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ged； and the papers were in her hand。 an ancelstierre passport； as well as the much rarer document the ancelstierre perimeter mand issued to people who had traffic in both countries： a hand…bound document printed by letterpress on handmade paper； with an artist鈥檚 sketch instead of a photograph and prints from thumbs and toes in a purple ink。
the soldier blinked； but said nothing。 perhaps； thought sabriel； as he took the proffered documents； the man thought it was a parlor trick。 or perhaps he just didn鈥檛 notice。 maybe charter magic was mon here； so close to the wall。
the man looked through her documents carefully； but without real interest。 sabriel now felt certain that he was no one important from the way he pawed through her special passport。 he鈥檇 obviously never seen one before。 mischievously； she started to weave the charter mark for a snatch； or catch； to flick the papers out of his hands and back into her pocket before his piggy eyes worked out what was going on。
but； in the first second of motion； she felt the flare of other charter magic to either side and behind her鈥攁nd heard the clattering of hobnails on the bitumen。 her head snapped back from the papers； and she felt her hair whisk across her forehead as she looked from side to side。 soldiers were pouring out of the huts and out of the trenches； sword…bayonets in their hands and rifles at the shoulder。
several of them wore badges that she realized marked them as charter mages。 their fingers were weaving warding symbols； and barriers that would lock sabriel into her footsteps； tie her to her shadow。 crude magic； but strongly cast。
instinctively； sabriel鈥檚 mind and hands flashed into the sequence of symbols that would wipe clean these bonds； but her skis shifted and fell into the crook of her elbow； and she winced at the blow。
at the same time； a soldier ran ahead of the others； sunlight glinting on the silver stars on his helmet。
鈥渟top！鈥潯e shouted。 鈥渃orporal； step back from her！鈥�
the corporal； deaf to the hum of charter magic； blind to the flare of half…wrought signs； looked up from her papers and gaped for a second； fear erasing his features。 he dropped the passports； and stumbled back。
in his face； sabriel suddenly realized what it meant to use magic on the perimeter； and she held herself absolutely still； blanking out the partly made signs in her mind。 her skis slipped further down her arm； the bindings catching for a moment before tearing loose and clattering onto the ground。 soldiers rushed forward and； in seconds； formed a ring around her； swords angled towards her throat。
she saw streaks of silver； plated onto the blades； and crudely written charter symbols； and understood。 these weapons were made to kill things that were already dead鈥攊nferior versions of the sword she wore at her own side。
the man who鈥檇 shouted鈥攁n officer； sabriel realized鈥攂ent down and picked up her passports。
he studied them for a moment； then looked up at sabriel。 his eyes were pale blue and held a mixture of harshness and passion that sabriel found familiar； though she couldn鈥檛 place it鈥攖ill she remembered her father鈥檚 eyes。
abhorsen鈥檚 eyes were so dark brown they seemed black； but they held a similar feeling。
the officer closed the passport； tucked it in his belt and tilted his helmet back with two fingers； revealing a charter mark still glowing with some residual charm of warding。 cautiously； sabriel lifted her hand； and then； as he didn鈥檛 dissuade her； reached out with two fingers to touch the mark。 as she did so； he reached forward and touched her own鈥攕abriel felt the familiar swirl of energy； and the feeling of falling into some endless galaxy of stars。 but the stars here were charter symbols； linked in some great dance that had no beginning or end； but contained and described the world in its movement。 sabriel knew only a small fraction of the symbols； but she knew what they danced； and she felt the purity of the charter wash over her。
鈥渁n unsullied charter mark；鈥潯he officer pronounced loudly； as their fingers fell back to their sides。 鈥渟he is no creature or sending。鈥�
the soldiers fell back； sheathing swords and clicking on safety catches。 only the red…faced corporal didn鈥檛 move； his eyes still staring at sabriel； as if he was unsure what he was looking at。
鈥渟how鈥檚 over； corporal；鈥潯aid the officer； his voice and eyes now harsh。 鈥済et back to the pay office。 you鈥檒l see stranger happenings than this in your time here鈥攕tay clear of them and you might stay alive！ 鈥渟o；鈥潯e said； taking the documents from his belt and handing them back to sabriel。 鈥測ou are the daughter of abhorsen。 i am colonel horyse； the mander of a small part of the garrison here鈥攁 unit the army likes to call the northern perimeter reconaissance unit and everyone else calls the crossing point scouts鈥攁 somewhat motley collection of ancelstierrans who鈥檝e managed to gain a charter mark and some small knowledge of magic。鈥�
鈥減leased to meet you； sir；鈥潯opped out of sabriel鈥檚 school…trained mouth； before she could stifle it。 a schoolgirl鈥檚 answer； she knew； and felt a blush rise in her pale cheeks。
鈥渓ikewise；鈥潯aid the colonel； bending down。
鈥渕ay i take your skis？鈥�
鈥渋f you would be so kind；鈥潯aid sabriel； falling back on formality。
the colonel picked them up with ease； carefully retied the stocks to the skis； refastened the bindings that had e undone and tucked the lot under one muscular arm。
鈥渋 take it you intend to cross into the old kingdom？鈥潯sked horyse； as he found the balancing point of his load and pointed at the scarlet sign on the far side of the parade ground。 鈥渨e鈥檒l have to check in with perimeter hq鈥攖here are a few formalities； but it shouldn鈥檛 take long。
is someone 。 。 。 abhorsen； ing to meet you？鈥�
his voice faltered a little as he mentioned abhorsen； a strange stutter in so confident a man。 sabriel glanced at him and saw that his eyes flickered from the sword at her waist to the bell…bandolier she wore across her chest。
obviously he recognized abhorsen鈥檚 sword and also the significance of the bells。 very few people ever met a necromancer； but anyone who did remembered the bells。
鈥渄id 。 。 。 do you know my father？鈥潯he asked。
鈥渉e used to visit me； twice a year。 i guess he would have e through here。鈥�
鈥測es； i saw him then；鈥潯eplied horyse； as they started walking around the edge of the parade ground。 鈥渂ut i first met him more than twenty years ago； when i was posted here as a subaltern。
it was a strange time鈥攁 very bad time； for me and everyone on the perimeter。鈥�
he paused in mid…stride； boots crashing； and his eyes once again looked at the bells； and the whiteness of sabriel鈥檚 skin； stark against the black of her hair； black as the bitumen under the feet。
鈥測ou鈥檙e a necromancer；鈥潯e said bluntly。 鈥渟o you鈥檒l probably understand。 this crossing point has seen too many battles； too many dead。
before those idiots down south took things under central mand； the crossing point was moved every ten years； up to the next gate on the wall。 but forty years ago some 。 。 。 bureaucrat 。 。 。 decreed that there would be no movement。
it was a waste of public money。 this was； and is to be； the only crossing point。 never mind the fact that； over time； there would be such a concentration of death； mixed with free magic leaking over the wall； that everything would 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渘ot stay dead；鈥潯nterrupted sabriel quietly。
鈥測es。 when i arrived； the trouble was just beginning。 corpses wouldn鈥檛 stay buried鈥攐ur people or old kingdom creatures。 soldiers killed the day before would turn up on parade。
creatures prevented from crossing would rise up and do more damage than they did when they were alive。鈥�
鈥渨hat did you do？鈥潯sked sabriel。 she knew a great deal about binding and enforcing true death； but not on such a scale。 there were no dead creatures nearby now； for she always instinctively felt the interface between life and death around her； and it was no different here than it had been forty miles away at wyverley college。
鈥渙ur charter mages tried to deal with the problem； bu