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lved。 very powerful magic； on both counts。
i am curious as to why it was used on you。鈥�
touchstone looked away again； and sabriel sensed a certain shiftiness； or embarrassment。
she guessed that the forthing explanation would be a half…truth； at best。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 remember very well；鈥潯e said； slowly。
鈥渢hough things are ing back。 i am 。 。 。 i was 。 。 。 a guardsman。 the royal guard。 there was some sort of attack upon the queen 。 。 。
an ambush in the鈥攁t the bottom of the stairs。
i remember fighting； with blade and charter magic鈥攚e were all charter mages； all the guard。 i thought we were safe； but there was treachery 。 。 。 then 。 。 。 i was here。 i don鈥檛 know how。鈥�
sabriel listened carefully； wondering how much of what he said was true。 it was likely that his memory was impaired； but he possibly was a royal guard。 perhaps he had cast a diamond of protection 。 。 。 that could have been why his enemies could only imprison him； rather than kill。 but； surely they could have waited till it failed。 why the bizarre method of imprisonment？ and； most importantly； how did the figurehead manage to get placed in this most protected of places？ she filed all these questions for later investigation； for another thought had struck her。 if he really was a royal guard； the queen he had guarded must have been dead and gone for at least two hundred years and； with her； everyone and everything he knew。
鈥測ou have been a prisoner for a long time；鈥潯he said gently； uncertain about how to break the news。 鈥渉ave you 。 。 。 i mean did you 。 。 。 well； what i mean is it鈥檚 been a very long time鈥斺��
鈥渢wo hundred years；鈥潯hispered touchstone。
鈥測our minion told me。鈥�
鈥測our family 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渋 have none；鈥潯e said。 his expression was set； as immobile as the carved wood of the previous day。 carefully； he reached over and drew one of his swords； offering it to sabriel hilt…first。
鈥渋 would serve you； milady； to fight against the enemies of the kingdom。鈥�
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he 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aid mogget； cheerfully。 鈥渋 thought he could presume as much。鈥�
鈥渁s you see；鈥潯abriel said； rather angrily； 鈥渕y 鈥榤inion鈥櫋as 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aid 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aid 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aid mogget。 it wasn鈥檛 a question。
鈥渘o；鈥潯aid 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he soon gave up。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 suppose you can remember how to get out of this sinkhole； either；鈥潯he 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ouchstone 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eplied 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he 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abriel 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he 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aid 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xclaimed 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ouchstone 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abriel asked； 鈥渨hich way did you normally go？鈥�
鈥渇rom nestowe； the fishing village here；鈥�
touchstone sa