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Prologue

FOG ROSE FROM the river, great billows of white weaving into the soot and s that the ” Cold, dank, and foul-serous by any name At its thickest, it could sh into pneumonia

But the unhealthiness of the fog was not its chief danger That ca was a concealer, a veil that shrouded the city’s vaunted gaslights and confused both eyes and ears When the fog lay on the city, all streets were dark, all echoes strange, and everywhere set for murder and mayhem

“The fog shows no signs of lifting,” reported Da Touchstone His voice showed his dislike of the fog even though he kneas only a natural phenomenon, a blend of industrial pollution and river-s were often created by Free Magic sorcerers “Also, thetelephoneis not working, and the escort is both understrength and new There is not one of the officers we usually have ao, sire”

Touchstone was standing by the , peering out through the shutters They’d had to shutter all the s soshots Before that, the deh, as the doood fifty yards back from the street

Not for the first time, Touchstone wished that he could reach the Charter and draw upon it for strength and ical assistance But they were five hundred miles south of the Wall, and the air was still and cold Only when the wind blew very strongly froical heritage

Sabriel felt the lack of the Charter even lanced at his wife She was at her desk, as usual, writing one last letter to an old school friend, a prominent businessold, or support, or introductions, or perhapsthinly veiled threats of ould happen if they were stupid enough to support Corolini’s atteees over the Wall, in the Old Kingdom

Touchstone still found it odd to see Sabriel dressed in Ancelstierran clothes, particularly their court clothes, as she earing today She should be in her blue and silver tabard, with the bells of the Abhorsen across her chest, her sword at her side Not in a silver dress with a hussar’s pelisse worn on one shoulder, and a strange little pillbox hat pinned to her deep-black hair And the small automatic pistol in her silver mesh purse was no substitute for a sword

Not that Touchstone felt at ease in his clothes either An Ancelstierran shirt with its stiff collar and tie was too constricting, and his suit offered no protection at all A sharp blade would slide through the double-breasted coat of superfine wool as easily as it would through butter, and as for a bullet

“Shall I convey your regrets, sire?” asked Damed

Touchstone frowned and looked at Sabriel She had been to school in Ancelstierre, she understood the people and their ruling classes far better than he did She led their diplomatic efforts south of the Wall, as she had always done

“No,” said Sabriel She stood up and sealed the last letter with a sharp tap “The Moot sits tonight, and it is possible Corolini will present his Forced Eive us the votes to defeat the arden party”

“In this fog?” asked Touchstone “How can he have a garden party?”

“They will ignore the weather,” said Sabriel “We will all stand around, drinking green absinthe and eating carrots cut into elegant shapes, and pretend we’re having a marvelous time”

“Carrots?”

“A fad of Dawforth’s, introduced by his swa to Sulyn”

“She would know,” said Touchstone, reen absinthe, not Sulyn She was one of the old school friends who had been so e twenty years ago, had seen what happened when Free Magic was stirred up and grew strong enough to cross the Wall and run amok in Ancelstierre

“We will go, Damed,” said Sabriel “But it would be sensible to put in place the plan we discussed”

“I do beg your pardon, Milady Abhorsen,” replied Damed “But I’m not sure that it will increase your safety In fact, it may make matters worse”

“But it will be more fun,” pronounced Sabriel “Are the cars ready? I shall just put on my coat and some boots”

Damed nodded reluctantly and left the room Touchstone picked out a dark overcoat froue and shrugged it on Sabriel put on another—a e her shoes for boots

“Damed isn’t concerned without reason,” Touchstone said as he offered his hand to Sabriel “And the fog is very thick If ere at hoht”

“The fog is natural enough,” replied Sabriel They stood close together and knotted each others’ scarves, finishing with a soft, brushing kiss “But I agree itan alliance against Corolini If Dawforth comes in, and the Sayres stay out of the matter—”

“Little chance of that unless we can show therowled Touchstone, but his attention was on his pistols He checked both were loaded and there was a round in the chamber, hauide Nicholas hired I ae before, and not in any positive light If only we’d met them on the Great South Road”

“I am sure ill hear from Ellimere soon,” said Sabriel as she checked her own pistol “Or perhaps even froood sense of our children and deal hat is before us”

Touchstone gr

iood sense, handed Sabriel a grey felt hat with a black band, twin to his own, and helped her remove the pillbox and pin her hair up underneath the replacement

“Ready?” he asked as she belted her coat With their hats on, collars up, and scarves wound high, they looked indistinguishable frouards Which was precisely the idea

There were ten bodyguards waiting outside, not including the drivers of the two heavily armored Hedden-Hare automobiles Sabriel and Touchstone joined theether for abeyond the walls, they would be hard put to

Two people went into the back of each car, with the re boards The drivers had kept the engines idling for sohter e

At a signal fro their Klaxons This was the signal for the guards at the gate to throw it open, and for the Ancelstierran police outside to push the crowd apart There was always a crowd these days, itators wearing the red armbands of Corolini’s Our Country party

Despite Da the throng so that the two cars could speed through A few bricks and stones were hurled after theuards or bounced off the hardened glass and armor plate Within a

“The escort is not following,” said Da board next to the front car’s driver A detach Touchstone and his Abhorsen Queen wherever they went in the city, and up to now they had performed their duty to the expected standards of the Corvere Police Corps This ti by their horses

“Maybe they got their orders h her open quarterBut there was no conviction in her voice

“We’d better change the route,” ordered Damed “Take Harald Street Left up ahead”

The cars sped past two slower autoon, braked sharply, and curved left into the broad stretch of Harald Street This was one of the as laular intervals Even so, the fog made it unsafe to drive faster than fifteen miles per hour

“So up ahead!” reported the driver Da, he saw a greatthe street He couldn’t make out as on the banners they held, but it was easy enough to recognize it as an Our Country demonstration To make it worse, there were no police to keep theht

“Stop! Back up!” said Danal that meant “Trouble!” and “Retreat!”

Both cars started to back up As they did, the crowd ahead surged forward They’d been silent till then Now they started shouting, “Foreigners out!” and “Our Country!” The shouts were accompanied by bricks and stones, which for the moment fell short