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eve； but didn鈥檛 wear the mail hauberk and helmet sabriel had seen on the other soldiers。 he smelled of shaving cream and talc； and was so clean； polished and full of himself that sabriel immediately catalogued him as some sort of natural bureaucrat currently disguised as a soldier。
鈥渋 am a citizen of the old kingdom；鈥潯he replied quietly； staring back into his red flushed face and piggy eyes in the manner which miss prionte had taught her girls to instruct lesser domestic servants in etiquette iv。 鈥渋 am returning there。鈥�
鈥減apers！鈥潯emanded the soldier； after a moment鈥檚 hesitation at the words 鈥渙ld kingdom。鈥�
sabriel gave a frosty smile （also part of miss prionte鈥檚 curriculum） and made a ritual movement with the tips of her fingers鈥攖he symbol of disclosing； of things hidden being seen； of unfolding。 as her fingers sketched； she formed the symbol in her mind； linking it with the papers she carried in the inner pocket of her leather tunic。 finger…sketched and minddrawn symbol merged； and the papers were in her hand。 an ancelstierre passport； as well as the much rarer document the ancelstierre perimeter mand issued to people who had traffic in both countries： a hand…bound document printed by letterpress on handmade paper； with an artist鈥檚 sketch instead of a photograph and prints from thumbs and toes in a purple ink。
the soldier blinked； but said nothing。 perhaps； thought sabriel； as he took the proffered documents； the man thought it was a parlor trick。 or perhaps he just didn鈥檛 notice。 maybe charter magic was mon here； so close to the wall。
the man looked through her documents carefully； but without real interest。 sabriel now felt certain that he was no one important from the way he pawed through her special passport。 he鈥檇 obviously never seen one before。 mischievously； she started to weave the charter mark for a snatch； or catch； to flick the papers out of his hands and back into her pocket before his piggy eyes worked out what was going on。
but； in the first second of motion； she felt the flare of other charter magic to either side and behind her鈥攁nd heard the clattering of hobnails on the bitumen。 her head snapped back from the papers； and she felt her hair whisk across her forehead as she looked from side to side。 soldiers were pouring out of the huts and out of the trenches； sword…bayonets in their hands and rifles at the shoulder。
several of them wore badges that she realized marked them as charter mages。 their fingers were weaving warding symbols； and barriers that would lock sabriel into her footsteps； tie her to her shadow。 crude magic； but strongly cast。
instinctively； sabriel鈥檚 mind and hands flashed into the sequence of symbols that would wipe clean these bonds； but her skis shifted and fell into the crook of her elbow； and she winced at the blow。
at the same time； a soldier ran ahead of the others； sunlight glinting on the silver stars on his helmet。
鈥渟top！鈥潯e shouted。 鈥渃orporal； step back from her！鈥�
the corporal； deaf to the hum of charter magic； blind to the flare of half…wrought signs； looked up from her papers and gaped for a second； fear erasing his features。 he dropped the passports； and stumbled back。
in his face； sabriel suddenly realized what it meant to use magic on the perimeter； and she held herself absolutely still； blanking out the partly made signs in her mind。 her skis slipped further down her arm； the bindings catching for a moment before tearing loose and clattering onto the ground。 soldiers rushed forward and； in seconds； formed a ring around her； swords angled towards her throat。
she saw streaks of silver； plated onto the blades； and crudely written charter symbols； and understood。 these weapons were made to kill things that were already dead鈥攊nferior versions of the sword she wore at her own side。
the man who鈥檇 shouted鈥攁n officer； sabriel realized鈥攂ent down and picked up her passports。
he studied them for a moment； then looked up at sabriel。 his eyes were pale blue and held a mixture of harshness and passion that sabriel found familiar； though she couldn鈥檛 place it鈥攖ill she remembered her father鈥檚 eyes。
abhorsen鈥檚 eyes were so dark brown they seemed black； but they held a similar feeling。
the officer closed the passport； tucked it in his belt and tilted his helmet back with two fingers； revealing a charter mark still glowing with some residual charm of warding。 cautiously； sabriel lifted her hand； and then； as he didn鈥檛 dissuade her； reached out with two fingers to touch the mark。 as she did so； he reached forward and touched her own鈥攕abriel felt the familiar swirl of energy； and the feeling of falling into some endless galaxy of stars。 but the stars here were charter symbols； linked in some great dance that had no beginning or end； but contained and described the world in its movement。 sabriel knew only a small fraction of the symbols； but she knew what they danced； and she felt the purity of the charter wash over her。
鈥渁n unsullied charter mark；鈥潯he officer pronounced loudly； as their fingers fell back to their sides。 鈥渟he is no creature or sending。鈥�
the soldiers fell back； sheathing swords and clicking on safety catches。 only the red…faced corporal didn鈥檛 move； his eyes still staring at sabriel； as if he was unsure what he was looking at。
鈥渟how鈥檚 over； corporal；鈥潯aid the officer； his voice and eyes now harsh。 鈥済et back to the pay office。 you鈥檒l see stranger happenings than this in your time here鈥攕tay clear of them and you might stay alive！ 鈥渟o；鈥潯e said； taking the documents from his belt and handing them back to sabriel。 鈥測ou are the daughter of abhorsen。 i am colonel horyse； the mander of a small part of the garrison here鈥攁 unit the army likes to call the northern perimeter reconaissance unit and everyone else calls the crossing point scouts鈥攁 somewhat motley collection of ancelstierrans who鈥檝e managed to gain a charter mark and some small knowledge of magic。鈥�
鈥減leased to meet you； sir；鈥潯opped out of sabriel鈥檚 school…trained mouth； before she could stifle it。 a schoolgirl鈥檚 answer； she knew； and felt a blush rise in her pale cheeks。
鈥渓ikewise；鈥潯aid the colonel； bending down。
鈥渕ay i take your skis？鈥�
鈥渋f you would be so kind；鈥潯aid sabriel； falling back on formality。
the colonel picked them up with ease； carefully retied the stocks to the skis； refastened the bindings that had e undone and tucked the lot under one muscular arm。
鈥渋 take it you intend to cross into the old kingdom？鈥潯sked horyse； as he found the balancing point of his load and pointed at the scarlet sign on the far side of the parade ground。 鈥渨e鈥檒l have to check in with perimeter hq鈥攖here are a few formalities； but it shouldn鈥檛 take long。
is someone 。 。 。 abhorsen； ing to meet you？鈥�
his voice faltered a little as he mentioned abhorsen； a strange stutter in so confident a man。 sabriel glanced at him and saw that his eyes flickered from the sword at her waist to the bell…bandolier she wore across her chest。
obviously he recognized abhorsen鈥檚 sword and also the significance of the bells。 very few people ever met a necromancer； but anyone who did remembered the bells。
鈥渄id 。 。 。 do you know my father？鈥潯he asked。
鈥渉e used to visit me； twice a year。 i guess he would have e through here。鈥�
鈥測es； i saw him then；鈥潯eplied horyse； as they started walking around the edge of the parade ground。 鈥渂ut i first met him more than twenty years ago； when i was posted here as a subaltern。
it was a strange time鈥攁 very bad time； for me and everyone on the perimeter。鈥�
he paused in mid…stride； boots crashing； and his eyes once again looked at the bells； and the whiteness of sabriel鈥檚 skin； stark against the black of her hair； black as the bitumen under the feet。
鈥測ou鈥檙e a necromancer；鈥潯e said bluntly。 鈥渟o you鈥檒l probably understand。 this crossing point has seen too many battles； too many dead。
before those idiots down south took things under central mand； the crossing point was moved every ten years； up to the next gate on the wall。 but forty years ago some 。 。 。 bureaucrat 。 。 。 decreed that there would be no movement。
it was a waste of public money。 this was； and is to be； the only crossing point。 never mind the fact that； over time； there would be such a concentration of death； mixed with free magic leaking over the wall； that everything would 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渘ot stay dead；鈥潯nterrupted sabriel quietly。
鈥測es。 when i arrived； the trouble was just beginning。 corpses wouldn鈥檛 stay buried鈥攐ur people or old kingdom creatures。 soldiers killed the day before would turn up on parade。
creatures prevented from crossing would rise up and do more damage than they did when they were alive。鈥�
鈥渨hat did you do？鈥潯sked sabriel。 she knew a great deal about binding and enforcing true death； but not on such a scale。 there were no dead creatures nearby now； for she always instinctively felt the interface between life and death around her； and it was no different here than it had been forty miles away at wyverley college。
鈥渙ur charter mages tried to deal with the problem； but there were no specific charter symbols to 。 。 。 make them dead 。 。 。 only to destroy their physical shape。 sometimes that was enough and sometimes it wasn鈥檛。 we had to rotate troops back to bain or even further just for them to recover from what hq liked to think of as bouts of mass hysteria or madness。
鈥渋 wasn鈥檛 a charter mage then； but i was going with patrols into the old kingdom； beginning to learn。 on one patrol； we met a man sitting by a charter stone； on top of a hill that overlooked both the wall and the perimeter。
鈥渁s he was obviously interested in the perimeter； the officer in charge of the patrol thought we should question him and kill him if he turned out to bear a corrupted charter； or was some free magic thing in the shape of a man。 but we didn鈥檛； of course。 it was abhorsen； and he was ing to us； because he鈥檇 heard about the dead。
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