Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy) 第33部分

whatwouldbethepoint?everyonewentintodeathoroutofit.notsideways,saveattheborderwithlife,wherewalkingalongalteredwhereyoucameout—butthatwasonlyusefulforspirit-forms,orrarebeingslikethemordicant,whotooktheirphysicalshapewiththem.

nevertheless,sabrielfeltanurgetowalkalongnexttothegate,toturnonherheelandfollowthelineofthewaterfall.itwasanunidentifiableurge,andthatmadeheruneasy.therewereotherthingsindeaththanthedead—inexplicablebeingsoffreemagic,strangeconstructsandincomprehensibleforces.thisurge—thiscalling—mightcomefromoneofthem.

shehesitated,thinkingaboutit,thenpushedoutintothewater,headingoutparalleltothewaterfall.itmightbesomefreemagicsummoning,oritmightbesomeconnectionwithherfather’sspirit.

“they’recomingdowntheeastandweststairs,too,”saidmogget.“morehands.”

“whataboutthesouth—wherewecamein?”

askedtouchstone,lookingnervouslyfromsidetoside,earsstrainingtoheareverysound,listeningtothedeadwadingoutintothereservoirtoformupintheirstrange,regimentedlines.

“notyet,”repliedmogget.“thatstairendsinsunlight,remember?they’dhavetogothroughthepark.”

“therecan’tbemuchsunlight,”mutteredtouchstone,lookingatthelight-shafts.somesunshinewascomingthrough,heavilyfilteredbyclouds,butitwasn’tenoughtocausethedeadinthereservoiranydistress,orlifttouchstone’sspirits.

“when...whendoyouthinkhewillcome?”

askedtouchstone.moggetdidn’tneedtoaskwho“he”was.

“soon,”repliedthecat,inamatter-of-facttone.

“ialwayssaiditwasatrap.”

“sohowdowegetoutofit?”askedtouchstone,tryingtokeephisvoicesteady.hewasinwardlyfightingastrongdesiretoleavethediamondofprotectionandrunforthesouthernstair,splashingthroughthereservoirlikearunawayhorse,carelessofthenoise—buttherewassabriel,frostedover,immobile...

“i’mnotsurewecan,”saidmogget,withasidewaysglanceatthetwoice-rimmedstatuesnearby.“itdependsonsabrielandherfather.”

“whatcanwedo?”

“defendourselvesifwe’reattacked,isuppose,”

drawledmogget,asifstatingtheobvioustoatiresomechild.“hope.praytothecharterthatkerrigordoesn’tcomebeforesabrielreturns.”

“whatifhedoes?”askedtouchstone,staringwhite-eyedoutintothedarkness.“whatifhedoes?”

butmoggetwassilent.alltouchstoneheardwastheshuffling,wading,splashingofthedead,astheyslowlydrewcloser,likestarvingratscreepinguptoasleepingdrunk’sdinner.

sabrielhadnoideaofhowfarshe’dgonebeforeshefoundhim.thatsamenigglingsensationpromptedhertostop,tolookoutintothewaterfallitself,andtherehewas.abhorsen.father.

somehowimprisonedwithinthegateitself,soonlyhisheadwasvisibleabovetherushofthewater.

“father!”criedsabriel,butsheresistedtheurgetorushforward.atfirst,shethoughthewasunawareofher,thenaslightwinkofoneeyeshowedconsciousperception.hewinkedagain,andmovedhiseyeballstotheright,severaltimes.

sabrielfollowedhisgaze,andsawsomethingtallandshadowythrustupthroughthewaterfall,armsreachinguptopullitselfoutofthegate.shesteppedforward,swordandbellattheready,thenhesitated.itwasadeadhumanoid,verysimilarinshapeandsizetotheonewhohadbroughtthebellsandswordtowyverleycollege.shelookedbackatherfather,andhewinkedagain,thecornerofhismouthcurvingupeversoslightly—almostasmile.

shesteppedback,stillcautious.therewasalwaysthechancethatthespiritchainedinthewaterfallwasmerelythemimicofherfather,or,evenifitwashim,thathewasundertheswayofsomepower.

thedeadcreaturefinallyhauleditselfout,musclesdifferentlyarrangedtoahuman’svisiblystrainingalongtheforearms.itstoodontherimforamoment,bulkyheadquestingfromsidetoside,thenlumberedtowardssabrielwiththatfamiliarrollinggait.severalpacesawayfromher—outofsword’sreach—itstopped,andpointedatitsmouth.itsjawworkedupanddown,butnosoundissuedfromitsredandfleshymouth.ablackthreadranfromitsback,downintotherushingwatersofthegate.

sabrielthoughtforamoment,thenreplacedsaraneth,one-handed,anddrewdyrim.shecockedherwristtoringthebell,hesitated—fortosounddyrimwouldalertthedeadallaround—thenletitfall.dyrimrang,sweetandclear,severalnotessoundingfromthatonepeal,mixingtogetherlikemanyconversationsoverheardinacrowd.

sabrielrangthebellagainbeforetheechoesdied,inaseriesofslightwrist-twitches,movingthesoundouttowardsthedeadcreature,weavingintotheechoesofthefirstpeal.soundseemedtoenvelopethemonster,circlingarounditsheadandmutedmouth.

theechoesfaded.sabrielreplaceddyrimquickly,beforeitcouldtryandsoundofitsownaccord,anddrewranna.thesleepercouldquellalargenumberofdeadatonce,andshefearedmanywouldcometothesoundofthebells.

theywouldprobablyexpecttofindafoolish,half-trainednecromancer,butevenso,theywouldbedangerous.rannatwitchedinherhand,expectantly,likeachildwakingathertouch.

thecreature’smouthmovedagain,andnowithadatongue,ahorridpulpymessofwhitefleshthatwrithedlikeaslug.butitworked.thethingmadeseveralgurgling,swallowingsounds,thenitspokewiththevoiceofabhorsen.

“sabriel!ibothhopedandfearedyouwouldcome.”

“father...”sabrielbegan,lookingathistrappedspiritratherthanthecreature.

“father...”

shebrokedown,andstartedtocry.shehadcomeallthisway,throughsomanytroubles,onlytofindhimtrapped,trappedbeyondherabilitytofreehim.shehadn’tevenknownthatitwaspossibletoimprisonsomeonewithinagate!“sabriel!hush,daughter!wehavenotimefortears.whereisyourphysicalbody?”

“inthereservoir,”sniffedsabriel.“nexttoyours.insideadiamondofprotection.”

“andthedead?kerrigor?”

“therewasnosignofthemthere,butkerrigorissomewhereinlife.idon’tknowwhere.”

“yes,iknewhehademerged,”mutteredabhorsen,viathething’smouth.“hewillbenearthereservoir,ifear.wemustmovequickly.

sabriel,doyourememberhowtoringtwobellssimultaneously?mosraelandkibeth?”

“twobells?”askedsabriel,puzzled.wakerandwalker?atthesametime?shehadneverevenhearditwaspossible—orhadshe?“think,”saidabhorsen’smouthpiece.“remember.

thebookofthedead.”

slowly,itcameback,pagesfloatingdownintoconsciousmemory,likeleavesfromashakentree.thebellscouldberunginpairs,orevengreatercombinations,ifenoughnecromancersweregatheredtowieldthebells.buttherisksweremuchgreater...

“yes,”saidsabriel,slowly.“iremember.

mosraelandkibeth.willtheyfreeyou?”

theanswerwasslowincoming.

“yes.foratime.enough,ihope,todowhatmustbedone.quickly,now.”

sabrielnodded,tryingnottothinkaboutwhathehadjustsaid.subconsciously,shehadalwaysbeenawarethatabhorsen’sspirithadbeentoolongfromhisbody,andtoodeepintherealmofdeath.hecouldnevertrulyliveagain.

consciously,shechosetobarricadethisknowledgefromhermind.

shesheathedhersword,replacedranna,anddrewmosraelandkibeth.dangerousbells,both,andmoresoincombinationthanalone.

shestilledhermind,emptyingherselfofallthoughtandemotion,concentratingsolelyonthebells.then,sherangthem.

mosraelsheswunginathree-quartercircleaboveherhead;kibethsheswunginareversefigureeight.harshalarmjoinedwithdancingjig,mergingintoadiscordant,grating,butenergetictone.sabrielfoundherselfwalkingtowardsthewaterfall,despiteallhereffortstokeepstill.aforcelikethegripofadementedgiantmovedherlegs,bentherknees,madeherstepforward.

atthesametime,herfatherwasemergingfromthewaterfallofthefourthgate.hisheadwasfreedfirst,andheflexedhisneck,thenrolledhisshoulders,raisedhisarmsoverhisheadandstretched.butstillsabrielsteppedon,tillshewasonlytwopacesfromtherim,andcouldlookdownintotheswirlingwaters,thesoundofthebellsfillingherears,forcingheronwards.

thenabhorsenwasfree,andheleaptforward,thrustinghishandsintothebell-mouths,grippingtheclapperswithhispallidhands,makingthemsuddenlyquiet.therewassilence,andfatheranddaughterembracedontheverybrinkofthefourthgate.

“welldone,”saidabhorsen,hisvoicedeepandfamiliar,lendingcomfortandwarmthlikeafavoritechildhoodtoy.“oncetrapped,itwasallicoulddotosendthebellsandsword.nowiamafraidwemusthurry,backtolife,beforekerrigorcancompletehisplan.givemesaraneth,fornow...no,youkeepthesword,andranna,ithink.comeon!”

heledthewayback,walkingswiftly.sabrielfollowedathisheels,questionsburstingupinher.shekeptlookingathim,lookingatthefamiliarfeatures,thewayhishairwasraggedattheback,thesilverstubblejustshowingonhischinandsideburns.heworethesamesortofclothesasshedid,completewiththesurcoatofsilverkeys.hewasn’tquiteastallassheremembered.

“father!”sheexclaimed,tryingtotalk,keepupwithhimandkeepwatch,allatthesametime.“whatishappening?whatiskerrigor’splan?idon’tunderstand.whywasn’tibroughtuphere,soiwouldknowthings?”

“here?”askedabhorsen,withoutslowing.

“indeath?”

“youknowwhatimean,”protestedsabriel.

“theoldkingdom!whydid...imean,imustbetheonlyabhorseneverwhodoesn’thaveaclueabouthoweverythingworks!why!why?”

“there’snosimpleanswer,”repliedabhorsen,overhisshoulder.“butisentyoutoancelstierrefortwomainreasons.onewastokeepyousafe.ihadalreadylostyourmother,andtheonlywaytokeepyousafeintheoldkingdomwastokeepyoueitherwithmeoralwaysatourhouse—practicallyaprisoner.icouldn’tkeepyouwithme,becausethingsweregettingworseandworsesincethedeathoftheregent,twoyearsbeforeyouwereborn.thesecondreasonwasbecausetheclayradvisedmetodoso.

theysaidweneededsomeone—orwillneedsomeone—they’renotgoodwithtime—whoknowsancelstierre.ididn’tknowwhythen,butisuspectidonow.”

“why?”askedsabriel.

“kerrigor’sbody,”repliedabhorsen.“orrogir’s,togivehimhisoriginalname.hecouldneverbemadetrulydeadbecausehisbodyispreservedbyfreemagic,somewhereinlife.it’slikeananchorthatalwaysbringshimback.everyabhorsensincethebreakingofthegreatstoneshasbeenlookingforthatbody—butnoneofuseverfoundit,includingme,becauseweneversuspecteditisinancelstierre.obviously,somewhereclosetothewall.theclayrwillhavelocateditbynow,becausekerrigormusthavegonetoitwhenheemergedintolife.right,doyouwanttodothespell,orshalli?”

theyhadreachedthethirdgate.hedidn’twaitforheranswer,butimmediatelyspokethewords.sabrielfeltstrangehearingthem,ratherthanspeakingthem—curiouslydistant,likeafar-offobserver.

stepsrosebeforethem,cuttingthroughthewaterfallandthemist.abhorsentookthemtwoatatime,showingsurprisingenergy.sabrielfollowedasbestshecould.shefelttirednessinherbonesnow,awearinessbeyondexhaustedmuscles.

“readytorun?”askedabhorsen.hetookherelbowastheyleftthestepsandwentintothepartedmists,acuriouslyformalgesturethatremindedherofwhenshewasalittlegirl,demandingtobeproperlyescortedwhentheytookapicnicbasketoutononeofherfather’scorporealschoolvisitations.