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Belgaer was the naaer could mend the erosion of hts and hts, in Life as well as in Death, and in necromancers’ hands had been used to splinter the minds of enemies Soaer liked the sound of its own voice and would try to steal the chance to sing of its own accord

The sixth bell was Saraneth, also known as Binder Saraneth was the favorite bell of all Abhorsens Large and trustworthy, it was powerful and true Saraneth was used to dominate and bind the Dead, to make them obey the wishes and directions of the wielder

Lirael was reluctant to touch the seventh bell, but she felt it would not be diploh it was cold and frightening to her touch

Astarael, the Sorrowful The bell that sent all who heard it into Death

Lirael withdrew her finger and ues were in place and the straps tight but also able to be undone with one hand Then she put the bandolier on The bells were hers, and she had accepted the ar for her outside the front door, sitting on the steps He was sih he did not have a bow or a bell-bandolier

"I found this in the ar the blade so that Lirael could see the Charter marks etched into the steel "It isn’t one of the named swords, but it is spelled for the destruction of the Dead"

"Better late than never," re sour

Sanored the cat, pulled out a sheet of paper from inside his sleeve, and handed it to Lirael

"This is the e-hawk to Barhedrin The Guard post there will send it on to the Wall, and it will be passed through to the Ancelstierrans, illuraph to raphese, which is pretty strange if you’re not used to it There were four hawks in the ain for a week or two--so I’ve sent two to Belisaere for Ellimere and two to Barhedrin"

Lirael looked down at the paper and the words printed in Sam’s neat hand

TO KING TOUCHSTONE AND ABHORSEN SABRIEL

OLD KINGDOM EMBASSY CORVERE ANCELSTIERRE

COPY ELLIMERE VIA MESSAGEHAWK

HOUSE SURROUNDED DEAD PLUS CHLORR NOW GREATER DEAD STOP HEDGE IS NECROMANCER STOP NICK WITH HEDGE STOP THEY EVIL UPDUG NEAR EDGE STOP GOING EDGE SELF PLUS AUNT LIRAEL FORMER CLAYR NOW ABHORSENINWAITING STOP PLUS MOGGET PLUS LIRAEL APOSTROPHE ESS CHARTER DOG STOP WILL DO WHAT CAN STOP SEND HELP COME SELVES EXPRESS URGENT STOP SENT TWO WEEKS PRIOR MIDSUMMER DAY SAMETH END

The ht Lirael Given the liraphese" was probably a good forraph was not involved

"I hope the hawks make it," she said as Sa lurked Gore Crows, a sware-haould have to get past theers as well, before they could speed on to Barhedrin and Belisaere

"We cannot count on it," said the Dog "Are you ready to go down the well?"

Lirael walked down the steps and took a few paces along the redbrick path She shrugged her pack higher up her back and tightened the straps Then she looked up at the sunny sky, now only a very s it in on three sides and the uess I’m ready," she said

Saet leaped onto it and slid under the top flap All that could be seen of hireen eyes and one white-furred ear

"Reainst this way," he instructed "Wakeis about to happen happens, or if it appears I led deeper into the pack, and even his eyes and that one ear disappeared

"How corievedly "He’s supposed to be the Abhorsen’s servant"

A paw came back out of the pack, and a claw pricked into the back of Sah it didn’t break the skin Sa juered forward and swore again as the Dog said, "No one will carry you if you don’t behave, Mogget"

"And you won’t get any fish, either," muttered Sam as he rubbed his neck

Either one or both of these threats worked, or else Mogget had subsided into sleep In any case, there was no reappearance of the claw or the cat’s sarcastic voice The Dog dropped down, Sa the straps on his pack, and they set off along the brick path

As the front door shut behind them, Lirael turned back and saw that every as croith sendings Hundreds of thelass, so their hooded robes looked like the skin of so hands like many eyes They did not wave orthat they were saying goodbye As if they did not expect to see this particular Abhorsen-in-Waiting return

The as only thirty yards froled network of wild roses that Lirael and Sa every few ers The thorns were unusually long and sharp, Lirael thought, but she had liardens and vast greenhouses lit by Charter etables and fruit, and there was only one rose garden

Once the rose vines were cleared away, Lirael saw a circular wooden cover of thick oak planks, about eight feet in dia of pale white stones The cover was chained in four places with bronze chains, the links set directly into the stones and bolted to the wood, so there was no need for padlocks

Charterdrifted across both wood and bronze, gleaht, till Sahtness

Sa thethe spell Lirael looked over his shoulder She didn’t know even half of thenames to himself as if they were familiar to him

"Can you open it?" asked Lirael She knew scores of spells for opening doors and gates, and had practical experience of opening ways into many places she wasn’t supposed to have entered in the Great Library of the Clayr But she instinctively knew none of them would work here