鈥渋t　only　goes　back　about　forty　paces　into　the　hill；鈥潯�touchstone　explained；　as　they　lit　their　candles　by　the　entrance；　sulphur　matches　adding　their　own　noisome　stench　to　the　dank　air　of　the　cave。　鈥渢hey　were　built　for　picnics　in　high　summer。

there　is　a　door　at　the　back　of　this　one。　it　may　be　locked；　but　should　yield　to　a　charterspell。

the　steps　are　directly　behind；　and　pretty　straight；　but　there　are　no　light　shafts。　and　it鈥檚　narrow。鈥�

鈥渋鈥檒l　go　first　then；鈥潯�said　sabriel；　with　a　firmness　that　belied　the　weakness　in　her　legs　and　the　fluttering　in　her　stomach。　鈥渋　can鈥檛　sense　any　dead；　but　they　could　be　there　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渧ery　well；鈥潯�said　touchstone；　after　a　moment鈥檚　hesitation。

鈥測ou　don鈥檛　have　to　e；　you　know；鈥潯�sabriel　suddenly　burst　out；　as　they　stood　in　front　of　the　cave；　candles　flickering　foolishly　in　the　sunshine。

she　suddenly　felt　awfully　responsible　for　him。　he　looked　scared；　much　whiter　than　he　should；　almost　as　pale　as　a　death…leeched　necromancer。

he鈥檇　seen　terrible　things　in　the　reservoir；　things　that　had　once　driven　him　mad；　and　despite　his　self…accusation；　sabriel　didn鈥檛　believe　it　was　his　fault。　it　wasn鈥檛　his　father　down　there。　he　wasn鈥檛　an　abhorsen。

鈥渋　do　have　to；鈥潯�touchstone　replied。　he　bit　his　lower　lip　nervously。　鈥渋　have　to。　i鈥檒l　never　be　free　of　my　memories；　otherwise。　i　have　to　do　something；　make　new　memories；　better　ones。　i　need　to　。　。　。　seek　redemption。　besides；　i　am　still　a　member　of　the　royal　guard。　it　is　my　duty。鈥�

鈥渟o　be　it；鈥潯�said　sabriel。　鈥渁nyway；　i鈥檓　glad　you鈥檙e　here。鈥�

鈥渋　am　too鈥攊n　a　strange　sort　of　way；鈥潯�said　touchstone；　and　he　almost；　but　not　quite；　smiled。

鈥渋鈥檓　not；鈥潯�interrupted　mogget；　decidedly。

鈥渓et鈥檚　get　on　with　it。　we鈥檙e　wasting　sunlight。鈥�

the　door　was　locked；　but　opened　easily　to　sabriel鈥檚　spell；　the　simple　charter　symbols　of　unlocking　and　opening　flowing　from　her　mind　through　to　her　index　finger；　which　lay　against　the　keyhole。　but　though　the　spell　was　successful；　it　had　been　difficult　to　cast。　even　up　here；　the　broken　stones　of　the　great　charter　exerted　an　influence　that　disrupted　charter　magic。

the　faint　candlelight　showed　damp；　crumbly　steps；　leading　straight　down。　no　curves　or　turns；　just　a　straight　stair　leading　into　darkness。

sabriel　trod　gingerly；　feeling　the　soft　stone　crumble　under　her　heavy　boots；　so　she　had　to　keep　her　heels　well　back　on　each　step。　this　made　for　slow　progress；　with　touchstone　close　behind　her；　the　light　from　his　candle　casting　sabriel鈥檚　shadow　down　the　steps　in　front；　so　she　saw　herself　elongated　and　distorted；　sliding　into　the　dark　beyond　the　light。

she　smelled　the　reservoir　before　she　saw　it；　somewhere　around　the　thirty…ninth　step。　a　chill；　damp　smell　that　cut　into　her　nose　and　lungs；　and　　filled　her　with　the　impression　of　a　cold　expanse。

then　the　steps　ended　in　a　doorway　on　the　edge　of　a　vast；　rectangular　hall鈥攁　giant　chamber　where　stone　columns　rose　up　like　a　forest　to　support　a　roof　sixty　feet　above　her　head；　and　the　floor　before　her　wasn鈥檛　stone；　but　water　as　cold　and　still　as　stone。　around　the　walls；　pallid　shafts　of　sunlight　thrust　down　in　counterpoint　to　the　supporting　columns；　leaving　discs　of　light　on　the　water。　these　made　the　rim　of　the　reservoir　a　plex　study　of　light　and　shade；　but　the　center　remained　unknown；　cloaked　in　heavy　darkness。

sabriel　felt　touchstone　touch　her　shoulder；　then　she　heard　his　whisper。

鈥渋t鈥檚　about　waist…deep。　try　and　slip　in　as　quietly　as　possible。　here鈥攊鈥檒l　take　your　candle。鈥�

sabriel　nodded；　passed　the　candle　back；　sheathed　her　sword；　and　sat　down　on　the　last　step；　before　slowly　easing　herself　into　the　water。

it　was　cold；　but　not　unbearable。　despite　sabriel鈥檚　care；　ripples　spread　out　from　her；　silver　on　the　dark　water；　and　there　had　been　the　tiniest　splash。　her　feet　touched　the　bottom；　and　she　only　half　stifled　a　gasp。　not　from　the　cold；　but　　from　the　sudden　awareness　of　the　two　broken　stones　of　the　great　charter。　it　hit　her　like　the　savage　onset　of　gastric　flu；　bringing　stomach　cramps；　sudden　sweat　and　dizziness。　bent　over；　she　clutched　at　the　step；　till　the　first　pains　subsided　to　a　dull　ache。　it　was　much　worse　than　the　lesser　stones；　broken　at　cloven　crest　and　nestowe。

鈥渨hat　is　it？鈥潯�whispered　touchstone。

鈥渁h　。　。　。　the　broken　stones；鈥潯�sabriel　muttered。

she　took　a　deep　breath；　willing　the　pain　and　disfort　away。　鈥渋　can　stand　it。　be　careful　when　you　get　in。鈥�

she　drew　her　sword；　and　took　her　candle　back　from　touchstone；　who　prepared　to　enter　the　water。　even　forewarned；　she　saw　him　flinch　as　his　feet　touched　the　bottom；　and　sweat　broke　out　in　lines　on　his　forehead；　mirroring　the　ripples　that　spread　from　his　entry。

sabriel　expected　mogget　to　jump　up　on　her　shoulder；　given　his　apparent　dislike　for　touchstone；　but　he　surprised　her；　leaping　to　the　man。　touchstone　was　clearly　startled　too；　but　recovered　well。　mogget　draped　himself　around　the　back　of　touchstone鈥檚　neck；　and　mewed　softly。

鈥渒eep　to　the　edges；　if　you　can。　the　corruption鈥敗�the　break鈥攚ill　have　even　more　unpleasant　effects　near　the　center。鈥�

sabriel　raised　her　sword　in　assent　and　led　off；　following　the　left　wall；　trying　to　break　the　surface　tension　of　the　water　as　little　as　possible。　but　the　quiet　slosh…slosh　of　their　wading　seemed　very　loud；　echoing　and　spreading　up　and　out　through　the　cistern；　adding　to　the　only　other　noise鈥攖he　regular　dripping　of　water；　plopping　loudly　from　the　roof；　or　more　sedately　sliding　down　the　columns。

she　couldn鈥檛　sense　any　dead；　but　she　wasn鈥檛　sure　how　much　that　was　due　to　the　broken　stones。　they　made　her　head　hurt；　like　a　constant；　too…loud　noise；　her　stomach　cramped；　her　mouth　was　full　of　the　acrid　taste　of　bile。

they　had　just　reached　the　north…western　corner；　directly　under　one　of　the　light　shafts；　when　the　light　suddenly　dimmed；　and　the　reservoir　grew　dark　in　an　instant；　save　for　the　tiny；　soft　glow　of　the　candles。

鈥渁　cloud；鈥潯�whispered　touchstone。　鈥渋t　will　pass。鈥�

they　held　their　breath；　looking　up；　up　to　the　tiny　outline　of　light　above；　and　were　rewarded　　when　sunlight　came　pouring　back　down。

relieved；　they　began　to　wade　again；　following　the　long　west…east　wall。　but　it　was　short…lived　relief。　another　cloud　crossed　the　sun；　somewhere　in　that　fresh　air　so　high　above　them；　and　darkness　returned。　more　clouds　followed；　till　there　were　only　brief　moments　of　light　interspersed　by　long　stretches　of　total　dark。

the　reservoir　seemed　colder　without　the　sun；　even　a　sun　diluted　by　passage　down　long　shafts　through　the　earth。　sabriel　felt　the　cold　now；　acpanied　by　the　sudden；　irrational　fear　that　they　had　stayed　too　long；　and　would　emerge　to　a　night　full　of　waiting；　life…hungry　dead。

touchstone　felt　the　chill　too；　made　more　bitter　by　his　memories　of　two　hundred　years　past；　when　he鈥檇　waded　in　this　same　water；　and　seen　the　queen　and　her　two　daughters　sacrificed　and　the　great　stones　broken。　there　had　been　blood　on　the　water　then；　and　he　still　saw　it鈥攁　single　frozen　moment　of　time　that　would　not　get　out　of　his　head。

despite　these　fears；　it　was　the　darkness　that　helped　them。　sabriel　saw　a　glow；　a　faint　luminescence　off　to　her　right；　somewhere　towards　the　center。　shielding　her　eyes　from　the　candle鈥檚　　glare；　she　pointed　it　out　to　touchstone。

鈥渢here鈥檚　something　there；鈥潯�he　agreed；　his　voice　so　low　sabriel　barely　heard　it。　鈥渂ut　it鈥檚　at　least　forty　paces　towards　the　center。鈥�

sabriel　didn鈥檛　answer。　she鈥檇　felt　something　from　that　faint　light；　something　like　the　slight　sensation　across　the　back　of　her　neck　that　came　when　her　father鈥檚　sending　visited　her　at　school。

leaving　the　wall；　she　pushed　out　through　the　water；　a　v…line　of　ripples　behind　her。　touchstone　looked　again；　then　followed；　fighting　the　nausea　that　rose　in　him；　ing　in　waves　like　repeated　doses　of　an　emetic。　he　was　dizzy　too；　and　could　no　longer　properly　feel　his　feet。

they　went　about　thirty　paces　out；　the　pain　and　the　nausea　growing　steadily　worse。　then　sabriel　suddenly　stopped；　touchstone　lifting　his　sword　and　candle；　eyes　searching　for　an　attack。　but　there　was　no　enemy　present。　the　luminous　light　came　from　a　diamond　of　protection；　the　four　cardinal　marks　glowing　under　the　water；　lines　of　force　sparkling　between　them。

in　the　middle　of　the　diamond；　a　man…shaped　figure　stood；　empty　hands　outstretched；　as　if　he　had　once　held　weapons。　frost　rimed　his　clothes　and　face；　obscuring　his　features；　and　ice　girdled　　the　water　around　his　middle。　but　sabriel　had　no　doubt　about　who　it　was。

鈥渇ather；鈥潯�she　whispered；　the　whisper　echoing　across　the　dark　water；　to　join　the　faint　sounds　of　the　ever…present　dripping。

w锛穡銆倄iaoshuo　txt锛�



chapter　xxi

锛婂皬锛忚�达技t锛漻t锛婂ぉ锛惧爞锛�
鈥渢he　diamond　is　plete；鈥潯�said　touchstone。　鈥渨e　won鈥檛　be　able　to　move　him。鈥�

鈥測es。　i　know；鈥潯�replied　sabriel。　the　relief　that　had　soared　inside　her　at　the　sight　of　her　father　was　ebbing；　giving　way　to　the　sickness　caused　by　the　broken　stones。　鈥渋　think　。　。　。　i　think　i鈥檒l　have　to　go　into　death　from　here；　and　fetch　his　spirit　back。鈥�

鈥渨hat！鈥潯�exclaimed　touchstone。　then；　quieter；　as　the　echoes　rang；　鈥渉ere？鈥�

鈥渋f　we　cast　our　own　diamond　of　protec