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e？鈥�
he hesitated； then mumbled； 鈥渋 can鈥檛 remember； milady。 please； call me 。 。 。 call me touchstone。鈥�
鈥渢ouchstone？鈥潯sked sabriel。 that sounded familiar； but she couldn鈥檛 place it for a moment。
鈥渢ouchstone？ but that鈥檚 a jester鈥檚 name； a fool鈥檚 name。 why call you that？鈥�
鈥渢hat鈥檚 what i am；鈥潯e said dully； without inflection。
鈥渨ell； i have to call you something；鈥潯abriel continued。 鈥渢ouchstone。 you know； there is the tradition of a wise fool； so perhaps it鈥檚 not so bad。 i guess you think you鈥檙e a fool because you鈥檝e been imprisoned as a figurehead鈥攁nd in death； of course。鈥�
鈥渋n death！鈥潯xclaimed touchstone。 he looked up and his grey eyes met sabriel鈥檚。 surprisingly； he had a clear； intelligent gaze。 perhaps there is some hope for him after all； she thought； as she explained： 鈥測our spirit was somehow preserved just beyond the border of death； and your body preserved as the wooden figurehead。 both necromantic and free magic would have been involved。 very powerful magic； on both counts。
i am curious as to why it was used on you。鈥�
touchstone looked away again； and sabriel sensed a certain shiftiness； or embarrassment。
she guessed that the forthing explanation would be a half…truth； at best。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 remember very well；鈥潯e said； slowly。
鈥渢hough things are ing back。 i am 。 。 。 i was 。 。 。 a guardsman。 the royal guard。 there was some sort of attack upon the queen 。 。 。
an ambush in the鈥攁t the bottom of the stairs。
i remember fighting； with blade and charter magic鈥攚e were all charter mages； all the guard。 i thought we were safe； but there was treachery 。 。 。 then 。 。 。 i was here。 i don鈥檛 know how。鈥�
sabriel listened carefully； wondering how much of what he said was true。 it was likely that his memory was impaired； but he possibly was a royal guard。 perhaps he had cast a diamond of protection 。 。 。 that could have been why his enemies could only imprison him； rather than kill。 but； surely they could have waited till it failed。 why the bizarre method of imprisonment？ and； most importantly； how did the figurehead manage to get placed in this most protected of places？ she filed all these questions for later investigation； for another thought had struck her。 if he really was a royal guard； the queen he had guarded must have been dead and gone for at least two hundred years and； with her； everyone and everything he knew。
鈥測ou have been a prisoner for a long time；鈥潯he said gently； uncertain about how to break the news。 鈥渉ave you 。 。 。 i mean did you 。 。 。 well； what i mean is it鈥檚 been a very long time鈥斺��
鈥渢wo hundred years；鈥潯hispered touchstone。
鈥測our minion told me。鈥�
鈥測our family 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渋 have none；鈥潯e said。 his expression was set； as immobile as the carved wood of the previous day。 carefully； he reached over and drew one of his swords； offering it to sabriel hilt…first。
鈥渋 would serve you； milady； to fight against the enemies of the kingdom。鈥�
sabriel didn鈥檛 take the sword； though his plea made her reflexively reach out。 but a moment鈥檚 thought closed her open palm； and her arm fell back to her side。 she looked at mogget； who was watching the proceedings with unabashed interest。
鈥渨hat have you told him； mogget？鈥潯he asked； suspicion wreathing her words。
鈥渢he state of the kingdom； generally speaking；鈥�
replied the cat。 鈥渞ecent events。 our descent here； more or less。 your duty as abhorsen to remedy the situation。鈥�
鈥渢he mordicant？ shadow hands？ gore crows？ the dead adept； whoever it may be？鈥�
鈥渘ot specifically；鈥潯aid mogget； cheerfully。 鈥渋 thought he could presume as much。鈥�
鈥渁s you see；鈥潯abriel said； rather angrily； 鈥渕y 鈥榤inion鈥櫋as not been totally honest with you。 i was raised across the wall； in ancelstierre； so i have very little idea about what is going on。 i have huge gaps in my knowledge of the old kingdom； including everything from geography to history to charter magic。 i face some dire enemies； probably under the overall direction of one of the greater dead； a necromantic adept。 and i鈥檓 not out to save the kingdom； just to find my father； the real abhorsen。 so i don鈥檛 want to take your oath or service or anything like that； particularly as we鈥檝e only just met。 i am happy for you to acpany us to the nearest approximation of civilization； but i have no idea what i will be doing after that。 and； please remember that my name is sabriel。 not milady。 not abhorsen。 now； i think it鈥檚 time for breakfast。鈥�
with that； she stalked over to her pack； and started getting out some oatmeal and a small cooking pot。
touchstone stared after her for a moment； then picked himself up； attached his swords； put on the sleeveless jerkin； tied the sleeves to his belt and wandered off to the nearest clump of trees。
mogget followed him there； and watched him pick up dead branches and sticks for a fire。
鈥渟he really did grow up in ancelstierre；鈥潯aid the cat。 鈥渟he doesn鈥檛 realize refusing your oath is an insult。 and it鈥檚 true enough about her ignorance。
that鈥檚 one of the reasons she needs your help。鈥�
鈥渋 can鈥檛 remember much；鈥潯aid touchstone； snapping a branch in half with considerable ferocity。
鈥渆xcept my most recent past。 everything else is like a dream。 i鈥檓 not sure if it鈥檚 real or not； learned or imagined。 and i wasn鈥檛 insulted。 my oath isn鈥檛 worth much。鈥�
鈥渂ut you鈥檒l help her；鈥潯aid mogget。 it wasn鈥檛 a question。
鈥渘o；鈥潯aid touchstone。 鈥渉elp is for equals。 i鈥檒l serve her。 that鈥檚 all i鈥檓 good for。鈥�
as sabriel feared； there was little conversation over breakfast。 mogget went off in search of his own； and sabriel and touchstone were hindered by the sole cooking pot and single spoon； so they took it in turns to eat half the porridge。 even allowing for this difficulty； touchstone was unmunicative。 sabriel started asking a lot of questions； but as his standard response was； 鈥渋鈥檓 sorry； i can鈥檛 remember；鈥潯he soon gave up。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 suppose you can remember how to get out of this sinkhole； either；鈥潯he asked in exasperation； after a particularly long stretch of silence。
even to her； this sounded like a prefect addressing a miscreant twelve…year…old。
鈥渘o； i鈥檓 sorry 。 。 。鈥潯ouchstone began automatically； then he paused； and the corner of his mouth quirked up with a momentary spasm of pleasure。 鈥渨ait！ yes鈥攊 do remember！ there鈥檚 a hidden stair； to the north of king janeurl鈥檚 ship 。 。 。 oh； i can鈥檛 remember which one that is 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渢here鈥檚 only four ships near the northern rim；鈥�
sabriel mused。 鈥渋t won鈥檛 be too hard to find。
how鈥檚 your memory for other geography？ the kingdom； for instance？鈥�
鈥渋鈥檓 not sure；鈥潯eplied touchstone； guardedly； bowing his head again。 sabriel looked at him and took a deep breath to calm the eel…like writhings of anger that were slowly getting bigger and bigger inside her。 she could excuse his faulty memory鈥攁fter all； that was due to magical incarceration。
but the servile manner that went with it seemed to be an affectation。 he was like a bad actor playing the butler鈥攐r rather； a nonactor trying to impersonate a butler as best he could。 but why？ 鈥渕ogget drew me a map；鈥潯he said； talking as much to calm herself as for any real munication。
鈥渂ut； as he apparently has only left abhorsen鈥檚 house for a few weekends over the last thousand years； even two…hundred…year…old memories 。 。 。鈥�
sabriel paused； and bit her lip； suddenly aware that her annoyance with him had made her spiteful。
he looked up as she stopped speaking； but no reaction showed on his face。 he might as well still be carved from wood。
鈥渨hat i mean is；鈥潯abriel continued carefully； 鈥渋t would be very helpful if you could advise me on the best route to belisaere； and the important landmarks and locations on the way。鈥�
she got the map out of the special pocket in the pack and removed the protective oilskin。
touchstone took one end as she unrolled it； and weighted his two corners with stones； while sabriel secured hers with the telescope case。
鈥渋 think we鈥檙e about here；鈥潯he said； tracing her finger from abhorsen鈥檚 house； following the paperwing鈥檚 flight from there to a point a little north of the ratterlin river delta。
鈥渘o；鈥潯aid touchstone； sounding decisive for the first time； his finger stabbing the map an inch to the north of sabriel鈥檚 own。 鈥渢his is holehallow； here。 it鈥檚 only ten leagues from the coast and at the same latitude as mount anarson。鈥�
鈥済ood！鈥潯xclaimed sabriel； smiling； her anger slipping from her。 鈥測ou do remember。 now； what鈥檚 the best route to belisaere； and how long will it take？鈥�
鈥渋 don鈥檛 know the current conditions； mi 。 。 。
sabriel；鈥潯ouchstone replied。 his voice grew softer； more subdued。 鈥渇rom what mogget says； the kingdom is in a state of anarchy。 towns and villages may no longer exist。 there will be bandits； the dead； free magic unbound； fell creatures 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渋gnoring all that；鈥潯abriel asked； 鈥渨hich way did you normally go？鈥�
鈥渇rom nestowe； the fishing village here；鈥�
touchstone said； pointing at the coast to the east of holehallow。 鈥渨e鈥檇 ride north along the shoreway； changing horses at post houses。 four days to callibe； a rest day there。 then the interior road up through oncet pass； six days all told to aunden。 a rest day in aunden； then four days to orchyre。 from there； it would be a day鈥檚 ferry passage； or two days鈥櫋iding； to the westgate of belisaere。鈥�
鈥渆ven without the rest days； that鈥檇 be eighteen days鈥櫋iding； at least six weeks鈥櫋alking。 that鈥檚 too long。 is there any other way？鈥�
鈥渁 ship； or boat； from nestowe；鈥潯nterrupted mogget； stalking up behind sabriel； to place his paw firmly on the map。 鈥渋f we can find one and if either of you can sail it。鈥�
chapter xv
灏忥紲璇达紲t锛渪t锛炲ぉ锛熷爞
the stair was to the north of the middle ship of the four。 concealed by both magic and artifice； it seemed to be little more than a particularly wet patch of the damp limestone that formed the sinkhole wall； but you could walk right through it； for it was really an open door with steps winding up behind。
they decided to take these steps the next morning； after another day of rest。 sabriel was eager to move on； for she felt that her father鈥檚 peril could only be increasing； but she was realistic enough to assess her own need for recovery time。 touchstone； too； probably needed a rest； she thought。 she鈥檇 tried to coax more information out of him while they鈥檇 searched for the steps； but he was clearly reluctant to even open his mouth； and when he did； sabriel found his humble apologies ever more irritating。 after the door was found she gave up altogether； and sat in the grass near the spring； reading her father鈥檚 books on charter magic。 the book of the dead stayed wrapped in oilskin。 even then； she felt its presence； brooding in her pack 。 。 。
touchstone stayed at the opposite end of the ship； near the bow； performing a series of fencing exercises with his twin swords； and some stretches and minor acrobatics。 mogget watched him from the undergrowth； green eyes glittering； as if intent on a mouse。
lunch was a culinary and conversational failure。
dried beef strips； garnished with watercress from the fringes of the spring； and monosyllabic responses from touchstone。 he even went back to 鈥渕ilady；鈥潯espite sabriel鈥檚 repeated requests to use her name。 mogget didn鈥檛 help by calling her abhorsen。 after lunch； everyone went back to their respective activities。 sabriel to her book； touchstone to his exercises and mogget to his watching。
dinner was not something anyone had looked forward to。 sabriel tried talking to mogget； but he seemed to be infected with touchstone鈥檚 reticence； though not with his servility。 as soon as they鈥檇 eaten； everyone left the raked…together coals of the campfire鈥攖ouchstone to the west； mogget north and sabriel east鈥攁nd went to sleep on as fortable a stretch of ground as could be discovered。
sabriel woke once in the night。 without getting up； she saw that the fire had been rekindled and touchstone sat beside it； staring into the flames； his eyes reflecting the capering； gold…red light。 his face looked drawn； almost ill。
鈥渁re you all right？鈥潯abriel asked quietly； propping herself up on one elbow。
touchstone started； rocked back on his heels； and almost fell over。 for once； he didn鈥檛 sound like a sulky servant。
鈥渘ot really。 i remember what i would not； and forget what i should not。 forgive me。鈥�
sabriel didn鈥檛 answer。 he had spoken the last two words to the fire； not to her。
鈥減lease； go back to sleep； milady；鈥潯ouchstone continued； slipping back to his servile role。 鈥渋 will wake you in the morning。鈥�
sabriel opened her mouth to say something scathing about the arrogance of pretended humility； then shut it； and subsided back under her blanket。 just concentrate on rescuing father； she told herself。 that is the one important thing。
rescue abhorsen。 don鈥檛 worry about touchstone鈥檚 problems； or mogget鈥檚 curious nature。
rescue abhorsen。 rescue abhorsen。 rescu