The stair was to the north of the middle ship of the four. cealed by both magid artifice, it seemed to be little more than a particularly wet patch of the damp limestohat formed the sinkhole wall, but you could walk right through it, for it was really an open door with steps winding up behind.
They decided to take these steps the m, after another day of rest. Sabriel was eager to move on, for she felt that her father』s peril could only be increasing, but she was realistiough to assess her own need for recovery time. Touchstooo, probably needed a rest, she thought. She』d tried to ore information out of him while they』d searched for the steps, but he was clearly relut to even open his mouth, and when he did, Sabriel found his humble apologies ever more irritating. After the door was found she gave up altogether, and sat in the grass he spring, reading her father』s books on Charter Magic. The Book of the Dead stayed ed in oilskin. Even then, she felt its presence, brooding in her pack . . .
Touchstoayed at the opposite end of the ship, he bow, perf a series of feng exercises with his twin swords, and some stretches and minor acrobatics. Mogget watched him from the undergrowth, green eyes glittering, as if i on a mouse.
Lunch was a ary and versational failure.
Dried beef strips, garnished with watercress from the fringes of the spring, and monosyllabic responses from Touchstone. He eve bailady,」 despite Sabriel』s repeated requests to use her name. Mogget didn』t help by calling her Abhorsen. After lunch, everyo back to their respective activities. Sabriel to her book, Touchstoo his exercises and Mogget to his watg.
Dinner was not something anyone had looked forward to. Sabriel tried talking to Mogget, but he seemed to be ied with Touchstone』s retice, though not with his servility. As soon as they』d eaten, everyohe raked-together coals of the campfire—Touchstoo the west, Mogget north and Sabriel east—ao sleep on as fortable a stretch of ground as could be discovered.
Sabriel woke on the night. Without getting up, she saw that the fire had been rekindled and Touchsto beside it, staring into the flames, his eyes refleg the capering, gold-red light. His face looked drawn, almost ill.
「Are you all right?」 Sabriel asked quietly, propping herself up on one elbow.
Touchstoarted, rocked ba his heels, and almost fell over. For once, he didn』t sound like a sulky servant.
「Not really. I remember what I would not, and fet what I should not. Five me.」
Sabriel didn』t answer. He had spoken the last two words to the fire, not to her.
「Please, go back to sleep, milady,」 Touchstone tinued, slipping back to his servile role. 「I will wake you in the m.」
Sabriel opened her mouth to say something scathing about the arrogance of pretended humility, then shut it, and subsided bader her bla. Just trate on resg Father, she told herself. That is the one important thing.
Rescue Abhorsen. Don』t worry about Touchstone』s problems, get』s curious nature.
Rescue Abhorsen. Rescue Abhorsen. Rescue Abhors . . . rescue . . .
「Wake up!」 Mogget said, right in her ear. She rolled n him, but he leapt across her head aed it iher ear. 「Wake up!」
「I』m awake,」 grumbled Sabriel. She sat up with the bla ed around her, feeling the pre-dawn chill on her fad hands. It was still extremely dark, save for the uneven light of the fire and the fai brushings of dawn light above the sinkhole. Touch