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"Yes, I suppose," replied Sa in his head, and he didn’t have time to talk "She needs help now Three diaone before Sa The two Clayr stood in front of hiently into their palms, and they also marked the blade with blood Sa around in his head He didn’t feel them take his elbows, either, and lead him back up the hill He couldn’t think of suchup marks he hardly knew Thousands and thousands of Charterinwards and outwards, ordering themselves into a spell that would join with Nehima and the seven pipes to replicate a weapon that was as deadly to its wielder as to its target

There was no tie, either Lirael simply snapped out orders as Ellimere, Sabriel, and Touchstone arrived She sent them to help make the first threethe last mark till everyone was inside and the diamonds could be completed For athat theyand the Abhorsen? But they didn’t, quickly going to their tasks, building the dia a cardinal mark

Major Greene hadn’t questioned her orders either, Lirael noticed with relief What was left of his co pell- the wounded, with the Major’s shouts speeding thes, too, telling thes would listen, though the sight of the whirling column of fire had the power to entrance as well as terrify

Saered up between Sanar and Ryelle, who sht him to the center of the incipient diamond Lirael smiled back, a brief smile that took her back for a moment to the twins’ words the day she had left the Glacier "You hter of the Clayr"

Lirael closed the outer diamond with a cardinal mark and stepped inside the next incomplete diamond As she passed him, Touchstone let the Northmark flon his sword to close the second diamond behind her He smiled at Lirael as they stepped back inside the third and final dia resemblance between him and his son

Sabriel herself closed the inner diaical defenses of triple strength Lirael hoped it would be enough and they would survive to do what must be done She had a ers to make sure they had the necessary seven Herself, Sameth, Ellimere, Sabriel, Touchstone, Sanar, Ryelle That was seven, though she was not sure it was really the right seven

The lines of the diaolden but were pallid in coht of the colu column was, Lirael kneas only the first and least of the nine manifestations of the Destroyer’s power Worse was to co his spell Lirael checked that the Dog and Mogget were safely inside the diamond, and noticed that Nick’s body was inside too, which soe thistle bush, which was annoying and showed her haste She hadn’t had time to think about where the diamonds should be

Everyone within the diamonds, save Sae cal disaster Then Sabriel took Lirael into a loose ehtly on the cheek

"So you are the sister I never knew I had," said Sabriel "I would wish that we had met earlier, and on a more auspicious occasion We have had many revelations thrust upon us, one by boat and van and aeroplane and Paperwing to coreat deal very suddenly They tell , and that you are not only heir to my office but a Remembrancer, too, and you have Seen the past as other Clayr See the future So please tell us--what lad you’re all here now," replied Lirael It was terribly te this brief lull, but she could not Everything depended upon her Everything

She took a deep breath and continued, "The Destroyer is building up to Its second manifestation, which I hopeI hope the diamonds will save us from Afterwards, It will dio down to It, warding ourselves against the fires that the secondspell ill use ourselves is simple, and I will teach it to you now But first, everyone must take a bell from meor from the Abhorsen"

"Call me Sabriel," said Sabriel firmly "Does it ht, one that will speak to your blood Each of us will be standing for one of the original Seven, as they live on in our bloodline and in the bells," sta her elders Sabriel was quite frightening up close, and it was hard to reendary binder of the Dead But Lirael did knohat she was doing She had seen in the Dark Mirror how the binding had been done and how it ain, and she could feel the affinities between the bells and the people

Though there was soe about Sanar and Ryelle Lirael looked at them, and her heart almost stopped as she realized that as twins, their spirits were intertwined They could wield only one bell between them There would only be six of the needed seven

She stood frozen and horrified as the others stepped forward and took their bells from Sabriel

"Saraneth for me, I think," said Sabriel, but she left the bell in the bandolier "Touchstone?"

"Ranna for me," replied Touchstone "The Sleeper seeiven my past"

"I will take a bell from my aunt, if I may," said Ellimere "Dyrim, I think"

Lirael mechanically handed the bell to her niece Ellimere looked very like Sabriel, with the same sort of contained force inside her But she had her father’s sh her panic

"We will hold Mosrael together," said Sanar and Ryelle in unison

Lirael shut her eyes Maybe she hadn’t counted right, she thought But she could feel who should have which bell She opened her eyes again and with shaking hands started to undo a strap on her bandolier

"Saaer, andand I ield both Astarael andand Kibeth, to make the seven"

She spoke as confidently as she could, but there was a quaver in her voice She could not wield two bells Not for this binding There had to be seven wielders, not just seven bells

"H her hindquarters in a somewhat embarrassed fashion "Not Kibeth I shall stand for myself"

Lirael’s hand fumbled on the strap that held Astarael silent, and she only just ed to prevent the bell’s mournful call, which would send all who heard it into Death

"But you said you weren’t one of the Seven!" Lirael protested, though she had long suspected the truth about the Dog She just hadn’t wanted to ad was her best and oldest friend, long her only friend Lirael could not i cheerily "That’s one of the reasons I’ Besides, I’m only what’s left of Kibeth, in a roundabout, hand-ainst the Destroyer Against Orannis, as one of your Seven"