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w锛穡锛氾紵
chapter ix
灏彙ｈ銆倀/x/t澶ｅ爞
lanterns lit the study； old brass lanterns that burned with charter magic in place of oil。 smokeless； silent and eternal； they provided as good a light as the electric bulbs of ancelstierre。
books lined the walls； following the curves of the tower around； save for where the stair rose from below； and the ladder climbed to the observatory above。
a redwood table sat in the middle of the room； its legs scaled and beady…eyed； ornamental flames licking from the mouths of the dragonheads that gripped each corner of the tabletop。
an inkwell； pens； papers and a pair of bronze map dividers lay upon the table。 chairs of the same red wood surrounded it； their upholstery black with a variation on the silver key motif。
the table was one of the few things sabriel remembered from her childhood visits。 鈥渄ragon desk鈥潯er father had called it； and she鈥檇 wrapped herself around one of those dragon legs； her head not even reaching the underside of the table。
sabriel ran her hand over the smooth； cool wood； feeling both her memory of it and the current sensation； then she sighed； pulled up a chair and put down the three books she鈥檇 tucked under her arm。 two； she put together close to her； the other she pushed to the center of the table。 this third book came from the single glassed…in cabinet among the bookshelves and now lay like some quiescent predator； possibly asleep； possibly waiting to spring。 its binding was of pale green leather and charter marks burned in the silver clasps that held it closed。 the book of the dead。
the other two books were normal enough by parison。 both were charter magic spell books； listing mark after mark； and how they could be used。 sabriel didn鈥檛 even recognize most of the marks after chapter four in the first book。
there were twenty chapters in each volume。
doubtless there were many other books that would be useful； sabriel thought； but she still felt too tired and shaky to get more down。 she planned to talk to mogget； then study for an hour or two； before going back to bed。 even four or five waking hours seemed too much after her ordeal； and the loss of consciousness involved in sleep suddenly seemed very appealing。
mogget； as if he had heard sabriel thinking of him； appeared at the top of the steps and sauntered over to sprawl on a well…upholstered footstand。
鈥渋 see you have found that book；鈥潯e said； tail flicking backwards and forwards as he spoke。
鈥渢ake care you do not read too much。鈥�
鈥渋鈥檝e already read it all； anyway；鈥潯eplied sabriel； shortly。
鈥減erhaps；鈥潯emarked the cat。 鈥渂ut it isn鈥檛 always the same book。 like me； it is several things； not one。鈥�
sabriel shrugged； as if to show that she knew all about the book。 but that was just bravado鈥敗he inner sabriel was afraid of the book of the dead。 she had worked her way through every chapter； under her father鈥檚 direction； but her normally excellent memory held only selected pages of this tome。 if it changed its contents as well鈥攕he suppressed a shiver； and told herself that she knew all that was necessary。
鈥渕y first step must be to find my father鈥檚 body；鈥潯he said。 鈥渨hich is where i need your help； mogget。鈥�
鈥渋 have no knowledge of where he met his end；鈥潯ogget stated； with finality。 he yawned； and started licking his paws。
sabriel frowned； and found herself pulling in her lips； a characteristic she had deplored in the unpopular history teacher at school； who often went 鈥渢hin…lipped鈥潯n anger or exasperation。
鈥渏ust tell me when you last saw him； and what his plans were。鈥�
鈥渨hy don鈥檛 you read his diary；鈥潯uggested mogget； in a momentary break from cleaning himself。
鈥渨here is it？鈥潯sked sabriel； excited。 a diary would be tremendously helpful。
鈥渉e probably took it with him；鈥潯eplied mogget。 鈥渋 haven鈥檛 seen it。鈥�
鈥渋 thought you had to help me！鈥潯abriel said； another frown wrinkling across her forehead； reinforcing the thin lips。 鈥減lease answer my question。鈥�
鈥渢hree weeks ago；鈥潯ogget mumbled； mouth half muffled in the fur of his stomach； pink tongue alternating between words and cleansing。
鈥渁 messenger came from belisaere； begging for his help。 something dead； something that could pass the wards； was preying on them。
abhorsen鈥攊 mean the previous abhorsen； ma鈥檃m鈥攕uspected that there was more to it than that； belisaere being belisaere。 but he went。鈥�
鈥渂elisaere。 the name鈥檚 familiar鈥攊t鈥檚 a town？鈥�
鈥渁 city。 the capital。 at least it was； when there was still a kingdom。鈥�
鈥渨as？鈥�
mogget stopped washing； and looked across； eyes narrowing to frowning slits。 鈥渨hat did they teach you in that school？ there hasn鈥檛 been a king or queen for two hundred years； and not even a regent for twenty。 that鈥檚 why the kingdom sinks day by day； into a darkness from which no one will rise 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渢he charter鈥斺�潯abriel began； but mogget interrupted with a yowl of derision。
鈥渢he charter crumbles too；鈥潯e mewed。
鈥渨ithout a ruler； charter stones broken one by one with blood； one of the great charters twi 。 。 。 twis 。 。 。 twisted鈥斺��
鈥渨hat do you mean； one of the great charters？鈥潯abriel interrupted in turn。 she had never heard of such a thing。 not for the first time； she also wondered what she鈥檇 been taught in school； and why her father had kept so quiet about the state of the old kingdom。
but mogget was silent； as if the things he鈥檇 already said had stopped his mouth。 for a moment； he seemed to be trying to form words； but nothing came from his small red mouth。
finally； he gave up。 鈥渋 cannot tell you。 it鈥檚 part of my binding； curse it！ suffice to say that the whole world slides into evil； and many are helping the slide。鈥�
鈥渁nd others resist it；鈥潯aid sabriel。 鈥渓ike my father。 like me。鈥�
鈥渋t depends what you do；鈥潯ogget said； as if he doubted that someone as patently useless as sabriel would make much difference。 鈥渘ot that i care鈥斺��
the sound of the trapdoor opening above their heads stopped the cat in mid…speech。
sabriel tensed； looking up to see what was ing down the ladder； then started breathing again as she realized that it was only another charter sending； its black habit flopping over the rungs of the ladder as it came down。 this one； like the guards on the cliff corridor鈥攂ut unlike the other house servants鈥攈ad the silver key emblazoned on its chest and back。 it bowed to sabriel； and pointed up。
with a feeling of foreboding； sabriel knew that it wanted her to look at something from the observatory。 reluctantly； she pushed her chair back and went over to the ladder。 a cold draft was blowing in through the open trapdoor； carrying with it the chill of ice from further up the river。 sabriel shivered； as her hands touched the cold metal rungs。
emerging into the observatory； the chill passed； for the room was still lit by the last； red light of the setting sun； giving an illusion of warmth and making sabriel squint。 she had no memory of this room； so it was with delight that she saw that it was totally walled in glass； or something like it。 the bare beams