《Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy)》第81章

“e　on　you　blokes；　get　yer　ropes　out。”
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’t　seem　overly　frightened　by　the　gleaming　sarcophagus；　despite　its　bronze　surface　sluggishly　crawling　with　stomach…churning　perversions　of　charter　marks。　she　wasn’t　a　happy　horse；　but　not　a　panicked　one　either。
“we’ll　have　to　drive　the　wagon；”　sabriel　said　to　touchstone；　as　the　soldiers　pushed　the　suspended　coffin　aboard　with　long　poles；　and　collapsed　the　shear…legs。　“i　don’t　think　the　scouts　can　withstand　the　sickness　much　longer。”
touchstone　shuddered。　like　everyone　else；　he　was　pale；　eyes　red…rimmed；　his　nose　dripping　and teeth　chattering。　“i’m　not　sure　i　can；　either。”
nevertheless；　when　the　last　rope　was　twitched　off；　and　the　soldiers　hurried　away；　touchstone　climbed　up　to　the　driver’s　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’t　look　back　at　the　sarcophagus。
touchstone　said　“tch…tch”　to　the　horse；　and　flicked　the　reins。　the　mare’s　ears　went　up；　and　she　took　up　the　load；　pacing　forwards。　it　was　not　a　quick　pace。
“is　this　as　fast　as　。　。　。”　sabriel　said　anxiously。
they　had　a　mile　to　cover；　and　the　sun　was　already　bloody；　a　red　disc　balanced　on　the　line　of　the　horizon。
“it’s　a　heavy　load；”　touchstone　answered　slowly；　quick　breaths　ing　between　his　words；　as　if　he　found　it　difficult　to　speak。　“we’ll　be　there　before　the　light　goes。”
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’t　help　it。　the　shadows　were　lengthening；　and　every　time　she　caught　a　glimpse　of　some　tree’s　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　。　。　。
“the　bell　in　the　village；”　she　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。　“the　bell—it’s　stopped。”
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。
“it　is　a　mile；”　he　said；　hesitantly。　“perhaps　we’re　too　far；　the　wind　。　。　。”
“no；”　said　sabriel。　she　felt　the　air；　cool　with　evening；　still　on　her　face。　there　was　no　wind。
“you　could　always　hear　it　here。　kerrigor　has　reached　the　village。　we　need　to　get　the　sarcophagus　inside；　quickly！”
she　jumped　down　from　the　wagon；　and　ran　over　to　horyse；　who　was　standing　on　the　steps　outside　the　partially　open　door；　talking　to　an　obscured　figure　within。　as　sabriel　got　closer；　edging　through　groups　of　waiting　soldiers；　she　recognized　the　voice。　it　was　mrs。　umbrade；　the　headmistress。
“how　dare　you　barge　in　here！”　she　was　pronouncing；　very　pompously。　“i　am　a　very　close personal　friend　of　lieutenant…general　farnsley；　i’ll　have　you　know—sabriel！”
the　sight　of　sabriel　in　such　strange　garb　and　circumstance　seemed　to　momentarily　stun　mrs。
umbrade。　in　that　second　of　fish…mouthed　silence；　horyse　motioned　to　his　men。　before　mrs。　umbrade　could　protest；　they’d　pushed　the　door　wide　open；　and　streams　of　armed　men　rushed　in；　pouring　around　her　startled　figure　like　a　flood　around　an　island。
“mrs。　umbrade！”　sabriel　shouted。　“i　need　to　talk　to　miss　greenwood　urgently；　and　the　girls　from　the　senior　magic　classes。　you’d　better　get　the　rest　of　the　girls　and　the　staff　up　to　the　top　floors　of　the　north　tower。”
mrs。　umbrade　stood；　gulping　like　a　goldfish；　till　horyse　suddenly　loomed　over　her　and　snapped；　“move；　woman！”
almost　before　his　mouth　closed；　she　was　gone。
sabriel　looked　back　to　check　that　touchstone　was　organizing　the　shifting　of　the　sarcophagus；　then　followed　her　in。
the　entrance　hall　was　already　blocked　by　a　conga　line　of　soldiers；　passing　boxes　in　from　the　trucks　outside；　stacking　them　up　all　along　the　walls。　khaki…colored　boxes　marked　“。　ball”
or　“be　wp　grenade；”　piled　up　beneath　pictures　of　prizewinning　hockey　teams；　or　giltlettered　boards　of　merit　and　scholastic　brilliance。
the　soldiers　had　also　thrown　open　the　doors　to　the　great　hall；　and　were　busy　in　there；　closing　shutters　and　piling　pews　up　on　their　ends　against　the　shuttered　windows。
mrs。　umbrade　was　still　in　motion　at　the　other　end　of　the　entrance　hall；　bustling　along　towards　a　knot　of　obviously　nervous　staff。　behind　them；　peering　down　from　the　main　stair；　was　a　solid　rank　of　prefects。　behind　them；　higher　up　the　stair；　and　just　able　to　see；　were　several　gaggles　of　nonprefectorial　fifth　and　sixth　formers。　sabriel　didn’t　doubt　that　the　rest　of　the　school　would　be　lining　the　corridors　behind　them；　all　agog　to　hear