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sitting on the upturned drum。 horyse took it； but turned to sabriel before the signaler wound the charging handle。
鈥渁re there any preparations to be made before we remove the last blocks？ magical ones； i mean。鈥�
sabriel thought for a moment； willing her tiredness away； then shook her head。 鈥渋 don鈥檛 think so。 once we have access to the sarcophagus； we may have to spell it open鈥攊鈥檒l need everyone鈥檚 help for that。 then； the final rites on the body鈥攖he usual cremation spell。 there will be resistance then； too。 have your men often cast charter magic in concert？鈥�
鈥渦nfortunately； no；鈥潯eplied horyse； frowning。
鈥渂ecause the army doesn鈥檛 officially admit the existence of charter magic； everyone here is basically self…taught。鈥�
鈥渘ever mind；鈥潯abriel said； trying to sound confident； aware that everyone around her was listening。 鈥渨e鈥檒l manage。鈥�
鈥済ood；鈥潯eplied horyse； smiling。 that made him look very confident； thought sabriel。 she tried to smile too； but was uncertain about the result。 it felt too much like a grimace of pain。
鈥渨ell； let鈥檚 see where our uninvited guest has got to；鈥潯oryse continued； still smiling。 鈥渨here does this phone connect to； sergeant？鈥�
鈥渂ain police；鈥潯eplied the signals sergeant； winding the charging handle vigorously。 鈥渁nd army hq north； sir。 you鈥檒l have to ask corporal synge to switch you。 he鈥檚 on the board at the village。鈥�
鈥済ood；鈥潯eplied horyse。 鈥渉ello。 oh； synge？ put me through to bain。 no； tell north you can鈥檛 get through to me。 yes； that鈥檚 right； corporal。
thank you 。 。 。 ah 。 。 。 bainshire constabulary？ it鈥檚 colonel horyse。 i want to speak to chief superintendent dingley 。 。 。 yes。 hello； superintendent。 have you had any reports of a strange； dense fog 。 。 。 what！ already！ no； on no account investigate。 get everyone in。 shutter the windows 。 。 。 yes； the usual drill。 yes； whatever is in 。 。 。 yes； extraordinarily dangerous 。 。 。
hello！ hello！鈥�
he put the handset down slowly； and pointed back up the hill。
鈥渢he fog is already moving through the northern part of bain。 it must be going much faster。 is it possible that this kerrigor could know what we鈥檙e up to？鈥�
鈥測es；鈥潯eplied sabriel and touchstone； together。
鈥渨e鈥檇 better get a move on then；鈥潯oryse announced； looking at his watch。 鈥渋鈥檇 say we now have less than forty minutes。鈥�
w w w。 xiao shuotxt。 co m
chapter xxvii
锛堝皬锛忥紡璇达紡锛弔锛忥紡xt锝�//澶�//鍫傦級
the last blocks came away slowly； pulled out by sweating； white…faced men； their hands and legs shivering； breath ragged。 as soon as the way was clear； they staggered back； away from the cairn； seeking patches of sunlight to bat the dreadful chill that seemed to eat at their bones。 one soldier； a dapper man with a white…blond moustache； fell down the hill； and lay retching； till stretcher…bearers ran up to take him away。
sabriel looked at the dark hole in the cairn； and saw the faint； unsettling sheen from the bronze sarcophagus within。 she felt sick too； with the hair on the back of her neck frizzing up； skin crawling。 the air seemed thick with the reek of free magic； a hard； metallic taste in her mouth。
鈥渨e will have to spell it open；鈥潯he announced； with a sinking heart。 鈥渢he sarcophagus is very strongly protected。 i think 。 。 。 the best thing would be if i go in with touchstone taking my hand； horyse his； and so on； to form a line reinforcement of the charter magic。 does everyone know the charter marks for the opening spell？鈥�
the soldiers nodded； or said； 鈥測es； ma鈥檃m。鈥�
one said； 鈥測es； abhorsen。鈥�
sabriel looked at him。 a middle…aged corporal； with the chevrons of long service on his sleeve。 he seemed one of the least affected by the free magic。
鈥測ou can call me sabriel； if you want；鈥潯he said； strangely unsettled by what he had called her。
the corporal shook his head。 鈥渘o； miss。 i knew your dad。 you鈥檙e just like him。 the abhorsen； now。 you鈥檒l make this dead bugger鈥敗egging your pardon鈥攚ish he鈥檇 stayed properly bloody dead。鈥�
鈥渢hank you；鈥潯abriel replied； uncertainly。
she knew the corporal didn鈥檛 have the sight鈥敗ou could always tell鈥攂ut his belief in her was so concrete 。 。 。
鈥渉e鈥檚 right；鈥潯aid touchstone。 he gestured for her to go in front of him； making a courtly bow。
鈥渓et鈥檚 finish what we came to do； abhorsen。鈥�
sabriel bowed back； in a motion that had almost the feel of ritual about it。 the abhorsen bowing to the king。 then she took a deep breath； her face settling into a determined mold。
beginning to form the charter marks of opening in her mind； she took touchstone鈥檚 hand and advanced towards the open cairn； its dark； shadowy interior in stark contrast with the sunlit thistles and the tumbled stones。 behind her； touchstone half…turned to take horyse鈥檚 calloused hand as well； the colonel鈥檚 other hand already gripping lieutenant aire鈥檚； aire gripping a sergeant鈥檚； the sergeant the long…service corporal鈥檚； and so on down the hillside。 fourteen charter mages in all； if only two of the first rank。
sabriel felt the charter magic welling up the line； the marks glowing brighter and brighter in her mind； till she almost lost her normal vision in their brilliance。 she shuffled forwards into the cairn； each step bringing that all…too…familiar nausea； the pins and needles； uncontrollable shaking。 but the marks were strong in her mind； stronger than the sickness。
she reached the bronze sarcophagus； slapped her hand down and let the charter magic go。
instantly； there was an explosion of light； and a terrible scream echoed all through the cairn。 the bronze grew hot； and sabriel snatched back her hand； the palm red and blistered。 a second later； steam billowed out all around the sarcophagus； great gouts of scalding steam； forcing sabriel out； the whole line going down like dominoes； tumbling out of the cairn and down the hill。
sabriel and touchstone were thrown together； about five yards down from the entrance to the cairn。 somehow； sabriel鈥檚 head had landed on touchstone鈥檚 stomach。 his head was on a thistle； but both of them lay still for a moment； drained by the magic and the strength of the free magic defenses。 they looked up at the blue sky； already tinged with the red of the impending sunset。
around them there was much swearing and cursing； as the soldiers picked themselves up。
鈥渋t didn鈥檛 open；鈥潯abriel said； in a quiet； matter…of…fact voice。 鈥渨e don鈥檛 have the power； or the skill鈥斺��
she paused； and then added； 鈥渋 wish mogget wasn鈥檛 。 。 。 i wish he was here。 he鈥檇 think of something 。 。 。鈥�
touchstone was silent； then he said； 鈥渨e need more charter mages鈥攊t would work if the marks were reinforced enough。鈥�
鈥渕ore charter mages；鈥潯abriel said tiredly。
鈥渨e鈥檙e on the wrong side of the wall 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渨hat about your school？鈥潯sked touchstone； and then 鈥渙w！鈥潯s sabriel suddenly shot up； disrupting his balance； then 鈥渙w！鈥潯gain as she bent down and kissed him； pushing his head further into the thistle。
鈥渢ouchstone！ i should have thought 。 。 。 the senior magic classes。 the