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鈥渨e escorted him in and he met with the general manding the garrison。 i don鈥檛 know what they agreed； but i imagine it was for abhorsen to bind the dead and； in return； he was to be granted citizenship of ancelstierre and freedom to cross the wall。 he certainly had the two passports after that。 in any case； he spent the next few months carving the wind flutes you can see among the wire 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渁h！鈥潯xclaimed sabriel。 鈥渋 wondered what they were。 wind flutes。 that explains a lot。鈥�
鈥渋鈥檓 glad you understand；鈥潯aid the colonel。 鈥渋 still don鈥檛。 for one thing； they make no sound no matter how hard the wind blows through them。 they have charter symbols on them i had never seen before he carved them； and have never seen again anywhere else。 but when he started placing them 。 。 。 one a night 。 。 。 the dead just gradually disappeared； and no new ones rose。鈥�
they reached the far end of the parade ground； where another scarlet sign stood next to a munication trench； proclaiming： 鈥減erimeter garrison hq。 call and wait for sentry。鈥�
a telephone handset and a bell…chain proclaimed the usual dichotomy of the perimeter。
colonel horyse picked up the handset； wound the handle； listened for a moment； then replaced it。 frowning； he pulled the bell…chain three times in quick succession。
鈥渁nyway；鈥潯e continued； as they waited for the sentry。 鈥渨hatever it was； it worked。 so we are deeply indebted to abhorsen； and that makes his daughter an honored guest。鈥�
鈥渋 may be less honored and more reviled as a messenger of ill omen；鈥潯aid sabriel quietly。 she hesitated； for it was hard to talk about abhorsen without tears ing to her eyes； then continued quickly； to get it over and done with。 鈥渢he reason i am going into the old kingdom is to 。 。 。
to look for my father。 something has happened to him。鈥�
鈥渋 had hoped there was another reason for you to carry his sword；鈥潯aid horyse。 he moved the skis into the crook of his left arm； freeing his right； to return the salute of the two sentries who were running at the double up the munication trench； hobnails clacking on the wooden slats。
鈥渢here is worse； i think；鈥潯dded sabriel； taking a deep breath to stop her voice from breaking into sobs。 鈥渉e is trapped in death 。 。 。 or 。 。 。 or he may even be dead。 and his bindings will be broken。鈥�
鈥渢he wind flutes？鈥潯sked horyse； grounding the end of the skis； his salute dying out halfway to his head。 鈥渁ll the dead here？鈥�
鈥渢he flutes play a song only heard in death；鈥�
replied sabriel； 鈥渃ontinuing a binding laid down by abhorsen。 but the bound are tied to him； and the flutes will have no power if 。 。 。 they will have no power if abhorsen is now among the dead。
they will bind no more。鈥�
w w w。 xiao shuotxt。 co m
chapter III
灏彛昏t；xt；澶诲爞
鈥渋 am not one to blame a messenger for her tidings；鈥潯aid horyse； as he handed a cup of tea over to sabriel； who was sitting on what looked like the only fortable chair in the dugout which was the colonel鈥檚 headquarters； 鈥渂ut you bring the worst news i have heard for many years。鈥�
鈥渁t least i am a living messenger 。 。 。 and a friendly one；鈥潯abriel said quietly。 she hadn鈥檛 really thought beyond her own concern for her father。 now； she was beginning to expand her knowledge of him； to understand that he was more than just her father； that he was many different things to different people。 her simple image of him鈥攔elaxing in the armchair of her study at wyverley college； chatting about her schoolwork； ancelstierre technology； charter magic and necromancy鈥攚as a limited view； like a painting that only captured one dimension of the man。
鈥渉ow long do we have until abhorsen鈥檚 bindings are broken？鈥潯sked horyse； breaking into sabriel鈥檚 remembrance of her father。 the image she had of her father reaching for a teacup in her study disappeared； banished by real tea slopping over in her enamel mug and burning her fingers。
鈥渙h！ excuse me。 i wasn鈥檛 thinking 。 。 。 how long till what？鈥�
鈥渢he binding of the dead；鈥潯he colonel reiterated； patiently。 鈥渉ow long till the bindings fail； and the dead are free？鈥�
sabriel thought back to her father鈥檚 lessons； and the ancient grimoire she鈥檇 spent every holiday slowly memorizing。 the book of the dead it was called and parts of it still made her shudder。
it looked innocuous enough； bound in green leather； with tarnished silver clasps。 but if you looked closely； both leather and silver were etched with charter marks。 marks of binding and blinding； closing and imprisonment。 only a trained necromancer could open that book 。 。 。
and only an uncorrupted charter mage could close it。 her father had brought it with him on his visits； and always took it away again at the end。
鈥渋t depends；鈥潯he said slowly； forcing herself to consider the question objectively； without letting emotion interfere。 she tried to recall the pages that showed the carving of the wind flutes； the chapters on music and the nature of sound in the binding of the dead。 鈥渋f father 。 。 。 if abhorsen is 。 。 。 truly dead； the wind flutes will simply fall apart under the light of the next full moon。 if he is trapped before the ninth gate； the binding will continue until the full moon after he passes beyond； or a particularly strong spirit breaks the weakened bonds。鈥�
鈥渟o the moon will tell； in time；鈥潯aid horyse。
鈥渨e have fourteen days till it is full。鈥�
鈥渋t is possible i could bind the dead anew；鈥�
sabriel said cautiously。 鈥渋 mean； i haven鈥檛 done it on this sort of scale。 but i know how。 the only thing is； if father isn鈥檛 。 。 。 isn鈥檛 beyond the ninth gate； then i need to help him as soon as i can。 and before i can do that； i must get to his house and gather a few things 。 。 。 check some references。鈥�
鈥渉ow far is this house beyond the wall？鈥潯sked horyse； a calculating look on his face。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 know；鈥潯eplied sabriel。
鈥渨hat？鈥�
鈥渋 don鈥檛 know。 i haven鈥檛 been there since i was about four。 i think it鈥檚 supposed to be a secret。
father had many enemies； not just among the dead。 petty necromancers； free magic sorcerers； witches鈥斺��
鈥測ou don鈥檛 seem disturbed by your lack of directions；鈥潯nterrupted the colonel dryly。 for the first time； a hint of doubt； even fatherly condescension； had crept into his voice； as if sabriel鈥檚 youth undermined the respect due to her as both a charter mage and necromancer。
鈥渇ather taught me to how to call a guide who will give me directions；鈥潯eplied sabriel coolly。
鈥渁nd i know it鈥檚 less than four days鈥櫋ravel away。鈥�
that silenced horyse； at least for the moment。
he nodded and； standing cautiously； so his head didn鈥檛 hit the exposed beams of the dugout； he walked over to a steel filing cabinet that was rusting from the dark brown mud that oozed between the pale planks of the revetment。
opening the cabinet with a practiced heave of considerable force； he found a mimeographed map and rolled it out on the table。
鈥渨e鈥檝e never been able to get our hands on a genuine old kingdom map。 your father had one； but he was the only person who coul