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"I’ to close the company in," shouted Greene "We’ll form an all-around defense here"
Sae Fifty or sixty Dead Hands, headed their way
"There are Dead coe, then back at Lirael and at the Southerlings beyond They were all starting to trudge forward, towards the ridge, not farther back into the valley The soldiers were already running back towards the spur, the line contracting There was nothing between the Southerlings and their dooht you’d stopped the an instant decision The Dead were at least five ed hier if he was quick "I’ll be back in a few et, protect her!"
With that, he ran doards a particular group of Southerlings he’d seen before but hadn’t really registered as important till a roup was led by an ancient matriarch, white haired and much better dressed than everyone around her She was also supported by several younger roup that was not obviously a fae The ht He knew that ht be able to turn back the human tide
If only he could convince her in the next fewcould happen The Southerlingsway and be traht refuse the evidence of their own eyes and continue blindly on over the ridge, driven by optimism and hope that finally they would find somewhere to call home
Chapter Twenty-one
Deeper into Death
LIRAEL DIDN’T PAUSE to look around as she entered Death and the current gripped her, trying to drag her under in that first shocking instant of total cold She pushed forward at once as the Disreputable Dog bounded ahead, sniffing the river for any hint of lurking Dead
As Lirael waded, she anxiously ran through the key lessons she had learned froetting Their pages shone in herher about each of the Nine Precincts and the secrets of the Nine Gates But knowing these secrets--even fro experienced them And Lirael had never been past the First Precinct, never even crossed the First Gate
Nevertheless, she strode forward confidently, forcing her doubts as far back in her o Death was no place for doubts The river would be quick to attack any weakness, for it was only strength of will that kept the current fro away Lirael’s spirit If she faltered, the waters would take her under, and all would be lost
She caly quickly One minute it had been a distant roar and a far-off wall of mist that stretched as far as she could see to the left and right Nohat seeh to touch the mist, and the roar of the rapids on the other side was very loud
Words came to her then, words of power i the Free Magic writhe and sizzle on her tongue and lips as the words flew out of heraside to reveal a series of waterfalls that seemed to drop down forever into a dark and endless chasht and left with her sword A path appeared, cut deep into the waterfall, like a narrow pass between two liquidso close that she was als As they walked, the mist closed up, and the path faded behind the spirit rose froan to walk towards Life, following an almost invisible black thread connected to its navel It twitched and gibbered as it walked, anticipating the reward its ive for news of these travelers Perhaps it would even be allowed to stay in Life and be given a body, that greatest and h the First Gate was deceptive Lirael couldn’t tell how long it took, but soon the river had once again becoh the Second Precinct Lirael began to probe the water ahead with her sword as soon as she left the path, checking the footing This precinct was sierous holes as well as the ever-present current It was rey light fuzzy and indistinct, so Lirael couldn’t see much farther than she could touch with her sword held out at full stretch
There was an easy way through, a path charted by previous Abhorsens and recorded in The Book of the Dead Lirael took it, though she didn’t trust her book learning enough to give up probing with her sword But she did count out her steps as the Book instructed, and she took thethat, lost in the cadence of her steps, that she alrab for her belt pulled her to safety as she took one step too"Eleven" even as her brain said "Stop at Ten"
As quick as that thought she tried to draw back, but the Second Gate’s grip was er than the nor anchor saved her, though it took all the strength of both of theate
For the Second Gate was an enormous hole, into which the river sank like sinkwater down a drain, creating a whirlpool of terrible strength
"Thanks," said Lirael, shaking as she looked into the whirlpool and conte didn’t reply at once, as she was untangling her jaws from a sadly battered piece of leather that had previously been a serviceable belt
"Take it steady, Mistress," the Dog advised quietly "We will need haste elsewhere, but not here"
"Yes," agreed Lirael, as she forced deep, slow breaths into her lungs When she felt calht and recited further words of Free Magic, words that filled her ainst her deeply chilled cheeks
The words echoed out, and the spiraling waters of the Second Gate slowed and then stopped completely, as if the whole whirlpool had been snap frozen Now each swirl of current had beco spiral path down to the vortex of the Gate Lirael stepped down to the start of the path and began to walk Behind her, and above, the whirlpool began to swirl again
It seemed she would have to circle around a hundred tiain Lirael kneas deceptive It took only a few minutes to traverse the Second Gate, and she spent the ti about the Third Precinct and the trap it held for the unwary