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鈥渧ery well； sabriel；鈥潯ouchstone said； with careful emphasis。 he was angry now； but at least that was an improvement over servile； sabriel thought。
鈥渘ow；鈥潯he said to the smirking mogget。
鈥渉ave you got any ideas about this door？鈥�
鈥渏ust one；鈥潯eplied mogget； sliding between her legs and over to the thin line that marked the division between the two leaves of the door。
鈥減ush。 one on each side。鈥�
鈥減ush？鈥�
鈥渨hy not？鈥潯aid touchstone； shrugging。 he took up a position； braced against the left side of the door； palms flat on the metal…studded wood。
sabriel hesitated； then did the same against the right。
鈥渙ne； two； three； push！鈥潯nnounced mogget。
sabriel pushed on 鈥渢hree鈥潯nd touchstone on 鈥減ush；鈥潯o their bined effort took several seconds to synchronize。 then the doors creaked slowly open； sunshine spilling through in a bright bar； climbing from floor to ceiling； dust motes dancing in its progress。
鈥渋t feels strange；鈥潯aid touchstone； the wood humming beneath his hands like plucked lute strings。
鈥渋 can hear voices；鈥潯xclaimed sabriel at the same time； her ears full of half…caught words； laughter； distant singing。
鈥渋 can see time；鈥潯hispered mogget； so softly that his words were lost。
then the doors were open。 they walked through； shielding their eyes against the sun； feeling the cool breeze sharp on their skin； the fresh scent of pine trees clearing their nostrils of underground dust。 mogget sneezed quickly three times； and ran about in a tight circle。 the doors slid shut behind them； as silently and inexplicably as they鈥檇 opened。
they stood in a small clearing in the middle of a pine forest； or plantation； for the trees were regularly spaced。 the doors behind them stood in the side of a low hillock of turf and stunted bushes。 pine needles lay thick on the ground； pinecones peeking through every few paces； like skulls ploughed up on some ancient battleground。
鈥渢he watchwood；鈥潯aid touchstone。 he took several deep breaths； looked at the sky； and sighed。 鈥渋t is winter； i think鈥攐r early spring？鈥�
鈥渨inter；鈥潯eplied sabriel。 鈥渋t was snowing quite heavily； back near the wall。 it seems much milder here。鈥�
鈥渕ost of the wall； the long cliffs； and abhorsen鈥檚 house； are on； or part of； the southern plateau；鈥潯ogget explained。 鈥渢he plateau is between one and two thousand feet above the coastal plain。 in fact； the area around nestowe； where we are headed； is mostly below sea level and has been reclaimed。鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯aid touchstone。 鈥渋 remember。 long dyke； the raised canals； the wind pumps to raise the water鈥斺��
鈥測ou鈥檙e both very informative for a change；鈥�
remarked sabriel。 鈥渨ould one of you care to tell me something i really want to know； like what are the great charters？鈥�
鈥渋 can鈥檛；鈥潯ogget and touchstone said together。
then touchstone continued； haltingly； 鈥渢here is a spell 。 。 。 a binding on us。 but someone who is not a charter mage； or otherwise closely bound to the charter； might be able to speak。 a child； perhaps； baptized with the charter mark； but not grown into power。鈥�
鈥測ou鈥檙e cleverer than i thought；鈥潯ented mogget。 鈥渘ot that that鈥檚 saying much。鈥�
鈥渁 child；鈥潯aid sabriel。 鈥渨hy would a child know？鈥�
鈥渋f you鈥檇 had a proper education； you鈥檇 know too；鈥潯aid mogget。 鈥渁 waste of good silver； that school of yours。鈥�
鈥減erhaps；鈥潯greed sabriel。 鈥渂ut now that i know more of the old kingdom； i suspect being at school in ancelstierre saved my life。 but enough of that。 which way do we go now？鈥�
touchstone looked at the sky； blue above the clearing； dark where the pines circled。 the sun was just visible above the trees； perhaps an hour short of its noon…time zenith。 touchstone looked from it to the shadows of the trees； then pointed： 鈥渆ast。 there should be a series of charter stones； leading from here to the eastern edge of the watchwood。 this place is heavily warded with magic。 there are 。 。 。 there were； many stones。鈥�
the stones were still there； and after the first； some sort of animal track that meandered from one stone to the next。 it was cool under the pines； but pleasant； the constant presence of the charter stones a reassuring sensation to sabriel and touchstone； who could sense them like lighthouses in a sea of trees。
there were seven stones in all； and none of them broken； though sabriel felt a stab of nervous tension every time they left the ambience of one and moved to another； a stark picture always flashing into her head鈥攖he bloodstained； riven stone of cloven crest。
the last stone stood on the very edge of the pine forest； atop a granite bluff thirty or forty yards high； marking the forest鈥檚 eastern edge and the end of high ground。
they stood next to the stone and looked out； out towards the huge expanse of blue…grey sea； white…crested； restless； always rolling in to shore。
below them were the flat； sunken fields of nestowe； maintained by a network of raised canals； pumps and dykes。 the village itself lay three…quarters of a mile away； high on another granite bluff； the harbor out of sight on the other side。
鈥渢he fields are flooded；鈥潯aid touchstone； in a puzzled tone； as if he couldn鈥檛 believe what he was seeing。
sabriel followed his gaze； and saw that what she had taken for some crop was actually silt and water； sitting tepidly where food once grew。
windmills； power for the pumps； stood silent； trefoil…shaped vanes still atop scaffolding towers； even though a salt…laden breeze blew in from the sea。
鈥渂ut the pumps were charter…spelled；鈥�
touchstone exclaimed。 鈥渢o follow the wind； to work without care 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渢here are no people in the fields鈥攏o one on this side of the village；鈥潯ogget added； his eyes keener than the telescope in sabriel鈥檚 pack。
鈥渘estowe鈥檚 charter stone must be broken；鈥�
sabriel said； mouth tight； words cold。 鈥渁nd i can smell a certain stench on the breeze。 there are dead in the village。鈥�
鈥渁 boat would be the quickest way to belisaere； and i am reasonably confident of my sailing；鈥潯ouchstone remarked。 鈥渂ut if the dead are there； shouldn鈥檛 we 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渨e鈥檒l go down and get a boat；鈥潯abriel announced firmly。 鈥渨hile the sun is high。鈥�
xiaoshuot锛竧锛宑o锛�
chapter xvi
灏彛¤！txt！澶ｅ爞
there was a built…up path through the flooded fields； but it was submerged to ankle…depth； with occasional thigh…high slippages。
only the raised canal drains stood well above the brackish water； and they all ran towards the east； not towards the village； so sabriel and touchstone were forced to wade along the path。 mogget； of course； rode； his lean form draped around sabriel鈥檚 neck like a white fox fur。
water and mud； coupled with an uncertain path； made it slow going。 it took an hour to cover less than a mile； so it was later in the afternoon than sabriel would have wished when they finally climbed out of the water； up onto the beginnings of the village鈥檚 rocky mount。 at least the sky is clear； sabriel thought； glancing up。 the winter sun wasn鈥檛 particularly hot and couldn鈥檛 be described as glar