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"It is traditional for soh rank, such as yourself, to be announced by their sworn swordsman," he said quietly "And the only acceptable way for me to travel with you is as your sworn swordsman Otherwise, people will assu your nauise would lower you inthe flush of embarrassment come back and spread fro on the receiving end of one of Miss Prionte’s severest social put-downs She hadn’t even thought about hoould look, the two of theether Certainly, in Ancelstierre, it would be considered shas were different But only sos, it seeet from somewhere near her feet "Three out of ten I wonder if they’ve got any fresh-caught whiting? I’d like a s--"

"Be quiet!" Sabriel interrupted "You’d better pretend to be a noret replied, stalking away to sit on the other side of Touchstone

Sabriel was about to reply scathingly when she saw the faintest curve at the corner of Touchstone’s ? Surprised, she ether, as the four archers heaved a plank across the gap, the end s

"Please cross quickly," the Elder said, as the men steadied the plank "There are e now, and I fear the day is almost done"

True to his words, cloud-shadow fell across theled with the wet and salty s, Sabriel ran quickly across the plank, Mogget behind her, Touchstone bringing up the rear

Chapter 17

All the survivors of Nestoere gathered in the largest of the fish-s sheds, save for the current shift of archers atched the breakwater There had been one hundred and twenty-six villagers the week before--now there were thirty-one

"There were thirty-two until this ," the Elder said to Sabriel, as he passed her a cup of passable wine and a piece of dried fish atop a piece of very hard, very stale bread "We thought ere safe e got to the island, but Monjer Stowart’s boy was found just after dawn today, sucked dry like a husk When we touched him, it was likeburnt paper, that still holds its shapewe touched hi like ash"

Sabriel looked around as the oldthe many lanterns, candles and rush tapers that added both to the light and the smoky, fishy atroup-- to the Elder hi their faces, the fear showing in their nervous, staccato movement

"We think one of theone beyond fear to fatalisedy Sabriel guessed she had lost her fas, too, for she wasn’t over forty

"It’ll take us, one by one," the wo the shed with dire certainty Around her, people shuffled, twitchily, not looking at her, as if to aze would be to accept her words Most looked at Sabriel and she saw hope in their eyes Not blind faith, or coht change a run of losses

"The Abhorsen who ca," the Elder continued--and Sabriel saw that at his age, this would be his ers--"this Abhorsen told me that it was his purpose to slay the Dead He saved us from the haunts that came in the merchant’s caravan Is it still the same, lady? Will Abhorsen save us froht for a es of The Book of the Dead, feeling it stir in the backpack that sat by her feet Her thoughts strayed to her father; the forthco journey to Belisaere; the way in which Dead ene mind

"I will ensure this island is free of the Dead," she said at last, speaking clearly so all could hear her "But I cannot free the dom--that same evil that has broken your Charter Stone--and I must find and defeat it as soon as I can When that is done, I will return--I hope with other help--and both village and Charter Stone will be restored"

"We understand," replied the Elder He see more to his people than to Sabriel "We can survive here There is the spring, and the fish We have boats If Callibe has not fallen to the Dead, we can trade, for vegetables and other stuffs"

"You will have to keep watching the breakwater," Touchstone said He stood behind Sabriel’s chair, the very i slaves--e They can cross running water by building bridges of boxed grave dirt"

"So, we are besieged," said a ers "But what of this Dead thing already here on the island, already preying upon us? Hoill you find it?"

Silence fell as the questioner spoke, for this was the one answer everyone wanted to hear Rain sounded loud on the roof in the absence of hu since late afternoon The Dead disliked the rain, Sabriel thought inconsequentially, as she considered this question Rain didn’t destroy, but it hurt and irritated the Dead Wherever the Dead thing was on the island, it would be out of the rain

She stood up with that thought Thirty-one pairs of eyes watched her, hardly blinking, despite the cloying smoke from too many lanterns, candles and tapers Touchstone watched the villagers; Mogget watched a piece of fish; Sabriel closed her eyes, questing outith other senses, trying to feel the presence of the Dead

It was there--a faint, concealed e rotten Sabriel concentrated on it, followed it, and found it, right there in the shed The Dead was soers

She opened her eyes slowly, looking straight at the point where her senses told her the Dead creature lurked She saw a fishered, his salt-etched face red under sun-bleached hair He see intently for her reply, but there was definitely so a boat cloak, which see shed was hot frohts

"Tell e box with the, say, an arrave dirt"

Mur to each other, with little flowerings of fear and suspicion As they talked, Sabriel walked out through the Touchstone to stay close by her He followed her, eyes flickering across the little groups of villagers Mogget, glancing up from his fish, stretched and lazily stalked behind Touchstone’s heels, after a warning glare at the two cats ere eyeing the half-consumed head and tail of his fishy repast