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they ran before the wave； with hands inside the bells； faster and faster； till sabriel thought her legs would seize up and she鈥檇 tumble head over heels； around and around and around； finally clattering to a halt in a tangle of sword and bells。
but she made it somehow； abhorsen chanting the spell that would open the base of the second gate； so they could ascend through the whirlpool。
鈥渁s i was saying；鈥潯bhorsen continued； taking these steps two at a time as well； speaking as swiftly as he climbed。 鈥渒errigor could never be properly dealt with till an abhorsen found the body。 all of us pushed him back at various times； as far back as the seventh gate； but that was merely postponing the problem。 he grew stronger all the time； as lesser charter stones were broken； and the kingdom deteriorated鈥敗nd we grew weaker。鈥�
鈥渨ho鈥檚 we？鈥潯sked sabriel。 all this information was ing too quickly； particularly when given at the run。
鈥渢he great charter bloodlines；鈥潯eplied abhorsen。 鈥渨hich to all intents and purposes means abhorsens and the clayr； since the royal line is all but extinct。 and there is； of course； the relict of the wallmakers； a sort of construct left over after they put their powers in the wall and the great stones。鈥�
he left the rim of the whirlpool； and strode confidently out into the second precinct； sabriel close at his heels。 unlike her earlier halting； probing advance； abhorsen practically jogged along； obviously following a familiar route。
how he could tell； without landmarks or any obvious signs； sabriel had no idea。 perhaps； when she had spent thirty…odd years traversing death； she would find it as easy。
鈥渟o；鈥潯ontinued abhorsen。 鈥渨e finally have the chance to finish kerrigor once and for all。
the clayr will direct you to his body； you will destroy it； and then banish kerrigor鈥檚 spirit form鈥攚hich will be severely weakened。 after that； you can get the surviving royal prince out of his suspended state； and with the aid of the wallmaker relict； repair the great charter stones 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渢he surviving royal prince；鈥潯sked sabriel； with a feeling of unlooked…for knowledge rising in her。 鈥渉e wasn鈥檛 。 。 。 ah 。 。 。 suspended as a figurehead in holehallow； was he 。 。 。 and his spirit in death？鈥�
鈥渁 bastard son； actually； and possibly crazy；鈥�
abhorsen said； without really listening。 鈥渂ut he has the blood。 what？ oh； yes； yes he is 。 。 。 you said was 。 。 。 you mean鈥斺��
鈥測es；鈥潯aid sabriel； unhappily。 鈥渉e calls himself touchstone。 and he鈥檚 waiting in the reservoir。
near the stones。 with mogget。鈥�
abhorsen paused for the first time； clearly taken aback。
鈥渁ll our plans go astray； it seems；鈥潯e said somberly； sighing。 鈥渒errigor lured me to the reservoir to use my blood to break a great stone； but i managed to protect myself； so he contented himself with trapping me in death。
he thought you would be lured to my body； and he could use your blood鈥攂ut i was not trapped as securely as he thought； and planned a reverse。
but now； if the prince is there； he has another source of blood to break the great charter鈥斺��
鈥渉e鈥檚 in the diamond of protection；鈥潯abriel said； suddenly feeling afraid for touchstone。
鈥渢hat may not suffice；鈥潯eplied abhorsen grimly。 鈥渒errigor grows stronger every day he spends in life； taking the strength from living folk； and feeding off the broken stones。 he will soon be able to break even the strongest charter magic defenses。 he may be strong enough now。
but tell me of the prince鈥檚 panion。 who is mogget？鈥�
鈥渕ogget？鈥潯epeated sabriel； surprised again。
鈥渂ut i met him at our house！ he鈥檚 a free magic鈥攕omething鈥攚earing the shape of a white cat； with a red collar that carries a miniature saraneth。鈥�
鈥渕ogget；鈥潯aid abhorsen； as if trying to get his mouth around an unpalatable morsel。 鈥渢hat is the wallmaker relict； or their last creation； or their child鈥攏o one knows； possibly not even him。 i wonder why he took the shape of a cat？ he was always a sort of albino dwarf…boy to me； and he practically never left the house。 i suppose he may be some sort of protection for the prince。 we must hurry。鈥�
鈥渋 thought we were！鈥潯napped sabriel； as he started off again。 she didn鈥檛 mean to be bad… tempered； but this was not her idea of a heartfelt reunion between father and daughter。 he hardly seemed to notice her； except as a repository for numerous revelations and as an agent to deal with kerrigor。
abhorsen suddenly stopped； and gathered her into a quick； one…armed embrace。 his grip felt strong； but sabriel felt another reality there； as if his arm was a shadow； temporarily born of light； but doomed to fade at nightfall。
鈥渋 have not been an ideal parent； i know；鈥�
abhorsen said quietly。 鈥渘one of us ever are。
when we bee the abhorsen； we lose much else。 responsibility to many people rides roughshod over personal responsibilities； difficulties and enemies crush out softness； our horizons narrow。 you are my daughter； and i have always loved you。 but now； i live again for only a short time鈥攁 hundred hundred heartbeats； no more鈥敗nd i must win a battle against a terrible enemy。
our parts now鈥攚hich perforce we must play鈥敗re not father and daughter； but one old abhorsen； making way for the new。 but behind this； there is always my love。鈥�
鈥渁 hundred hundred heartbeats 。 。 。鈥潯hispered sabriel； tears falling down her face。 she gently pushed herself out of his embrace； and they started forward together； towards the first gate； the first precinct； life鈥攁nd then； the reservoir。
xi锛shuotx锛础锛辑
chapter xxiii
锝炲皬锛滆t xt锛嬶紜澶╋紴鍫�
touchstone could see the dead now； and had no difficulty hearing them。 they were chanting and clapping； decayed hands meeting together in a steady； slow rhythm that put all the hair on the back of his head on edge。
a ghastly noise； hard sounds of bone on bone； or the liquid thumpings of deposed； jellying flesh。 the chanting was even worse； for very few of them had functioning mouths。
touchstone had never seen or heard a shipwreck鈥敗ow he knew the sound of a thousand sailors drowning； all at once； in a quiet sea。
the lines of the dead had marched out close to where touchstone stood； forming a great mass of shifting shadow； spread like a choking fungus around the columns。 touchstone couldn鈥檛 make out what they were doing； till mogget； with his night…sight； explained。
鈥渢hey鈥檙e forming up into two lines； to make a corridor；鈥潯he little cat whispered； though the need for silence was long gone。 鈥渁 corridor of dead hands； reaching from the northern stair to us。鈥�
鈥渃an you see the doorway of the stair？鈥�
touchstone asked。 he was no longer afraid； now he could see and smell the putrescent； stinking corpses lined up in mockery of a parade。 i should have died in this reservoir long ago； he thought。
there has just been a delay of two hundred years 。 。 。
鈥測es； i can；鈥潯ontinued mogget； his eyes green with sparkling fire。 鈥渁 tall beast has e； its flesh boiling with dirty flames。 a mordicant。 it鈥檚 crouching in the water； looking back and up like a dog to its master。 fog is rolling down the stairs behind it鈥攁 free magic trick； that one。 i wonder why he has such an urge to impress？鈥�
鈥渞ogir always was flamboyant；鈥潯ouchstone stated； as if he might be menting on someone at a dinner party。 鈥渉e liked everyone to be looking at him。 he鈥檚 no different as kerrigor； no different dead。鈥�
鈥渙h； but he is；鈥潯aid mogget。 鈥渧ery different。
he knows you鈥檙e here； and the fog鈥檚 for vanity。
he must have been terribly rushed making the body he wears now。 a vain man鈥攅ven a dead one鈥攚ould not like this body looked at。鈥�
touchstone swallowed； trying not to think about that。 he wondered if he could charge out of the diamond； fl猫che with his swords into that fog； a mad attack鈥攂ut even if he got there； would his swords； charter…spelled though they were； have any effect on the magical flesh kerrigor now wore？ something moved in the water； at the limits of his vision； and the hands increased the tempo of their drumming； the frenzied gurgle