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ter； she had regained her balance and was using both hands to restrain the rabbit鈥攁 rabbit now inexplicably lively again； its eyes bright and shiny； as eager to be off as when it escaped from its bath。
鈥渂unny！鈥潯hrieked the younger girl again； as sabriel stood up； holding the rabbit by the scruff of its neck。 鈥渙h； thank you； sabriel！ when i heard the car skidding i thought 。 。 。鈥�
she faltered as sabriel handed the rabbit over and blood stained her expectant hands。
鈥渉e鈥檒l be fine； jacinth；鈥潯abriel replied wearily。
鈥渁 scratch。 it鈥檚 already closed up。鈥�
jacinth examined bunny carefully； then looked up at sabriel； the beginnings of a wriggling fear showing at the back of her eyes。
鈥渢here isn鈥檛 anything under the blood；鈥潯tammered jacinth。 鈥渨hat did you 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渋 didn鈥檛；鈥潯napped sabriel。 鈥渂ut perhaps you can tell me what you are doing out of bounds？鈥�
鈥渃hasing bunny；鈥潯eplied jacinth； her eyes clearing as life reverted to a more normal situation。
鈥測ou see 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渘o excuses；鈥潯ecited sabriel。 鈥渞emember what mrs。 umbrade said at assembly on monday。鈥�
鈥渋t鈥檚 not an excuse；鈥潯nsisted jacinth。 鈥渋t鈥檚 a reason。鈥�
鈥測ou can explain it to mrs。 umbrade then。鈥�
鈥渙h； sabriel！ you wouldn鈥檛！ you know i was only chasing bunny。 i鈥檇 never have e out鈥斺��
sabriel held up her hands in mock defeat； and gestured back to the gates。
鈥渋f you鈥檙e back inside within three minutes； i won鈥檛 have seen you。 and open the gate this time。 they won鈥檛 be locked till i go back inside。鈥�
jacinth smiled； her whole face beaming； whirled around and sped back up the drive； bunny clutched against her neck。 sabriel watched till she had gone through the gate； then let the tremors take her till she was bent over； shaking with cold。 a moment of weakness and she had broken the promise she had made both to herself and her father。 it was only a rabbit and jacinth did love it so much鈥攂ut what would that lead to？ it was no great step from bringing back a rabbit to bringing back a person。
worse； it had been so easy。 she had caught the spirit right at the wellspring of the river； and had returned it with barely a gesture of power； patching the body with simple charter symbols as they stepped from death to life。 she hadn鈥檛 even needed bells； or the other apparatus of a necromancer。
only a whistle and her will。
death and what came after death was no great mystery to sabriel。 she just wished it was。
it was sabriel鈥檚 last term at wyverley鈥攖he last three weeks； in fact。 she had graduated already； ing first in english； equal first in music； third in mathematics； seventh in science； second in fighting arts and fourth in etiquette。 she had also been a runaway first in magic； but that wasn鈥檛 printed on the certificate。 magic only worked in those regions of ancelstierre close to the wall which marked the border with the old kingdom。 farther away； it was considered to be quite beyond the pale； if it existed at all； and persons of repute did not mention it。
wyverley college was only forty miles from the wall； had a good all…round reputation； and taught magic to those students who could obtain special permission from their parents。
sabriel鈥檚 father had chosen it for that reason when he had emerged from the old kingdom with a five…year…old girl in tow to seek a boarding school。 he had paid in advance for that first year； in old kingdom silver deniers that stood up to surreptitious touches with cold iron。
thereafter； he had e to visit his daughter twice a year； at midsummer and midwinter； staying for several days on each occasion and always bringing more silver。
understandably； the headmistress was very fond of sabriel。 particularly since she never seemed troubled by her father鈥檚 rare visitations； as most other girls would be。 once mrs。
umbrade had asked sabriel if she minded； and had been troubled by the answer that sabriel saw her father far more often than when he was actually there。 mrs。 umbrade didn鈥檛 teach magic； and didn鈥檛 want to know any more about it other than the pleasant fact that some parents would pay considerable sums to have their daughters schooled in the basics of sorcery and enchantment。
mrs。 umbrade certainly didn鈥檛 want to know how sabriel saw her father。 sabriel； on the other hand； always looked forward to his unofficial visits and watched the moon； tracing its movements from the leather…bound almanac which listed the phases of the moon in both kingdoms and gave valuable insights into the seasons； tides and other ephemerae that were never the same at any one time on both sides of the wall。
abhorsen鈥檚 sending of himself always appeared at the dark of the moon。
on these nights； sabriel would lock herself into her study （a privilege of the sixth form鈥敗reviously she鈥檇 had to sneak into the library）； put the kettle on the fire； drink tea and read a book until the characteristic wind rose up； extinguished the fire； put out the electric light and rattled the shutters鈥攁ll necessary preparations； it seemed； for her father鈥檚 phosphorescent sending to appear in the spare armchair。
sabriel was particularly looking forward to her father鈥檚 visit that november。 it would be his last； because college was about to end and she wanted to discuss her future。 mrs。 umbrade wanted her to go to university； but that meant moving further away from the old kingdom。 her magic would wane and parental visitations would be limited to actual physical appearances； and those might well bee even less frequent。 on the other hand； going to university would mean staying with some of the friends she鈥檇 had virtually all her life； girls she鈥檇 started school with at the age of five。 there would also be a much greater world of social interaction； particularly with young men； of which modity there was a distinct shortage around wyverley college。
and the disadvantage of losing her magic could possibly be offset by a lessening of her affinity for death and the dead 。 。 。
sabriel was thinking of this as she waited； book in hand； half…drunk cup of tea balanced precariously on the arm of her chair。 it was almost midnight and abhorsen hadn鈥檛 appeared。 sabriel had checked the almanac twice and had even opened the shutters to peer out through the glass at the sky。 it was definitely the dark of the moon； but there was no sign of him。 it was the first time in her life that he hadn鈥檛 appeared and she felt suddenly uneasy。
sabriel rarely thought about what life was really like in the old kingdom； but now old stories came to mind and dim memories of when she鈥檇 lived there with the travelers。 abhorsen was a powerful sorcerer； but even then 。 。 。
鈥渟abriel！ sabriel！鈥�
a high…pitched voice interrupted her thought； quickly followed by a hasty knock and a rattle of the doorknob。 sabriel sighed； pushed herself out of her chair； caught the teacup and unlocked the door。
a young girl stood on the other side； twisting her nightcap from side to side in trembling hands； her face white with fear。
鈥渙lwyn！鈥潯xclaimed sabriel。 鈥渨hat is it？ is sussen sick again？鈥�
鈥渘o；鈥潯obbed the girl。 鈥渋 heard noise