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awareness of her enemies； like a darkness always clouding the edge of her vision。 鈥渨e will go now。 my good wishes stay with you； and my hopes for your safety。鈥�
鈥渕ay the charter preserve us all；鈥潯dded touchstone； bowing to the old man。 the elder bowed back； a bent； solemn figure； so much smaller than his shadow； looming tall on the wall behind。
sabriel turned to go； but a long line of villagers was forming on the way to the door。 all of them wanted to bow or curtsey before her； to mutter shy thank…yous and farewells。 sabriel accepted them with embarrassment and guilt； remembering patar。 true； she had banished the dead； but another life had been lost in the doing。 her father would not have been so clumsy 。 。 。
the second…to…last person in the line was a little girl； her black hair tied in two plaits； one on either side of her head。 seeing her made sabriel remember something touchstone had said。 she stopped； and took the girl鈥檚 hands in her own。
鈥渨hat is your name； little one？鈥潯he asked； smiling。 a feeling of d茅j脿 vu swept over her as the small fingers met hers鈥攖he memory of a frightened first…grader hesitantly reaching out to the older pupil who would be her guide for the first day at wyverley college。 sabriel had experienced both sides； in her time。
鈥渁line；鈥潯aid the girl； smiling back。 her eyes were bright and lively； too young to be dimmed by the frightened despair that clouded the adults鈥櫋aze。 a good choice； sabriel thought。
鈥渘ow； tell me what you have learned in your lessons about the great charter；鈥潯abriel said； adopting the familiar； motherly and generally irrelevant questioning tone of the school inspector who鈥檇 descended on every class in wyverley twice a year。
鈥渋 know the rhyme 。 。 。鈥潯eplied aline； a little doubtfully； her small forehead crinkling。 鈥渟hall i sing it； like we do in class？鈥�
sabriel nodded。
鈥渨e dance around the stone； too；鈥潯line added； confidingly。 she stood up straighter； put one foot forward； and took her hands away to clasp them behind her back。
five great charters knit the land together linked； hand in hand one in the people who wear the crown two in the folk who keep the dead down three and five became stone and mortar four sees all in frozen water。
鈥渢hank you； aline；鈥潯abriel said。 鈥渢hat was very nice。鈥�
she ruffled the child鈥檚 hair and hastened through the final farewells； suddenly keen to get out of the smoke and the fish…smell； out into the clean； rainy air where she could think。
鈥渟o now you know；鈥潯hispered mogget； jumping up into her arms to escape the puddles。
鈥渋 still can鈥檛 tell you； but you know one鈥檚 in your blood。鈥�
鈥渢wo；鈥潯eplied sabriel distantly。 鈥溾�榯wo in the folk who keep the dead down。鈥櫋o what is the 。 。 。 ah 。 。 。 i can鈥檛 talk about it either！鈥�
but she thought about the questions she鈥檇 like to ask； as touchstone helped her aboard the small fishing vessel that lay just off the tiny； shell…laden beach that served the island as a harbor。
one of the great charters lay in the royal blood。 the second lay in abhorsen鈥檚。 what were three and five； and four that saw all in frozen water？ she felt certain that many answers could be found in belisaere。 her father could probably answer more； for many things that were bound in life were unraveled in death。 and there was her mother…sending； for that third and final questioning in this seven years。
touchstone pushed off； clambered aboard and took the oars。 mogget leapt out of sabriel鈥檚 arms； and assumed a figurehead position near the prow； serving as a night…sighted lookout； while mocking touchstone at the same time。
back on shore； the mordicant suddenly howled； a long； piercing cry that echoed far across the water； chilling hearts on both boat and island。
鈥渂ear a bit more to starboard；鈥潯aid mogget； in the silence after the howl faded。 鈥渨e need more sea…room。鈥�
touchstone was quick to ply。
chapter xviii
灏忥伎璇磘xt澶╋伎鍫�
by the morning of the sixth day out of nestowe； sabriel was heartily tired of nautical life。 they鈥檇 sailed virtually non…stop all that time； only putting into shore at noon for fresh water； and only then when it was sunny。
nights were spent under sail； or； when exhaustion claimed touchstone； hove…to with a sea anchor； the unsleeping mogget standing watch。
fortunately； the weather had been kind。
it had been a relatively uneventful five days。
two days from nestowe to beardy point； an unprepossessing peninsula whose only interesting features were a sandy…bottomed beach and a clear stream。 devoid of life； it was also devoid of the dead。 here； for the first time； sabriel could no longer sense the pursuing mordicant。 a good； strong； south…easterly had propelled them； reaching northwards； at too fast a pace for it to follow。
three days from beardy point to the island of ilgard； its rocky cliffs climbing sheer from the sea； a grey and pockmarked tenement； home to tens of thousands of seabirds。 they passed it late in the afternoon； their single sail stretched to bursting； clinker…built hull heeling well over； bow slicing up a column of spray that salted mouths； eyes and bodies。
it was half a day from ilgard to the belis mouth； that narrow strait that led to the sea of saere。 but that was tricky sailing； so they spent the night hove…to just out of sight of ilgard； to wait for the light of day。
鈥渢here is a boom…chain across the belis mouth；鈥潯ouchstone explained； as he raised the sail and sabriel hauled the sea anchor in over the bow。 the sun was rising behind him； but had not yet pulled itself out of the sea； so he was no more than a dim shadow in the stern。 鈥渋t was built to keep pirates and suchlike out of the sea of saere。 you won鈥檛 believe the size of it鈥攊 can鈥檛 imagine how it was forged； or strung across。鈥�
鈥渨ill it still be there？鈥潯abriel asked； cautiously； not wanting to prevent touchstone鈥檚 strangely talkative mood。
鈥渋鈥檓 sure of it；鈥潯eplied touchstone。 鈥渨e鈥檒l see the towers on the opposite shores first。 winding post； to the south； and boom hook to the north。鈥�
鈥渘ot very imaginative names；鈥潯ented sabriel； unable to help herself from interrupting。
it was just such a pleasure to talk！ touchstone had lapsed back into non…munication for most of the voyage； though he did have a good excuse鈥攈andling the fishing boat for eighteen hours a day； even in good weather； didn鈥檛 leave much energy for conversation。
鈥渢hey鈥檙e named after their purpose；鈥潯eplied touchstone。 鈥渨hich makes sense。鈥�
鈥渨ho decides whether to let vessels past the chain？鈥潯sked sabriel。 already； she was thinking ahead； wondering about belisaere。 could it be like nestowe鈥攖he city abandoned； riddled with the dead？ 鈥渁h；鈥潯aid touchstone。 鈥渋 hadn鈥檛 thought about that。 in my time； there was a royal boom master； with a force of guards and a squadron of small； picket ships。 if； as mogget says； the city has fallen into anarchy 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渢here may also be people working for； or in alliance with； the dead；鈥潯abriel added thoughtfully。
鈥渟o even if we cross the boom in daylight； there could be trouble。 i