《Sabriel (The Abhorsen Trilogy)》第83章

g　to　bounce　it　out。　they　looked　anxiously　at　her　as　she　passed。
the　sarcophagus　was　just　slipping　off　the　ramp　into　the　corridor　ahead　of　her。　sabriel　could　easily　have　pushed　past　it；　but　she　waited　outside；　looking　out。　after　a　moment；　she　became　aware　that　horyse　was　standing　next　to　her；　his　face　half…lit　by　the　lanterns；　half　in　shadow。
“the　fog　。　。　。　the　fog　is　almost　at　the　gates；”
she　said；　too　quickly　to　be　calm。
“i　know；”　replied　horyse；　steadily。　“that　firing　was　a　picket。　six　men　and　a　corporal。”
sabriel　nodded。　she　had　felt　their　deaths；　like　slight　punches　in　her　stomach。　already　she　was　hardening　herself　not　to　notice；　to　wilfully　dull　her　senses。　there　would　be　many　more　deaths　that　night。
suddenly；　she　felt　something　that　wasn’t　a　death；　but　things　already　dead。　she　stood　bolt　upright；　and　exclaimed；　“colonel！　the　sun　is　truly　down—and　something’s　ing；　ing　ahead　of　the　fog！”
she　drew　her　sword　as　she　spoke；　the　colonel’s　blade　flickering　out　a　second　later。　the　wiring　party　looked　around；　startled；　then　bolted　for　the　steps　and　the　corridor。　on　either　side　of　the　door；　two…man　teams　cocked　the　heavy；　tripodmounted　machine…guns；　and　laid　their　swords　across　the　newly　made　sandbag　walls。
“second　floor；　stand　ready！”　horyse　shouted；　and　above　her　head；　sabriel　heard　the　bolts　of　fifty　rifles　working。　out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye；　she　saw　two　of　the　scouts　step　back　outside；　and　take　up　position　behind　her；　arrows　nocked；　bows　ready。　she　knew　they　were　ready　to　snatch　her　inside；　if　it　came　to　that　。　。　。
in　the　expectant　quiet；　there　were　only　the　usual　sounds　of　the　night。　wind　in　the　big　trees　out　past　the　school　wall；　starting　to　rise　as　the　sky　darkened。　crickets　beginning　to　chirp。　then　sabriel　heard　it—the　massed　grinding　of　dead　joints；　no　longer　joined　by　gristle；　the　padding　of　dead　feet；　bones　like　hobnails　clicking　through　necrotic　flesh。
“hands；”　she　said；　nervously。　“hundreds　of　hands。”
even　as　she　spoke；　a　solid　wall　of　dead　flesh　hit　the　iron　gates；　throwing　them　over　in　a　split　second’s　crash。　then　vaguely　human　forms　were　everywhere；　rushing　towards　them；　dead　mouths　gulping　and　hissing　in　a　ghastly　parody　of　a　war　cry。
“fire！”
in　the　instant’s　delay　after　this　mand；　sabriel　felt　the　terrible　fear　that　the　guns　wouldn’t　work。　then　rifles　cracked；　and　the　machine…guns　beat　out　a　terrible；　barking　roar；　red　tracer　rounds　flinging　out；　ricocheting　from　the　paving　in　a　crazy　embroidery　of　terrible　violence。　bullets　tore　dead　flesh；　splintered　bone；　knocked　the　hands　down　and　over—but　still　they　came；　till　they　were　literally　torn　apart； broken　into　pieces；　hung　up　on　the　wire。
the　firing　slowed；　but　before　it　could　entirely　cease；　another　wave　of　hands　came　stumbling；　crawling；　running　through　the　gateway；　slipping；　tumbling　over　the　wall。　hundreds　of　them；　so　densely　packed　they　crushed　the　wire　and　came　on；　till　the　last　of　them　were　mown　down　by　the　guns　at　the　very　foot　of　the　front　steps。　some；　still　with　a　slight　vestige　of　human　intelligence；　retreated；　only　to　be　caught　in　great　gouts　of　flame　from　white　phosphorus　grenades　thrown　out　from　the　second　floor。
“sabriel—get　inside！”　horyse　ordered；　as　the　last　of　the　hands　flopped　and　crawled　in　crazy　circles；　till　more　bullets　thudded　into　them　and　made　them　still。
“yes；”　replied　sabriel；　looking　out　at　the　carpet　of　bodies；　the　flickering　fires　from　the　lanterns　and　lumps　of　phosphorus　burning　like　candles　in　some　ghastly　charnel　house。　the　stench　of　cordite　was　in　her　nose；　through　her　hair；　on　her　clothes；　the　machine…gun’s　barrels　glowing　an　evil　red　to　either　side　of　her。　the　hands　were　already　dead；　but　even　so；　this　mass　destruction　made　her　sicker　than　any　free　magic　。　。　。
she　went　inside；　sheathing　her　sword。　only　then　did　she　remember　the　bells。　possibly；　she　could　have　quelled　that　vast　mob　of　hands；　sent　them　peaceably　back　into　death；　without—　but　it　was　too　late。　and　what　if　she　had　been　overmastered？　shadow　hands　would　be　next；　she　knew；　and　they　could　not　be　stopped　by　physical　force；　or　her　bells；　unless　they　came　in　small　numbers　。　。　。
and　that　was　as　likely　as　an　early　dawn　。　。　。
there　were　more　soldiers　in　the　corridor；　but　these　were　mailed　and　helmed；　with　large　shields　and　broad…headed　spears　streaked　with　silver　and　the　simplest　charter　marks；　drawn　in　chalk　and　spit。　they　were　smoking；　and　drinking　tea　from　the　school’s　second…best　china。　sabriel　realized　they　were　there　to　fight　when　the　guns　failed。　there　was　an　air　of　controlled　nervousness　about　them—not　bravado　exactly；　just　a　strange　mixture　of　petence　and　cynicism。　whatever　it　was；　it　made　sabriel　walk　casually　among　them；　as　if　she　were　in　no　hurry　at　all。
“evening；　miss。”
“good　to　hear　the　guns；　hey？　practically　never　work　up　north！”
“won’t　need　us　at　this　rate。”
“not　like　the　perimeter；　is　it；　ma’am？”
“good　luck　with　the　bloke　in　the　metal　cigar　case；　miss。”
“good　luck　to　all　of　you；”　replied　sabriel；　trying　to　smile　in　answer　to　their　grins。　then　the　firing　started　again；　and　she　winced；　losing　the　smile—but　their　attention　was　off　her；　focused　back　outside。　they　weren’t　nearly　as　casual　as　they　pretended；　sabriel　thought　as　she　edged　through　the　side　doors　leading　from　the　corridor　into　the　great　hall。
here；　the　mood　was　much　more　frightened。
the　sarcophagus　was　up　the　far　end　of　the　hall；　resting　across　the　speaker’s　dais。　everyone　else　was　as　far　away　as　possible　up　at　the　other　end。
the　scouts　were　on　one　side；　also　drinking　tea。　magistrix　greenwood　was　talking　to　touchstone　in　the　middle；　and　the　thirty　or　so　girls—young　women；　really—were　lined　up　on　the　opposite　wall　to　the　soldiers。　it　was　all　rather　like　a　bizarre　parody　of　a　school　dance。
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。
“charter　mages！　please　e　here。”
they　came；　the　young　women　quicker　than　the　soldiers；　who　were　showing　the　weariness