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ndred 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…chanting rising in volume。
touchstone squinted； confirming what he thought he鈥檇 seen鈥攖endrils of fog； lazily drifting across the water between the lines of the dead； keeping to the corridor they鈥檇 made。
鈥渉e鈥檚 playing with us；鈥潯asped touchstone； surprised by his own lack of breath for speech。 he felt like he鈥檇 already sprinted a mile； his heart going thump…thump…thump…thump 。 。 。
a terrible howl suddenly rose above the dead drumming； and touchstone leapt back； nearly dislodging mogget。 the howl rose and rose； being unbearable； and then a huge shape broke out of the fog and darkness； stampeding towards them with fearful power； great swaths of spray exploding around it as it ran。
touchstone shouted； or screamed鈥攈e wasn鈥檛 sure鈥攖hrew away his candle； drew his left sword and thrust both blades out； crouching to receive the charge； knees so bent he was chestdeep in the water。
鈥渢he mordicant！鈥潯elled mogget； then he was gone； leaping from touchstone to the still…frosted sabriel。
touchstone barely had time to absorb this information； and a split…second image of something like an enormous； flame…shrouded bear； howling like the final scream of a sacrifice鈥攖hen the mordicant collided with the diamond of protection； and touchstone鈥檚 out…thrust swords。
silver sparks exploded with a bang that drowned the howling； throwing both touchstone and the mordicant back several yards。 touchstone lost his footing； and went under； water bubbling into his nose and still…screaming mouth。
he panicked； thinking the mordicant would be on him in a second； and flipped himself back up with unnecessary force； savagely ripping his stomach muscles。
he almost flew out of the water； swords at guard again； but the diamond was intact； and the mordicant retreating； backing away along the corridor of hands。 they鈥檇 stopped their noise； but there was something else鈥攕omething touchstone didn鈥檛 recognize； till the water drained out of his ears。
it was laughter； laughter echoing out of the fog； which now billowed across the water； ing closer and closer； till the retreating mordicant was enveloped in it； and lost to sight。
鈥渄id my hound scare you； little brother？鈥潯aid a voice from within the fog。
鈥渙w！鈥潯xclaimed sabriel； feeling mogget鈥檚 claws on her physical body。 abhorsen looked at her； raising one silvery eyebrow questioningly。
鈥渟omething touched my body in life；鈥潯he explained。 鈥渕ogget； i think。 i wonder what鈥檚 happening？鈥�
they stood at the very edge of death； on the border with life。 no dead had tried to stop them； and they鈥檇 passed easily through the first gate。
perhaps any dead would quail from the sight of two abhorsens 。 。 。
now they waited。 sabriel didn鈥檛 know why。
somehow； abhorsen seemed to be able to see into life； or to work out what was happening。 he stood like an eavesdropper； body slightly bent； ear cocked to a non…existent door。
sabriel； on the other hand； stood like a soldier； keeping watch for the dead。 the broken stones made this part of death an attractive high road into life； and she had expected to find many dead here； trying to take advantage of the 鈥渉ole。鈥潯ut it was not so。 they seemed to be alone in the grey； featureless river； their only neighbors the swells and eddies of the water。
abhorsen closed his eyes； concentrating even harder； then opened them to a wide…eyed stare and touched sabriel lightly on the arm。
鈥渋t is almost time；鈥潯e said gently。 鈥渨hen we emerge； i want you to take 。 。 。 touchstone 。 。 。
and run for the southern stairs。 do not stop for anything； anything at all。 once outside； climb up to the top of the palace hill； to the west yard。
it鈥檚 just an empty field now鈥攖ouchstone will know how to get there。 if the clayr are watching properly； and haven鈥檛 got their whens mixed up； there鈥檒l be a paperwing there鈥斺��
鈥渁 paperwing！鈥潯nterrupted sabriel。 鈥渂ut i crashed it。鈥�
鈥渢here are several around；鈥潯eplied abhorsen。
鈥渢he abhorsen who made it鈥攖he forty…sixth； i think鈥攖aught several others how to construct them。 anyway； it should be there。 the clayr will also be there； or a messenger； to tell you where to find kerrigor鈥檚 body in ancelstierre。 fly as close to the wall as possible； cross； find the body鈥攁nd destroy it！鈥�
鈥渨hat will you be doing？鈥潯hispered sabriel。
鈥渉ere is saraneth；鈥潯eplied abhorsen； not meeting her gaze。 鈥済ive me your sword； and 。 。 。
astarael。鈥�
the seventh bell。 astarael the sorrowful。
weeper。
sabriel didn鈥檛 move； made no motion to hand over bell or blade。 abhorsen pushed saraneth into its pouch； and did up the strap。 he started to undo the strap that held astarael； but sabriel鈥檚 hand closed on his； gripping it tightly。
鈥渢here must be another way；鈥潯he cried。 鈥渨e can all escape together鈥斺��
鈥渘o；鈥潯aid abhorsen firmly。 he gently pushed her hand away。 sabriel let go； and he took astarael carefully from the bandolier； making sure it couldn鈥檛 sound。 鈥渄oes the walker choose the path； or the path the walker？鈥�
numbly； sabriel handed him her sword 。 。 。 his sword。 her empty hands hung open by her sides。
鈥渋 have walked in death to the very precipice of the ninth gate；鈥潯bhorsen said quietly。 鈥渋 know the secrets and horrors of the nine precincts。 i do not know what lies beyond； but everything that lives must go there； in the proper time。 that is the rule that governs our work as the abhorsen； but it also governs us。 you are the fifty…third abhorsen； sabriel。 i have not taught you as well as i should鈥攍et this be my final lesson。 everyone and everything has a time to die。鈥�
he bent forward； and kissed her forehead； just under the rim of her helmet。 for a moment； she stood like a stringed puppet at rest； then she flung herself against his chest； feeling the soft fabric of his surcoat。 she seemed to diminish in size； till once again she was a little girl； running to his embrace at the school gates。 as she could then； she heard the slow beating of his heart。 only now； she heard the beats as grains in a time… piece； counting his hard…won hundr