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rdsmen on the stairs； a burning； twisting column of white fire； a man with sword and bells 。 。 。 then i fainted； or was knocked unconscious。 when i came to； i was in holehallow； seeing your face。 i don鈥檛 know how i got there； who put me there 。 。 。 i still only remember in shreds and patches。鈥�
鈥測ou should have told me；鈥潯abriel said； trying to put as much passion in her voice as she could。 鈥渂ut perhaps it had to wait for the sea鈥檚 freeing of that binding spell。 tell me； the man with the sword and bells； was it the abhorsen？鈥�
鈥渋 don鈥檛 know；鈥潯eplied touchstone。 鈥減robably。鈥�
鈥渁lmost definitely； i would say；鈥潯dded sabriel。
she looked at mogget； thinking of that column of twisting fire。 鈥測ou were there too； weren鈥檛 you； mogget？ unbound； in your other form。鈥�
鈥測es； i was there；鈥潯aid the cat。 鈥渨ith the abhorsen of that time。 a very powerful charter mage； and a master of the bells； but a little too good…hearted to deal with treachery。 i had terrible trouble getting him to belisaere； and in the end； we were not timely enough to save the queen or her daughters。鈥�
鈥渨hat happened？鈥潯hispered touchstone。
鈥渨hat happened？鈥�
鈥渞ogir was already one of the dead when he came back to belisaere；鈥潯ogget said wearily； as if he were telling a cynical yarn to a crew of hard…bitten cronies。 鈥渂ut only an abhorsen would have known it； and he wasn鈥檛 there。
rogir鈥檚 real body was hidden somewhere 。 。 。 is hidden somewhere 。 。 。 and he wore a free magic construct for his physical form。
鈥渟omewhere along the path of his studies； he鈥檇 swapped real life for power and； like all the dead； he needed to take life all the time to stay out of death。 but the charter made it very difficult for him to do that anywhere in the kingdom。 so he decided to break the charter。
he could have confined himself to breaking a few of the lesser stones； somewhere far away； but that would only give him a tiny area to prey on； and the abhorsen would soon hunt him down。
so he decided to break the great stones； and for that he needed royal blood鈥攈is own family鈥檚 blood。 or abhorsen鈥檚； or the clayr鈥檚； of course； but that would be much harder to get。
鈥渂ecause he was the queen鈥檚 son； clever； and very powerful； he almost achieved his aims。 two of the six great stones were broken。 the queen and her daughters were killed。 abhorsen intervened a little too late。 true； he did manage to drive him deep into death鈥攂ut since his true body has never been found； rogir has continued to exist。 even from death； he has overseen the dissolution of the kingdom鈥攁 kingdom without a royal family； with one of the great charters crippled； corrupting and weakening all the others。 he wasn鈥檛 really beaten that night； in the reservoir。 just delayed； and for two hundred years he鈥檚 been trying to e back； trying to re…enter life鈥斺��
鈥渉e鈥檚 succeeded； hasn鈥檛 he？鈥潯nterrupted sabriel。 鈥渉e鈥檚 the thing called kerrigor； the one abhorsens have been fighting for generations； trying to keep in death。 he is the one who came back； the greater dead who murdered the patrol near cloven crest； the master of the mordicant。鈥�
鈥渋 do not know；鈥潯eplied mogget。 鈥測our father thought so。鈥�
鈥渋t is him；鈥潯ouchstone said； distantly。
鈥渒errigor was rogir鈥檚 childhood nickname。 i made it up； on the day we had the mud fight。
his full ceremonial name was rogirek。鈥�
鈥渉e鈥攐r his servants鈥攎ust have lured my father to belisaere just before he emerged from death；鈥潯abriel thought aloud。 鈥渋 wonder why he came out into life so near the wall？鈥�
鈥渉is body must be near the wall。 he would need to be close to it；鈥潯ogget said。 鈥測ou should know that。 to renew the master spell that prevents him from ever passing beyond the final gate。鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯eplied sabriel； remembering the passages from the book of the dead。 she shivered； but suppressed it； before it became a racking sob。 inside； she felt like screaming； crying。 she wanted to flee back to ancelstierre； cross the wall； leave the dead and magic behind； go as far south as possible。 but she quelled these feelings； and said； 鈥渁n abhorsen defeated him once。 i can do so again。 but first； we must find my father鈥檚 body。鈥�
there was silence for a moment； save for the wind in the canvas and the quiet hum of the rigging。
touchstone wiped his hand across his eyes and looked at mogget。
鈥渢here is one thing i would like to ask。 who put my spirit in death； and made my body the figurehead？鈥�
鈥渋 never knew what happened to you；鈥潯eplied mogget。 his green eyes met touchstone鈥檚 gaze； and it wasn鈥檛 the cat who blinked。 鈥渂ut it must have been abhorsen。 you were insane when we got you out of the reservoir。 driven mad； probably by the breaking of the great stones。 no memory； nothing。 it seems two hundred years is not too long for a rest cure。 he must have seen something in you鈥攐r the clayr saw something in the ice 。 。 。 ah； that was hard to say。 we must be nearing the city； and the sea鈥檚 influence lessens。 the binding resumes 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渘o； mogget！鈥潯xclaimed sabriel。 鈥渋 want to know； i need to know； who you are。 what鈥檚 your connection with the great 。 。 。鈥�
her voice locked up in her throat and a star… tled gargle was the only thing that came out。
鈥渢oo late；鈥潯aid mogget。 he started cleaning his fur； pink tongue darting out； bright color against white fur。
sabriel sighed； and looked out at the turquoise sea； then up at the sun； yellow disc on a field of white…streaked blue。 a light breeze filled the sail above her； ruffling her hair in passing。 gulls rode it on ahead； to join a squawking mass of their brethren； feeding from a school of fish； sharp silver bursting near the surface。
everything was alive； colorful； full of the joy of living。 even the salt tang on her skin； the stink of fish and her own unwashed body； was somehow rich and lively。 far； far removed from touchstone鈥檚 grim past； the threat of rogir/kerrigor and the chilling greyness of death。
鈥渨e shall have to be very careful；鈥潯abriel said at last； 鈥渁nd hope that 。 。 。 what was it you said to the elder of nestowe； touchstone？鈥�
he knew immediately what she meant。
鈥渉ope that the charter preserves us all。鈥�
ww銆�w。x锛゛oshuotxt。銆�
chapter xix
灏彙ｈ。t｜xt。澶爞
sabriel had expected belisaere to be a ruined city； devoid of life； but it was not so。 by the time they saw its towers； and the truly impressive walls that ringed the peninsula on which the city stood； they also saw fishing boats； of a size with their own。 people were fishing from them鈥攏ormal； friendly people； who waved and shouted as they passed。 only their greeting was telling of how things might be in belisaere。 鈥済ood sun and swift water鈥潯as not the typical greeting in touchstone鈥檚 time。
the city鈥檚 main harbor was reached from the west。 a wide； buoyed channel ran between two hulking defensive outworks； leading into a vast pool； easily as big as twenty or thirty playing fields。 wharves lined three sides of the pool； but most were deserted。 to the north and south； warehouses rotted behind the empty wharves； broken walls and holed roofs testimony to long abandonment。
only the eastern dock looked lively。 there were none of the big trading vessels of bygone days； but many small coastal craft； loading and unloading。 derricks swung in and out； longshoremen humped packages along gangplanks； small children dived and swam in between the boats。 no warehouses stood behind these wharves鈥攊nstead； there were hundreds of open…topped booths； little more than brightly decorated frameworks delineating a patch of space； with tables for the wares； and stools for the vendors and favored customers。 there seemed to be no shortage of customers in general； sabriel noted； as touchstone steered for a vacant berth。 people were swarming everywhere； hurrying about as if their time was sadly limited。
touchstone let the mainsheet go slack； and brought the boat into the wind just in time for them to lose way and glide at an oblique angle into the fenders that lined the wharf。 sabriel threw up a line； but before she could leap ashore and secure