sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第26部分

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sabriel　didn鈥檛　take　the　sword；　though　his　plea　made　her　reflexively　reach　out。　but　a　moment鈥檚　thought　closed　her　open　palm；　and　her　arm　fell　back　to　her　side。　she　looked　at　mogget；　who　was　watching　the　proceedings　with　unabashed　interest。

鈥渨hat　have　you　told　him；　mogget？鈥潯�she　asked；　suspicion　wreathing　her　words。

鈥渢he　state　of　the　kingdom；　generally　speaking；鈥�

replied　the　cat。　鈥渞ecent　events。　our　descent　here；　more　or　less。　your　duty　as　abhorsen　to　remedy　the　situation。鈥�

鈥渢he　mordicant？　shadow　hands？　gore　crows？　the　dead　adept；　whoever　it　may　be？鈥�

鈥渘ot　specifically；鈥潯�said　mogget；　cheerfully。　鈥渋　thought　he　could　presume　as　much。鈥�

鈥渁s　you　see；鈥潯�sabriel　said；　rather　angrily；　鈥渕y　鈥榤inion鈥櫋�has　not　been　totally　honest　with　you。　i　was　raised　across　the　wall；　in　ancelstierre；　so　i　have　very　little　idea　about　what　is　going　on。　i　have　huge　gaps　in　my　knowledge　of　the　old　kingdom；　including　everything　from　geography　to　history　to　charter　magic。　i　face　some　dire　enemies；　probably　under　the　overall　direction　of　one　of　the　greater　dead；　a　necromantic　adept。　and　i鈥檓　not　out　to　save　the　kingdom；　just　to　find　my　father；　the　real　abhorsen。　so　i　don鈥檛　want　to　take　your　oath　or　service　or　anything　like　that；　particularly　as　we鈥檝e　only　just　met。　i　am　happy　for　you　to　acpany　us　to　the　nearest　approximation　of　civilization；　but　i　have　no　idea　what　i　will　be　doing　after　that。　and；　please　remember　that　my　name　is　sabriel。　not　milady。　not　abhorsen。　now；　i　think　it鈥檚　time　for　breakfast。鈥�

with　that；　she　stalked　over　to　her　pack；　and　started　getting　out　some　oatmeal　and　a　small　cooking　pot。

touchstone　stared　after　her　for　a　moment；　then　picked　himself　up；　attached　his　swords；　put　on　the　sleeveless　jerkin；　tied　the　sleeves　to　his　belt　and　wandered　off　to　the　nearest　clump　of　trees。

mogget　followed　him　there；　and　watched　him　pick　up　dead　branches　and　sticks　for　a　fire。

鈥渟he　really　did　grow　up　in　ancelstierre；鈥潯�said　the　cat。　鈥渟he　doesn鈥檛　realize　refusing　your　oath　is　an　insult。　and　it鈥檚　true　enough　about　her　ignorance。

that鈥檚　one　of　the　reasons　she　needs　your　help。鈥�

鈥渋　can鈥檛　remember　much；鈥潯�said　touchstone；　snapping　a　branch　in　half　with　considerable　ferocity。

鈥渆xcept　my　most　recent　past。　everything　else　is　like　a　dream。　i鈥檓　not　sure　if　it鈥檚　real　or　not；　learned　or　imagined。　and　i　wasn鈥檛　insulted。　my　oath　isn鈥檛　worth　much。鈥�

鈥渂ut　you鈥檒l　help　her；鈥潯�said　mogget。　it　wasn鈥檛　a　question。

鈥渘o；鈥潯�said　touchstone。　鈥渉elp　is　for　equals。　i鈥檒l　serve　her。　that鈥檚　all　i鈥檓　good　for。鈥�

as　sabriel　feared；　there　was　little　conversation　over　breakfast。　mogget　went　off　in　search　of　his　own；　and　sabriel　and　touchstone　were　hindered　by　the　sole　cooking　pot　and　single　spoon；　so　they　took　it　in　turns　to　eat　half　the　porridge。　even　allowing　for　this　difficulty；　touchstone　was　unmunicative。　sabriel　started　asking　a　lot　of　questions；　but　as　his　standard　response　was；　鈥渋鈥檓　sorry；　i　can鈥檛　remember；鈥潯�she　soon　gave　up。

鈥渋　don鈥檛　suppose　you　can　remember　how　to　get　　out　of　this　sinkhole；　either；鈥潯�she　asked　in　exasperation；　after　a　particularly　long　stretch　of　silence。

even　to　her；　this　sounded　like　a　prefect　addressing　a　miscreant　twelve…year…old。

鈥渘o；　i鈥檓　sorry　。　。　。鈥潯�touchstone　began　automatically；　then　he　paused；　and　the　corner　of　his　mouth　quirked　up　with　a　momentary　spasm　of　pleasure。　鈥渨ait！　yes鈥攊　do　remember！　there鈥檚　a　hidden　stair；　to　the　north　of　king　janeurl鈥檚　ship　。　。　。　oh；　i　can鈥檛　remember　which　one　that　is　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渢here鈥檚　only　four　ships　near　the　northern　rim；鈥�

sabriel　mused。　鈥渋t　won鈥檛　be　too　hard　to　find。

how鈥檚　your　memory　for　other　geography？　the　kingdom；　for　instance？鈥�

鈥渋鈥檓　not　sure；鈥潯�replied　touchstone；　guardedly；　bowing　his　head　again。　sabriel　looked　at　him　and　took　a　deep　breath　to　calm　the　eel…like　writhings　of　anger　that　were　slowly　getting　bigger　and　bigger　inside　her。　she　could　excuse　his　faulty　memory鈥攁fter　all；　that　was　due　to　magical　incarceration。

but　the　servile　manner　that　went　with　it　seemed　to　be　an　affectation。　he　was　like　a　bad　actor　playing　the　butler鈥攐r　rather；　a　nonactor　trying　to　impersonate　a　butler　as　best　he　could。　but　why？　　鈥渕ogget　drew　me　a　map；鈥潯�she　said；　talking　as　much　to　calm　herself　as　for　any　real　munication。

鈥渂ut；　as　he　apparently　has　only　left　abhorsen鈥檚　house　for　a　few　weekends　over　the　last　thousand　years；　even　two…hundred…year…old　memories　。　。　。鈥�

sabriel　paused；　and　bit　her　lip；　suddenly　aware　that　her　annoyance　with　him　had　made　her　spiteful。

he　looked　up　as　she　stopped　speaking；　but　no　reaction　showed　on　his　face。　he　might　as　well　still　be　carved　from　wood。

鈥渨hat　i　mean　is；鈥潯�sabriel　continued　carefully；　鈥渋t　would　be　very　helpful　if　you　could　advise　me　on　the　best　route　to　belisaere；　and　the　important　landmarks　and　locations　on　the　way。鈥�

she　got　the　map　out　of　the　special　pocket　in　the　pack　and　removed　the　protective　oilskin。

touchstone　took　one　end　as　she　unrolled　it；　and　weighted　his　two　corners　with　stones；　while　sabriel　secured　hers　with　the　telescope　case。

鈥渋　think　we鈥檙e　about　here；鈥潯�she　said；　tracing　her　finger　from　abhorsen鈥檚　house；　following　the　paperwing鈥檚　flight　from　there　to　a　point　a　little　north　of　the　ratterlin　river　delta。

鈥渘o；鈥潯�said　touchstone；　sounding　decisive　for　the　first　time；　his　finger　stabbing　the　map　an　　inch　to　the　north　of　sabriel鈥檚　own。　鈥渢his　is　holehallow；　here。　it鈥檚　only　ten　leagues　from　the　coast　and　at　the　same　latitude　as　mount　anarson。鈥�

鈥済ood！鈥潯�exclaimed　sabriel；　smiling；　her　anger　slipping　from　her。　鈥測ou　do　remember。　now；　what鈥檚　the　best　route　to　belisaere；　and　how　long　will　it　take？鈥�

鈥渋　don鈥檛　know　the　current　conditions；　mi　。　。　。

sabriel；鈥潯�touchstone　replied。　his　voice　grew　softer；　more　subdued。　鈥渇rom　what　mogget　says；　the　kingdom　is　in　a　state　of　anarchy。　towns　and　villages　may　no　longer　exist。　there　will　be　bandits；　the　dead；　free　magic　unbound；　fell　creatures　。　。　。鈥�

鈥渋gnoring　all　that；鈥潯�sabriel　asked；　鈥渨hich　way　did　you　normally　go？鈥�

鈥渇rom　nestowe；　the　fishing　village　here；鈥�

touchstone　said；　pointing　at　the　coast　to　the　east　of　holehallow。　鈥渨e鈥檇　ride　north　along　the　shoreway；　changing　horses　at　post　houses。　four　days　to　callibe；　a　rest　day　there。　then　the　interior　road　up　through　oncet　pass；　six　days　all　told　to　aunden。　a　rest　day　in　aunden；　then　four　days　to　orchyre。　from　there；　it　would　be　a　day鈥檚　ferry　passage；　or　two　days鈥櫋�riding；　to　the　　westgate　of　belisaere。鈥�

鈥渆ven　without　the　rest　days；　that鈥檇　be　eighteen　days鈥櫋�riding；　at　least　six　weeks鈥櫋�walking。　that鈥檚　too　long。　is　there　any　other　way？鈥�

鈥渁　ship；　or　boat；　from　nestowe；鈥潯�interrupted　mogget；　stalking　up　behind　sabriel；　to　place　his　paw　firmly　on　the　map。　鈥渋f　we　can　find　one　and　if　either　of　you　can　sail　it。鈥�





chapter　xv

灏忥紲璇达紲t锛渪t锛炲ぉ锛熷爞
the　stair　was　to　the　north　of　the　middle　ship　of　the　four。　concealed　by　both　magic　and　artifice；　it　seemed　to　be　little　more　than　a　particularly　wet　patch　of　the　damp　limestone　that　formed　the　sinkhole　wall；　but　you　could　walk　right　through　it；　for　it　was　really　an　open　door　with　steps　winding　up　behind。

they　decided　to　take　these　steps　the　next　morning；　after　another　day　of　rest。　sabriel　was　eager　to　move　on；　for　she　felt　that　her　father鈥檚　peril　could　only　be　increasing；　but　she　was　realistic　enough　to　assess　her　own　need　for　recovery　time。　touchstone；　too；　probably　needed　a　rest；　she　thought。　she鈥檇　tried　to　coax　more　information　out　of　him　while　they鈥檇　searched　for　the　steps；　but　he　was　clearly　reluctant　to　even　open　his　mouth；　and　when　he　did；　sabriel　found　his　humble　apologies　ever　more　irritating。　after　the　door　was　found　she　gave　up　altogether；　and　sat　in　the　grass　near　the　spring；　reading　her　father鈥檚　books　on　charter　magic。　the　book　of　the　dead　stayed　wrapped　in　oilskin。　even　then；　she　felt　its　presence；　brooding　in　her　pack　。　。　。

touchstone　stayed　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　ship；　near　the　bow；　performing　a　series　of　fencing　exercises　with　his　twin　swords；　and　some　stretches　and　minor　acrobatics。　mogget　watched　him　from　the　undergrowth；　green　eyes　glittering；　as　if　intent　on　a　mouse。

lunch　was　a　culinary　and　conversational　failure。

dried　beef　strips；　garnished　with　watercress　from　the　fringes　of　the　spring；　and　monosyllabic　responses　from　touchstone。　he　even　went　back　to　鈥渕ilady；鈥潯�despite　sabriel鈥檚　repeated　requests　to　use　her　name。　mogget　didn鈥檛　help　by　calling　her　abhorsen。　after　lunch；　everyone　went　back　to　their　respective　activities。　sabriel　to　her　book；　touchstone　to　his　exercises　and　mogget　to　his　watching。

dinner　was　not　something　anyone　had　looked　forward　to。　sabriel　tried　talking　to　mogget；　but　he　seemed　to　be　infected　with　touchstone鈥檚　　reticence；　though　not　with　his　servility。　as　soon　as　they鈥檇　eaten；　everyone　left　the　raked…together　coals　of　the　campfire鈥攖ouchstone　to　the　west；　mogget　north　and　sabriel　east鈥攁nd　went　to　sleep　on　as　fortable　a　stretch　of　ground　as　could　be　discovered。

sabriel　woke　once　in　the　night。　without　getting　up；　she　saw　that　the　fire　had　been　rekindled　and　touchstone　sat　beside　it；　staring　into　the　flames；　his　eyes　reflecting　the　capering；　gold…red　light。　his　face　looked　drawn；　almost　ill。

鈥渁re　you　all　right？鈥潯�sabriel　asked　quietly；　propping　herself　up　on　one　elbow。

touchstone　started；　rocked　back　on　his　heels；　and　almost　fell　over。　for　once；　he　didn鈥檛　sound　like　a　sulky　servant。

鈥渘ot　really。　i　remember　what　i　would　not；　and　forget　what　i　should　not。　forgive　me。鈥�

sabriel　didn鈥檛　answer。　he　had　spoken　the　last　two　words　to　the　fire；　not　to　her。

鈥減lease；　go　back　to　sleep；　milady；鈥潯�touchstone　continued；　slipping　back　to　his　servile　role。　鈥渋　will　wake　you　in　the　morning。鈥�

sabriel　opened　her　mouth　to　say　something　scathing　about　the　arrogance　of　pretended　humility；　then　shut　it；　and　subsided　back　under　　her　blanket。　just　concentrate　on　rescuing　father；　she　told　herself。　that　is　the　one　important　thing。

rescue　abhorsen。　don鈥檛　worry　about　touchstone鈥檚　problems；　or　mogget鈥檚　curious　nature。

rescue　abhorsen。