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Sa for all he orth, but behind him the interpreter and the estured back towards the center of the valley and the strea, then tore up the paper she held, threw it to the ground, and spat on it Her action was reat paper tearing and spitting slowly spread throughout the vast crowd Then the an to walk east, to theits bellwether, all the other Southerlings turned as well
Sa up the spur, three quarters of the way back, when he heard shouts ahead
"Halt! Halt!"
Sam couldn’t sense the Dead so close, but he found extra speed from somewhere, and his sword leaped into his hand Startled soldiers stepped aside as he ran past the of stones Greene and two soldiers were in front of her About ten feet in front of thestill on the ground and was shrieking His clothes and skin were blackened, and he had lost most of his hair But he was not a Dead Hand In fact, Saitive was not much older than he was
"It’s not me, it’s not me, I’m not them, they’re behind me," he shrieked "You have to helpover there?"
"I’ hte He killed my workmen! All of them He pointed at them and they died"
"Who’s behind you?" asked Sam
"I don’t know," sobbed Tim "They were my men I don’t knohat they are now I saw Krontas struck directly by lightning His head was on fire, but he didn’t stop They are--"
"The Dead," said Sa at Forwin Mill?"
"I’m from the University of Corvere," whispered Tiet hi Farm for Nicholas Sayre I didn’tI don’t knohat it’s for, but it’s nothing good We have to stop it being used! Nick said he’ll try, but--"
"Nicholas is there?" snapped Sam
Tim nodded "But he’s in bad shape He hardly kneho I was I don’t think there’sAnd there hite s heart He knew fron of the Destroyer taking control Any faint hope he’d had that Nick ht escape was dashed His friend was lost
"What can be done?" asked Sa Farm?"
"There are circuit breakers in each of the nine junction boxes," whispered Tim "If they were openedBut I don’t kno many circuits are actually needed Oror you could cut the cables fro rods, and since they’re already being struck by lightningyou’d need very special gear"
Sahts of Nick’s plight and the Lightning Farm were swept away as a cold sensation froze the hair on the back of his neck His head snapped up, and he pushed past Tim The first wave of Dead were al to any junction boxes was academic
"Here they co into the Charter to prepare destructive spells He was surprised by how easy it was The as still blowing from the west, and it should have been harder this far froly, alh it was somehow inside him as much as it was outside
"Stand ready!" shouted Greene, his warning repeated by sergeants and corporals in the ring of soldiers around Lirael’s frozen forh to the Abhorsen! Nothing!"
"The Abhorsen" Sa that pain away There was no tirieve or think about the world without his parents He could see the Dead Hands lu speed as they sensed the Life ahead
Sam readied a spell and quickly looked around All the bowmen had arrows nocked, and they were teamed with pairs of bayonet men Greene and Tindall were next to Sam, both ready with Charter spells Lirael was several paces behind theet? The little white cat was nowhere to be seen
Chapter Twenty-three
Lathal the Abomination
THE FIFTH GATE was a reverse waterfall: a watercli up it The dark ribbon path that crossed the Fifth Precinct ended short of this watercli stared up fro their throats It was very disorienting to see water rising where it should fall, though fortunately it blurred into grey fuzziness before it went too far up Even so, Lirael had the unpleasant feeling that she was no longer subject to nor was fueled by the knowledge that this was actually as going to happen when she spoke the Free Magic spell to cross the Fifth Gate There was no path or stair here--the spell simply made sure the waterclimb didn’t take you too far