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sabriel (the abhorsen trilogy)_加斯·尼克斯-第73章

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behind the thick stone walls and shuttered windows of the great hall; the gunfire could almost be mistaken for extremely heavy hail; with grenades for thunderclaps; but not if you  knew what it was。 sabriel walked into the center of the hall; and shouted。

鈥渃harter mages! please e here。鈥

they came; the young women quicker than the soldiers; who were showing the weariness of the day鈥檚 work; and proximity to the sarcophagus。

sabriel looked at the students; their faces bright and open; a thin layer of fear laid over excitement at the spice of the unknown。 two of her best schoolfriends; sulyn and ellimere; were among the crowd; but she felt far distant from them now。 she probably looked it too; she thought; seeing respect and something like wonder in their eyes。 even the charter marks on their foreheads looked like fragile cosmetic replicas; though she knew they were real。 it was so unfair that they had to be caught up in this 。 。 。

sabriel opened her mouth to speak; and the noise of gunfire suddenly ceased; almost on cue。

in the silence; one of the girls giggled nervously。

sabriel; however; suddenly felt many deaths e at once; and a familiar dread touched her spine with cold fingers。 kerrigor was closing in。

it was his power that had stilled the guns; not a lessening of the assault。 faintly; she could hear shouts and even 。 。 。 screams 。 。 。 from outside。

they would be fighting with older weapons now。

鈥渜uickly;鈥潯he said; walking towards the sarcophagus as she spoke。 鈥渨e must make a handfast ring around the sarcophagus。 magistrix; if you would place everyone鈥攍ieutenant; please put your men in among the girls 。 。 。鈥

anywhere else; at any other time; there would have been ribald jokes and giggles about that。

here; with the dead about the building; and the sarcophagus brooding in their midst; it was simply an instruction。 men moved quickly to their places; the young women took their hands purposefully。

in a few seconds; the sarcophagus was ringed by charter mages。

linked by touch now; sabriel didn鈥檛 need to speak。 she could feel everyone in the ring。

touchstone; to her right; a familiar and powerful warmth。 miss greenwood; to her left; less powerful; but not without skill鈥攁nd so on; right around the ring。

slowly; sabriel brought the charter marks of opening to the forefront of her mind。 the marks grew; power flowing round and round the ring; growing in force till it started to project inwards; like the narrowing vortex of a whirlpool。 golden light began to stream about the sarcophagus;  visible streaks rotating clockwise around it; with greater and greater speed。

still sabriel kept the power of the charter magic flowing into the center; drawing on everything the charter mages could produce。 soldiers and schoolgirls wavered; and some fell to their knees; but the hands stayed linked; the circle plete。

slowly; the sarcophagus itself began turning on the platform; with a hideous shrieking noise; like an enormous unoiled hinge。 steam jetted forth from under its lid; but the golden light whisked it away。 still shrieking; the sarcophagus began to spin faster and faster; till it was a blur of bronze; white steam and yolk…yellow light。

then; with a scream more piercing than any before; it suddenly stopped; the lid flying off to hurtle over the charter mages鈥櫋eads; smashing into the floor a good thirty paces away。

the charter magic went too; as if earthed by its success; and the ring collapsed with fewer than half the participants still on their feet。

wavering; her hands still tightly gripped by touchstone and the magistrix; sabriel tottered over to the sarcophagus and looked in。

鈥渨hy;鈥潯aid miss greenwood; with a startled  glance back up at touchstone; 鈥渉e looks just like you!鈥

before touchstone could answer; steel clashed outside in the corridor; and the shouting grew louder。 those scouts still standing drew their swords and rushed to the doors鈥攂ut before they could reach them; other soldiers were pouring in; bloodied; terrified soldiers; who ran to the corners; or threw themselves down; and sobbed; or laughed; or shook in silence。

behind this rush came some of the heavily armored soldiery of the corridor。 these men still had some semblance of control。 instead of running on; they hurled themselves back against the doors; and dropped the bar in place。

鈥渉e鈥檚 inside the main doors!鈥潯ne of them shouted back towards sabriel; his face white with terror。 there was no doubt about who 鈥渉e鈥

was。

鈥渜uick; the final rites!鈥潯abriel snapped。 she drew her hands from the others鈥櫋rasp; and held them out over the body; forming the marks for fire; cleansing and peace in her mind。 she didn鈥檛 look too closely at the body。 rogir did look very much like a sleeping; defenseless touchstone。

she was tired; and there were still free magic  protections around the body; but the first mark soon lingered in the air。 touchstone had transferred his hand to her shoulder; pouring power into her。 others of the circle had crept up and linked hands again鈥攁nd suddenly sabriel felt a stirring of relief。 they were going to make it鈥敗errigor鈥檚 human body would be destroyed; and the greater part of his power with it 。 。 。

then the whole of the northern wall exploded; bricks cascading out; red dust blowing in like a solid wave; knocking everyone down in blinding; choking ruin。

sabriel lay on the floor; coughing; hands pushing feebly on the floor; knees scrabbling as she tried to get up。 there was dust and grit in her eyes; and the lanterns had all gone out。 blind; she felt around her; but there was only the stillscalding bronze of the sarcophagus。

鈥渢he blood price must be paid;鈥潯aid a crackling; inhuman voice。 a familiar voice; though not the liquid; ruined tones of kerrigor 。 。 。 but the terrible speech of the night in holehallow; when the paperwing burned。

blinking furiously; sabriel crawled away from the sound; around the sarcophagus。 it didn鈥檛 speak again immediately; but she could hear it  closing in; the air crackling and buzzing at its passage。

鈥渋 must deliver my last burden;鈥潯he creature said。 鈥渢hen the bargain is done; and i may turn to retribution。鈥

sabriel blinked again; tears streaming down her face。 vision slowly came back; a picture woven with tears and the first rays of moonlight streaming through the shattered wall; a picture blurred with the red dust of pulverized bricks。

all sabriel鈥檚 senses were screaming inside her。

free magic; the dead; danger all around 。 。 。

the creature that had once been mogget blazed a little more than five yards away。 it was squatter than it had appeared previously; but equally misshapen; a lumpy body slowly drifting towards her atop a column of twisting; whirling energies。

a soldier suddenly leapt up behind it; driving a sword deep into its back。 it hardly noticed; but the man screamed and burst into white flames。

within a second; he was consumed; his sword a molten lump of metal; scorching the thick oak planks of the floor。

鈥渋 bring you abhorsen鈥檚 sword;鈥潯he creature said; dropping a long; dimly seen object to one  side。 鈥渁nd the bell called 
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