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She knew Touchstone was alive--and there he was, propped up against a pile of broken ht

Sabriel walked over to hi between the bodies and the rubble, the patches of freshly spilled blood and the silent, hopeless wounded

"My leg is broken," Touchstone said, his aping hole in the wall "Run, Sabriel While he’s busy Run south Live a normal life"

"I can’t," replied Sabriel softly "I am the Abhorsen Besides, how could you run with ?"

"Sabriel"

But Sabriel had already turned away She picked up Astarael, practiced hands keeping it still But there was no need, for the bell was choked with brick dust, its voice silent It would not ring true until cleaned, with patience, ic and steady nerves Sabriel stared at it for a second, then gently placed it back down on the floor

Her father’s sas only a few paces further away She picked it up, and watched the Charter h the normal inscription, but said: "The Clayr sawquenched me, the Abhorsen wields me so that no Dead shall walk in Life For this is not their path"

"This is not their path," whispered Sabriel She took up the guard position, and looked down the Hall to the writhing hulk of darkness that was Kerrigor

Chapter 29

Kerrigor see that had once been Mogget His great cloud of darkness was co brilliance fighting aithin

He was remarkably still, and Sabriel had a moment’s brief hope that he was soor was digesting, like a glutton after an overly aht, bile tainting her mouth Not that her end was likely to be better Both she and Touchstone would be taken alive, and kept that way, till they pu, down in the dark of the reservoir

She shook her head, dispelling that ior had to be weaker, so far frodoic She doubted that a single bell could sway him, but two, in concert?

It was dark in the Hall, save for the h the shattered wall behind her And quiet Even the wounded were slipping away in silence, their cries ony close, as if a screas worse than death in the Hall

Even in darkness, the foror was darker still Sabriel watched hi the straps that held Saraneth and Kibeth with her left hand She sensed other Dead all around, but none entered the Hall There were still ht, or feast upon What went on in the Hall was their Master’s business

The straps ca eyes closed, his fiery mouth shut

In one quick motion, Sabriel sheathed her sword, and drew the bells

Kerrigor didthe gap between the upwards till he aling, fla fury, and he spoke

"Toys, Abhorsen And too late Much too late"

It was not just words he spoke, but power, Free Magic power that froze Sabriel’s nerves, caught at herthe bells, but her wrists were locked in place

Tantalizingly slowly, Kerrigor glided forward, till he was aover her like so down on her with the stench of a thousand abattoirs

So out her last breath on the floor--touched Sabriel’s ankle with a light caress A s touch, sloelling into Sabriel’s veins, traveling upwards, war muscles At last it reached her wrists and hands--and the bells rang out

It was not the clear, true sound it should be, for soor took the sound in and warped it--but it had an effect Kerrigor slid back, and was diht

But he was not subject to Sabriel’s will Saraneth had not bound hi the bells again, concentrating on the difficult counterpoint between theor would fall under her domination, he would here she willed

And for a second, he did Not into Death, for she lacked the power, but into his original body, inside the broken sarcophagus Even as the chied Fiery eyes and mouth ran into each other like molten wax, and his shadow-stuff folded into a narrow colu the rafters for a ht into the Rogir-body’s open mouth

With that screa like broken stars, crashing to the earth Mahogany handles turned to dust, drifting through Sabriel’s fingers like smoke

Sabriel stared at her e the harsh iht, there was a sword hilt in her hand as she advanced upon the sarcophagus But before she could see into it, Rogir stood up and looked at her--looked with the burning fire-pit eyes of Kerrigor

"An inconvenience," he said, with a voice that was only inally more human "I should have reed at hih his chest to project out the other side But Kerrigor only laughed, and reached down till he held the blade with both hands, knuckles pallid against the silver-sparking steel Sabriel tugged at the sword, but it would not cole like a dying h "Not even one made by the Wallmakers Especially not nohen I have finally assumed the last of their powers Power that ruled before the Charter, power that made the Wall I have it now I have that broken puppet, my half-brother--and I have you, !"