按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
鈥渞eckon so； sir；鈥潯eplied corporal anshey。 he detached a coil of rope from his webbing as he spoke； and gestured with his hand to the other soldiers。
鈥渆 on you blokes； get yer ropes out。鈥�
twenty minutes later； the sarcophagus was being lifted by shear…legs and rope aboard a horse…drawn wagon； appropriated from a local farmer。 as sabriel had expected； dragging it within twenty yards of the trucks stopped their engines； put out electric lights and disrupted the telephone。
curiously； the horse； a placid old mare； didn鈥檛 seem overly frightened by the gleaming sarcophagus； despite its bronze surface sluggishly crawling with stomach…churning perversions of charter marks。 she wasn鈥檛 a happy horse； but not a panicked one either。
鈥渨e鈥檒l have to drive the wagon；鈥潯abriel said to touchstone； as the soldiers pushed the suspended coffin aboard with long poles； and collapsed the shear…legs。 鈥渋 don鈥檛 think the scouts can withstand the sickness much longer。鈥�
touchstone shuddered。 like everyone else； he was pale； eyes red…rimmed； his nose dripping and teeth chattering。 鈥渋鈥檓 not sure i can； either。鈥�
nevertheless； when the last rope was twitched off； and the soldiers hurried away； touchstone climbed up to the driver鈥檚 seat and picked up the reins。 sabriel climbed up next to him； suppressing the feeling that her stomach was about to rise into her mouth。 she didn鈥檛 look back at the sarcophagus。
touchstone said 鈥渢ch…tch鈥潯o the horse； and flicked the reins。 the mare鈥檚 ears went up； and she took up the load； pacing forwards。 it was not a quick pace。
鈥渋s this as fast as 。 。 。鈥潯abriel said anxiously。
they had a mile to cover； and the sun was already bloody； a red disc balanced on the line of the horizon。
鈥渋t鈥檚 a heavy load；鈥潯ouchstone answered slowly； quick breaths ing between his words； as if he found it difficult to speak。 鈥渨e鈥檒l be there before the light goes。鈥�
the sarcophagus seemed to buzz and chuckle behind them。 neither of them mentioned that kerrigor might arrive； fog…wreathed； before the night did。 sabriel found herself looking behind every few seconds； back along the road。 this meant catching glimpses of the vilely shifting surface of the coffin； but she couldn鈥檛 help it。 the shadows were lengthening； and every time she caught a glimpse of some tree鈥檚 pale bark； or a whitewashed mile marker； fear twitched in her gut。 was that fog curling down the road？ wyverley college seemed much farther than a mile。 the sun was only a three…quarter disc by the time they saw the trucks turn off the road； turning up the bricked drive that led to the wrought…iron gates of wyverley college。 home； thought sabriel for a moment。 but that was no longer true。 it had been home for the better part of her life； but that was past。 it was the home of her childhood； when she was only sabriel。 now； she was also abhorsen。 now； her home lay in the old kingdom； as did her responsibilities。
but like her； these traveled。
electric lights burned brightly in the two antique glass lanterns on either side of the gate； but they dimmed to mere sparks as the wagon and its strange cargo drove through。 one of the gates was off its hinges； and sabriel realized the soldiers must have forced their way through。 it was unusual for the gates to be locked before full dark。 they must have closed them when they heard the bells； sabriel realized； and that alerted her to something else 。 。 。
鈥渢he bell in the village；鈥潯he exclaimed； as the wagon passed several parked trucks and wheeled around to stop near the huge； gate…like doors to the main building of the school。 鈥渢he bell鈥攊t鈥檚 stopped。鈥�
touchstone brought the wagon to a halt； and listened； cocking an ear towards the darkening sky。 true enough； they could no longer hear the wyverley village bell。
鈥渋t is a mile；鈥潯e said； hesitantly。 鈥減erhaps we鈥檙e too far； the wind 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渘o；鈥潯aid sabriel。 she felt the air； cool with evening； still on her face。 there was no wind。
鈥測ou could always hear it here。 kerrigor has reached the village。 we need to get the sarcophagus inside； quickly！鈥�
she jumped down from the wagon； and ran over to horyse； who was standing on the steps outside the partially open door； talking to an obscured figure within。 as sabriel got closer； edging through groups of waiting soldiers； she recognized the voice。 it was mrs。 umbrade； the headmistress。
鈥渉ow dare you barge in here！鈥潯he was pronouncing； very pompously。 鈥渋 am a very close personal friend of lieutenant…general farnsley； i鈥檒l have you know鈥攕abriel！鈥�
the sight of sabriel in such strange garb and circumstance seemed to momentarily stun mrs。
umbrade。 in that second of fish…mouthed silence； horyse motioned to his men。 before mrs。 umbrade could protest； they鈥檇 pushed the door wide open； and streams of armed men rushed in； pouring around her startled figure like a flood around an island。
鈥渕rs。 umbrade！鈥潯abriel shouted。 鈥渋 need to talk to miss greenwood urgently； and the girls from the senior magic classes。 you鈥檇 better get the rest of the girls and the staff up to the top floors of the north tower。鈥�
mrs。 umbrade stood； gulping like a goldfish； till horyse suddenly loomed over her and snapped； 鈥渕ove； woman！鈥�
almost before his mouth closed； she was gone。
sabriel looked back to check that touchstone was organizing the shifting of the sarcophagus； then followed her in。
the entrance hall was already blocked by a conga line of soldiers； passing boxes in from the trucks outside； stacking them up all along the walls。 khaki…colored boxes marked 鈥湣！all鈥�
or 鈥渂e wp grenade；鈥潯iled up beneath pictures of prizewinning hockey teams； or giltlettered boards of merit and scholastic brilliance。
the soldiers had also thrown open the doors to the great hall； and were busy in there； closing shutters and piling pews up on their ends against the shuttered windows。
mrs。 umbrade was still in motion at the other end of the entrance hall； bustling along towards a knot of obviously nervous staff。 behind them； peering down from the main stair； was a solid rank of prefects。 behind them； higher up the stair； and just able to see； were several gaggles of nonprefectorial fifth and sixth formers。 sabriel didn鈥檛 doubt that the rest of the school would be lining the corridors behind them； all agog to hear what the motion was all about。
just as mrs。 umbrade reached her staff； all the lights went out。 for a moment； there was total； shocked quiet； then the noise redoubled。 girls screaming； soldiers shouting； crashes and bangs as people ran into things and each other。
sabriel stood where she was； and conjured the charter marks for light。 they came easily； flowing down to her fingertips like cool water from a shower。 she let them hang there for a moment； then cast them at the ceiling； drops of light that grew to the size of dinner plates and cast a steady yellow light all down the hall。 someone else was also casting similar lights down by mrs。
umbrade； and sabriel recognized the work of magistrix greenwood。 she smiled at that recognition； a slight； upturning of just one side of her mouth。 she knew the lights had gone out because kerrigor had passed the electric substation； and that was halfway between the school and the village。
as expected； mrs。 umbrade wasn鈥檛 telling her teachers anything useful鈥攋ust going on about rudeness and some general。 sabriel saw the magistrix behind the tall； bent figure of the senior science mistress； and waved。
鈥渁nd i was never more shocked to see one of our鈥斺�潯rs。 umbrade was saying； when sabriel stepped up next to her and gently laid the marks of silence and immobility on the back of her neck。
鈥渋鈥檓 sorry to interrupt；鈥潯abriel said； standing next to the temporarily frozen form of the headmistress。
鈥渂ut this is an emergency。 as you can see； the army is temporarily taking over。 i am assisting colonel horyse； who is in charge。 now； we need all the girls in the two senior magic classes to e down to the great hall鈥攚ith you； magistrix greenwood； please。 everyone else鈥攕tudents； staff； gardeners； everyone鈥攎ust go to the top floors of the north tower and barricade yourselves in。 till dawn tomorrow。鈥�
鈥渨hy？鈥潯emanded mrs。 pearch； the mathematics mistress。 鈥渨hat鈥檚 all this about？鈥�
鈥渟omething has e from the old kingdom；鈥潯abriel replied shortly； watching their faces change as she spoke。 鈥渨e will shortly be attacked by the dead。鈥�
鈥渟o there will be danger to my students？鈥�
miss greenwood spoke； pushing her way forward； between two frightened english teachers。
she looked sabriel in the face； as if in recognition； and then added； 鈥渁bhorsen。鈥�
鈥渢here will be danger to everyone；鈥潯abriel said bleakly。 鈥渂ut without the aid of the charter mages here； there isn鈥檛 even a chance 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渨ell；鈥潯eplied miss greenwood； with some decision。 鈥渨e鈥檇 better get organized then。 i鈥檒l go and fetch sulyn and ellimere。 i think they鈥檙e the only two charter mages among the prefects鈥敗hey can organize the others。 mrs。 pearch； you鈥檇 better take charge of the 。 。 。 ah 。 。 。 evacuation to the north tow