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urther into the thistle。
鈥渢ouchstone！ i should have thought 。 。 。 the senior magic classes。 there must be thirty…five girls with the charter mark and the basic skills。鈥�
鈥済ood；鈥潯uttered touchstone； from the depths of the thistle。 sabriel put out her hands； and helped him up； smelling the sweat on him； and the fresh； pungent odor of crushed thistles。
he was halfway up when she suddenly seemed to lose her enthusiasm； and he almost fell back down again。
鈥渢he girls are there；鈥潯aid sabriel； slowly； as if thinking aloud。 鈥渂ut have i any right to involve them in something that 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渢hey鈥檙e involved anyway；鈥潯nterrupted touchstone。 鈥渢he only reason that ancelstierre isn鈥檛 like the old kingdom is the wall； and it won鈥檛 last once kerrigor breaks the remaining stones。鈥�
鈥渢hey鈥檙e only schoolchildren；鈥潯abriel said sadly。 鈥渇or all we always thought we were grown women。鈥�
鈥渨e need them；鈥潯aid touchstone； again。
鈥測es；鈥潯aid sabriel； turning back towards the knot of men gathered as close as they dared to the cairn。 horyse； and some of the stronger charter mages； peering back towards the entrance and the shimmering bronze within。
鈥渢he spell failed；鈥潯abriel said。 鈥渂ut touchstone has just reminded me where we can get more charter mages。鈥�
horyse looked at her； urgency in his face。
鈥渨here？鈥�
鈥渨yverley college。 my old school。 the fifth and sixth form magic classes； and their teacher； magistrix greenwood。 it鈥檚 less than a mile away。鈥�
鈥渋 don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e got time to get a message there； and get them over here；鈥潯oryse began； looking up at the setting sun； then at his watch鈥敗hich was now going backwards。 he looked puzzled for a moment； then ignored it。 鈥渂ut 。 。 。
do you think it would be possible to move the sarcophagus？鈥�
sabriel thought about the protective spell that she鈥檇 encountered； then answered。 鈥測es。 most of the wards were on the cairn； for concealment。
there鈥檚 nothing to stop us moving the sarcophagus； save the side effects of the free magic。 if we can stand the sickness； we can shift it鈥斺��
鈥渁nd wyverly college鈥攊t鈥檚 an old； solid building？鈥�
鈥渕ore like a castle than anything；鈥潯eplied sabriel； seeing the way he was thinking。 鈥渆asier to defend than this hill。鈥�
鈥渞unning water 。 。 。 no？ that would be too much to hope for。 right！ private macking； run down to major tindall and tell him that i want his pany ready to move in two minutes。
we鈥檙e going back to the trucks； then on to wyverley college鈥攊t鈥檚 on the map； about a mile 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渟outh…west；鈥潯abriel provided。
鈥渟outh…west。 repeat that back。鈥�
private macking repeated the message in a slow drawl； then ran off； clearly keen to get away from the cairn。 horyse turned to the longservice corporal and said； 鈥渃orporal anshey。
you look pretty fit。 do you think you could get a rope around that coffin？鈥�
鈥渞eckon so； sir；鈥潯eplied corporal anshey。 he detached a coil of rope from his webbing as he spoke； and gestured with his hand to the other soldiers。
鈥渆 on you blokes； get yer ropes out。鈥�
twenty minutes later； the sarcophagus was being lifted by shear…legs and rope aboard a horse…drawn wagon； appropriated from a local farmer。 as sabriel had expected； dragging it within twenty yards of the trucks stopped their engines； put out electric lights and disrupted the telephone。
curiously； the horse； a placid old mare； didn鈥檛 seem overly frightened by the gleaming sarcophagus； despite its bronze surface sluggishly crawling with stomach…churning perversions of charter marks。 she wasn鈥檛 a happy horse； but not a panicked one either。
鈥渨e鈥檒l have to drive the wagon；鈥潯abriel said to touchstone； as the soldiers pushed the suspended coffin aboard with long poles； and collapsed the shear…legs。 鈥渋 don鈥檛 think the scouts can withstand the sickness much longer。鈥�
touchstone shuddered。 like everyone else； he was pale； eyes red…rimmed； his nose dripping and teeth chattering。 鈥渋鈥檓 not sure i can； either。鈥�
nevertheless； when the last rope was twitched off； and the soldiers hurried away； touchstone climbed up to the driver鈥檚 seat and picked up the reins。 sabriel climbed up next to him； suppressing the feeling that her stomach was about to rise into her mouth。 she didn鈥檛 look back at the sarcophagus。
touchstone said 鈥渢ch…tch鈥潯o the horse； and flicked the reins。 the mare鈥檚 ears went up； and she took up the load； pacing forwards。 it was not a quick pace。
鈥渋s this as fast as 。 。 。鈥潯abriel said anxiously。
they had a mile to cover； and the sun was already bloody； a red disc balanced on the line of the horizon。
鈥渋t鈥檚 a heavy load；鈥潯ouchstone answered slowly； quick breaths ing between his words； as if he found it difficult to speak。 鈥渨e鈥檒l be there before the light goes。鈥�
the sarcophagus seemed to buzz and chuckle behind them。 neither of them mentioned that kerrigor might arrive； fog…wreathed； before the night did。 sabriel found herself looking behind every few seconds； back along the road。 this meant catching glimpses of the vilely shifting surface of the coffin； but she couldn鈥檛 help it。 the shadows were lengthening； and every time she caught a glimpse of some tree鈥檚 pale bark； or a whitewashed mile marker； fear twitched in her gut。 was that fog curling down the road？ wyverley college seemed much farther than a mile。 the sun was only a three…quarter disc by the time they saw the trucks turn off the road； turning up the bricked drive that led to the wrought…iron gates of wyverley college。 home； thought sabriel for a moment。 but that was no longer true。 it had been home for the better part of her life； but that was past。 it was the home of her childhood； when she was only sabriel。 now； she was also abhorsen。 now； her home lay in the old kingdom； as did her responsibilities。
but like her； these traveled。
electric lights burned brightly in the two antique glass lanterns on either side of the gate； but they dimmed to mere sparks as the wagon and its strange cargo drove through。 one of the gates was off its hinges； and sabriel realized the soldiers must have forced their way through。 it was unusual for the gates to be locked before full dark。 they must have closed them when they heard the bells； sabriel realized； and that alerted her to something else 。 。 。
鈥渢he bell in the village；鈥潯he exclaimed； as the wagon passed several parked trucks and wheeled around to stop near the huge； gate…like doors to the main building of the school。 鈥渢he bell鈥攊t鈥檚 stopped。鈥�
touchstone brought the wagon to a halt； and listened； cocking an ear towards the darkening sky。 true enough； they could no longer hear the wyverley village bell。
鈥渋t is a mile；鈥潯e said； hesitantly。 鈥減erhaps we鈥檙e too far； the wind 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渘o；鈥潯aid sabriel。 she felt the air； cool with evening； still on her face。 there was no wind。
鈥測ou could always hear it here。 kerrigor has reached the village。 we need to get the sarcophagus inside； quickly！鈥�
she jumped down from the wagon； and ran over to horyse； who was standing on the steps outside the part