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鈥渢he charter crumbles too；鈥潯e mewed。
鈥渨ithout a ruler； charter stones broken one by one with blood； one of the great charters twi 。 。 。 twis 。 。 。 twisted鈥斺��
鈥渨hat do you mean； one of the great charters？鈥潯abriel interrupted in turn。 she had never heard of such a thing。 not for the first time； she also wondered what she鈥檇 been taught in school； and why her father had kept so quiet about the state of the old kingdom。
but mogget was silent； as if the things he鈥檇 already said had stopped his mouth。 for a moment； he seemed to be trying to form words； but nothing came from his small red mouth。
finally； he gave up。 鈥渋 cannot tell you。 it鈥檚 part of my binding； curse it！ suffice to say that the whole world slides into evil； and many are helping the slide。鈥�
鈥渁nd others resist it；鈥潯aid sabriel。 鈥渓ike my father。 like me。鈥�
鈥渋t depends what you do；鈥潯ogget said； as if he doubted that someone as patently useless as sabriel would make much difference。 鈥渘ot that i care鈥斺��
the sound of the trapdoor opening above their heads stopped the cat in mid…speech。
sabriel tensed； looking up to see what was ing down the ladder； then started breathing again as she realized that it was only another charter sending； its black habit flopping over the rungs of the ladder as it came down。 this one； like the guards on the cliff corridor鈥攂ut unlike the other house servants鈥攈ad the silver key emblazoned on its chest and back。 it bowed to sabriel； and pointed up。
with a feeling of foreboding； sabriel knew that it wanted her to look at something from the observatory。 reluctantly； she pushed her chair back and went over to the ladder。 a cold draft was blowing in through the open trapdoor； carrying with it the chill of ice from further up the river。 sabriel shivered； as her hands touched the cold metal rungs。
emerging into the observatory； the chill passed； for the room was still lit by the last； red light of the setting sun； giving an illusion of warmth and making sabriel squint。 she had no memory of this room； so it was with delight that she saw that it was totally walled in glass； or something like it。 the bare beams of the redtiled roof rested on transparent walls； so cleverly morticed together that the roof was like a work of art； plete with the slight draft that reduced its perfection to a more human level。
a large telescope of gleaming glass and bronze dominated the observatory； standing triumphant on a tripod of dark wood and darker iron。 a tall observer鈥檚 stool stood next to it； and a lectern； a star chart still spilled across it。 a thick； toe wriggle…inviting carpet lay under all； a carpet that was also a map of the heavens； showing many different； colorful constellations and whirling planets； woven in thick； richly dyed wool。
the sending； who had followed sabriel； went to the south wall and pointed out towards the southern riverbank； its pallid； charter…drawn hand indicating the very spot where sabriel had emerged after her underground flight from the mordicant。
sabriel looked there； shielding her right eye from the west…falling sun。 her gaze crossed the white tops of the river and was drawn to the ledge； despite an inner quailing about what she would see。
as she feared； the mordicant was still there。
but with what she had e to think of as her death sight； sabriel sensed it was quiescent； temporarily just an unpleasant statue； a foreground to other； more active shapes that bustled about in some activity behind。
sabriel stared a little longer； then went to the telescope； narrowly avoiding mogget； who had somehow appeared underfoot。 sabriel wondered how he had got up the ladder； then dismissed the thought as she concentrated on what was happening outside。
unaided； she hadn鈥檛 been certain what the shapes around the mordicant were； but they sprang sharply at her through the telescope； drawn so close she felt she could somehow lean forward and snatch them away。
they were men and women鈥攍iving； breathing people。 each was shackled to a partner鈥檚 leg by an iron chain and they shuffled about in these pairs under the dominating presence of the mordicant。 there were scores of them； ing out of the corridor； carrying heavily laden leather buckets or lengths of timber； taking them across the ledge and down the steps to the river。
then they filed back again； buckets empty； timber left behind。
sabriel depressed the telescope a little； and almost growled in exasperation and anger as she saw the scene by the river。 more living slaves were hammering long boxes together from the timber； and these boxes were being filled with earth from the buckets。 as each box was filled； it was pushed out to bridge the gap from shore to stepping…stone and locked in place by slaves hammering iron spikes into the stone。
this particular part of the operation was being directed by something that lurked well back from the river； halfway up the steps。 a manshaped blot of blackest night； a moving silhouette。
a necromancer鈥檚 shadow hand； or some free…willed dead spirit that scorned the use of a body。
as sabriel watched； the last of four boxes was thrust out to the first stepping…stone； spiked in place； and then chained to its three adjacent fellows。 one slave； fastening the chain； overbalanced and went headfirst into the water； his shackle…mate following a second later。 their screams； if any； were drowned by the roar of the waterfall as its waters took their bodies。 a few seconds later； sabriel felt their lives snuffed out。
the other slaves at the river鈥檚 edge stopped working for a moment； either shocked at the sudden loss； or momentarily made more afraid of the river than their masters。 but the shadow hand on the steps moved towards them； its legs like treacle； pouring down the slope； lapping over each step in turn。 it gestured for some of the nearer slaves to walk across the earth…filled boxes to the stepping…stone。 they did so； to cluster unhappily amid the spray。
the shadow hand hesitated then； but the mordicant on the ledge above seemed to stir and rock forward a little； so the shadowy abomination gingerly trod on the boxes鈥攁nd walked across to the stepping…stone； taking no scathe from the running water。
鈥済rave dirt；鈥潯ented mogget； who obviously didn鈥檛 need the telescope。 鈥渃arted up by the villagers from qyrre and roble鈥檚 town。 i wonder if they鈥檝e got enough to cross all the stones。鈥�
鈥済rave dirt；鈥潯ented sabriel bleakly； watching a fresh round of slaves arriving with buckets and more timber。 鈥渋 had forgotten it could negate the running water。 i thought 。 。 。 i thought i would be safe here； for a time。鈥�
鈥渨ell； you are；鈥潯aid mogget。 鈥渋t鈥檒l take at least until tomorrow evening before their bridge is plete； particularly allowing for a couple of hours off around noon； when the dead will have to hide if it isn鈥檛 overcast。 but this shows planning； and that means a leader。 still； every abhorsen has enemies。 it may just be a petty necromancer with a better brain for strategy than most。鈥�
鈥渋 slew a dead thing at cloven crest；鈥潯abriel said slowly； thinking aloud。 鈥渋t said it would have its revenge and spoke of telling the servants of kerrigor。 do you know that name？鈥�
鈥渋 know it；鈥潯pat mogget； tail quivering straight out behind him。 鈥渂ut i cannot speak of it； except to say it is one of the greater dead； and your father鈥檚 most terrible enemy。 do not say it lives again！鈥�
鈥渋 don鈥檛 know；鈥潯eplied sabriel； looking down at the cat； whose body seemed twisted； as if in turmoil between mand and resistance。
鈥渨hy can鈥檛 you tell me more？ the binding？鈥�
鈥渁 。 。 。 a perversion of 。 。 。 the g 。 。 。 g 。 。 。 yes；鈥�
mogget croaked out with effort。 though his green eyes seemed to grow luminous and fiery with anger at his own feeble explanation； he could say no more。
鈥渃oils within coils；鈥潯emarked sabriel thoughtfully。 there seemed little doubt that some evil power was working against her； from the moment she鈥檇 crossed the wall鈥攐r even before that； if her father鈥檚 disappearance was anything to go by。
she looked back through the telescope again and took some heart in the slowing of the