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Ellimere’s voice stopped mid word The Charter marks faded back into the paper

"An interruption mid spell," said Touchstone with a frown "It’s unlike Ellimere not to redo it Whose half-sister? She cannot be mine--"

"The i," said Sabriel "Anstyr’s Daywe need to consult an almanac That o on immediately"

"I’m not sure you’ll be able to," said Coelle nervously "ThatPoint Scout brought it He was in a hurry to get back Apparently there has been some sort of attack from across the Wall, and--"

"An attack froether "What kind of attack?"

"He didn’t know," stammered Coelle, taken aback at the ferocity of the question, Sabriel and Touchstone both leaning in close to her "It was in the far west But there is also trouble at the Crossing Point Apparently General Kingswold, the visiting Inspector General, has declared for the Our Country governswold Various units have taken sides, soswold--"

"So Corolini has openly tried to seize power?" asked Sabriel "When did this happen?"

"It was in this ’s paper," replied Coelle "We haven’t had the afternoon edition There is fighting in CorvereYou didn’t know?"

"We’ve got this far by hidden ways, avoiding contact with Ancelstierrans as much as possible," said Touchstone "There hasn’t been a lot of time to read the papers"

"The Times said the Chief Minister still controls the Arsenal, Decision Palace, and Corvere Moot," said Coelle

"If he holds the Palace, then he still controls the Hereditary Arbiter," said Touchstone He looked at Sabriel for confirovern, can he?"

"Not unless everything has crumbled," said Sabriel decisively "But it doesn’t matter Corolini, the atte that has happened here is the work of sodoees, the rise of Corolini, everything has been orchestrated, planned for sodo confusion in Ancelstierre to facilitate an attack across the Wall But for what? And who?"

"Saram mentions Chlorr," said Touchstone

"Chlorr is only a necroh a powerful one," said Sabriel "Itupnear Edge--‘"

Sabriel stopped in ered in, carrying a long, brassbound trunk They put it down in thethe lid and across the keyhole They flared into brilliant life as Sabriel touched the lock and whispered some words under her breath There was a snick, the lid lifted a finger’s breadth, then Sabriel flung it open to reveal clothes, arnored these, digging down one side to pull out a large, leather-bound book Eold type on the cover declared the book to be An Alaion of the Wall She flicked quickly through its thick pages till she came to a series of tables

"What is today?" she asked "The date?"

"The twentieth," said Coelle

Sabriel ran her finger down one table and then across She stared at the result, and her finger ran again through the numbers as she quickly rechecked it

"When is it?" asked Touchstone "Anstyr’s Day?"

"Now," said Sabriel "Today"

Silence greeted her words Touchstone rallied a dom," he said "We canPoint uncertain," said Sabriel "We are too far south to call a Paperwing--"

Her eyes flashed at a sudden idea "Magistrix, does Hugh Jorbert still lease the school’s west paddock for his flying school?"

"Yes," replied Coelle "But the Jorberts are on holiday They won’t be back for a month"

"We can’t fly in an Ancelstierran machine," protested Touchstone "The wind is froine will die within ten h, we should be able to glide over," said Sabriel "Though not without a pilot Howlessons?"

"A dozen perhaps," said Coelle reluctantly "I don’t know if any of the," interrupted Felicity eagerly "My father used to fly with Colonel Jorbert in the Corps I have two hundred hours in our Humbert trainer at hos, night flying, and everything I can fly you over the Wall"

"No, you cannot," said Magistrix Coelle "I forbid it!"

"These are not ordinary tilance "We all must do whatever we can Thank you, Felicity We accept Please go and get everything ready, while we get changed into more suitable clothes"

Felicity let out an excited yell and raced out, her followers close behind Coelle h Instead, she sat down on the closest armchair, took a handkerchief out of her sleeve, and wiped her forehead The Charter lowed faintly as the cloth passed over it

"She’s a student," protested Coelle "What will I tell her parents ifif she doesn’t"

"I don’t know," said Sabriel "I have never knohat to tell anybody Except that it is better to do soreat"

She did not look at Coelle as she spoke, but out through theIn the middle of the lawn there was an obelisk of white h Its sides were carved with many names They were too small to be read from the , but Sabriel knew most of the names anyway, even when she had not known the people The obelisk was a ht nearly twenty years before, when Kerrigor had come across the Wall with a horde of Dead There were the nairls, teachers, policeardener