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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 noises behind the tower door； and i thought it was rebece and ila having a midnight feast without me； so i looked 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渨hat！鈥潯xclaimed sabriel； alarmed。 no one opened outside doors in the middle of the night； not this close to the old kingdom。
鈥渋鈥檓 sorry；鈥潯ried olwyn。 鈥渋 didn鈥檛 mean to。 i don鈥檛 know why i did。 it wasn鈥檛 rebece and ila鈥敗t was a black shape and it tried to get in。 i slammed the door 。 。 。鈥�
sabriel threw the teacup aside and pushed past olwyn。 she was already halfway down the corridor before she heard the porcelain smash behind her； and olwyn鈥檚 horrified gasp at such cavalier treatment of good china。 she ignored it and broke into a run； slapping on the light switches as she ran towards the open door of the west dormitory。 as she reached it； screams broke out inside； rapidly crescendoing to an hysterical chorus。 there were forty girls in the dormitory鈥攎ost of the first form； all under the age of eleven。 sabriel took a deep breath； and stepped into the doorway； fingers crooked in a spell…casting stance。 even before she looked； she felt the presence of death。
the dormitory was very long； and narrow； with a low roof and small windows。 beds and dressers lined each side。 at the far end； a door led to the west tower steps。 it was supposed to be locked inside and out； but locks rarely prevailed against the powers of the old kingdom。
the door was open。 an intensely dark shape stood there； as if someone had cut a man…shaped figure out of the night； carefully choosing a piece devoid of stars。 it had no features at all； but the head quested from side to side； as if whatever senses it did possess worked in a narrow range。
curiously； it carried an absolutely mundane sack in one four…fingered hand； the rough…woven cloth in stark contrast to its own surreal flesh。
sabriel鈥檚 hands moved in a plicated gesture； drawing the symbols of the charter that intimated sleep； quiet and rest。 with a flourish； she indicated both sides of the dormitory and drew one of the master symbols； drawing all together。
instantly； every girl in the room stopped screaming and slowly subsided back onto her bed。
the creature鈥檚 head stopped moving and sabriel knew its attention was now centered on her。 slowly it moved； lifting one clumsy leg and swinging it forward； resting for a moment； then swinging the other a little past the first。 a lumbering； rolling motion； that made an eerie； shuffling noise on the thin carpet。 as it passed each bed； the electric lights above them flared once and went out。
sabriel let her hands fall to her side and focused her eyes on the center of the creature鈥檚 torso； feeling the stuff of which it was made。 she had e without any of her instruments or tools； but that led to only a moment鈥檚 hesitation before she let herself slip over the border into death； her eyes still on the intruder。
the river flowed around her legs； cold as always。 the light； grey and without warmth； still stretched to an entirely flat horizon。 in the distance； she could hear the roar of the first gate。 she could see the creature鈥檚 true shape clearly now； not wrapped in the aura of death which it carried to the living world。 it was an old kingdom denizen； vaguely humanoid； but more like an ape than a man and obviously only semi…intelligent。 but there was more to it than that； and sabriel felt the clutch of fear as she saw the black thread that came from the creature鈥檚 back and ran into the river。
somewhere； beyond the first gate； or even further； that umbilical rested in the hands of an adept。 as long as the thread existed the creature would be totally under the control of its master； who could use its senses and spirit as it saw fit。
something tugged at sabriel鈥檚 physical body； and she reluctantly twitched her senses back to the living world； a slight feeling of nausea rising in her as a wave of warmth rushed over her death…chilled body。
鈥渨hat is it？鈥潯aid a calm voice； close to sabriel鈥檚 ear。 an old voice； tinged with the power of charter magic鈥攎iss greenwood； the magistrix of the school。
鈥渋t鈥檚 a dead servant鈥攁 spirit form；鈥潯eplied sabriel； her attention back on the creature。 it was halfway down the dorm； still single…mindedly rolling one leg after the other。 鈥渨ithout free will。
something sent it back to the living world。 it鈥檚 controlled from beyond the first gate。鈥�
鈥渨hy is it here？鈥潯sked the magistrix。 her voice sounded calm； but sabriel felt the charter symbols gathering in her voice； forming on her tongue鈥攕ymbols that would unleash lightning and flame； the destructive powers of the earth。
鈥渋t鈥檚 not obviously malign； nor has it attempted any actual harm 。 。 。鈥潯eplied sabriel slowly； her mind working over the possibilities。 she was used to explaining purely necromantic aspects of magic to miss greenwood。 the magistrix had taught her charter magic； but necromancy was definitely not on the syllabus。 sabriel had learned more than she wanted to know about necromancy from her father 。 。 。 and the dead themselves。
鈥渄on鈥檛 do anything for a moment。 i will attempt to speak with it。鈥�
the cold washed over her again； biting into her； as the river gushed around her legs； eager to pull her over and carry her away。 sabriel exerted her will； and the cold became simply a sensation； without danger； the current merely a pleasing vibration about the feet。
the creature was close now； as it was in the living world。 sabriel held out both her hands； and clapped； the sharp sound echoing for longer than it would anywhere else。 before the echo died； sabriel whistled several notes； and they echoed too； sweet sounds within the harshness of the handclap。
the thing flinched at the sound and stepped back； putting both hands to its ears。 as it did so； it dropped the sack。 sabriel started in surprise。
she hadn鈥檛 noticed the sack before； possibly because she hadn鈥檛 expected it to be there。 very few inanimate things existed in both realms； the living and the dead。
she was even more surprised as the creature suddenly bent forward and plunged into the water； hands searching for the sack。 it found it almost at once； but not without losing its footing。 as the sack surfaced； the current forced the creature under。 sabriel breathed a sigh of relief as she saw it slide away； then gasped as its head broke the surface and it cried out： 鈥渟abriel！ my messenger！ take the sack！鈥潯he voice was abhorsen鈥檚。
sabriel ran forward and an arm pushed out towards her； the neck of the sack clutched in its fingers。 she reached out； missed； then tried again。 the sack was secure in her grasp； as the current took the creature pletely under。
sabriel looked after it； hearing the roar of the first gate suddenly increase as it always did when someone passed its falls。 she turned and started to slog back against the current to a point where she could easily return to life。 the sack in her hand was heavy and there was a leaden feeling in her stomach。 if the messenger was truly abhorsen鈥檚； then he himself was unable to return to the realm