「The diamond is plete,」 said Touchstone. 「We won』t be able to move him.」
「Yes. I know,」 replied Sabriel. The relief that had soared inside her at the sight of her father was ebbing, giving way to the siess caused by the broken stones. 「I think . . . I think I』ll have to go into Death from here, ach his spirit back.」
「What!」 exclaimed Touchstohen, quieter, as the ech, 「Here?」
「If we cast our own diamond of prote . . .」
Sabriel tihinking aloud. 「A large one, around both of us and Father』s diamond—that will keep most da bay.」
「Most danger,」 Touchstone said grimly, looking around, trying to peer past the tight fines of their dle』s little globe of light.
「It will also trap us here—even if we cast it, so close to the broken stones. I know that I couldn』t do it alo this point.」
「We should be able to bine our strengths.
Then, if you and Mogget keep watch while I am ih, we should manage.」
「What do you think, Mogget?」 asked Touchstourning his head, so his cheek brushed against the little animal on his shoulder.
「I have my own troubles,」 grumbled Mogget.
「And I think this is probably a trap. But since we』re here, and the—Abhorseus, shall we say, does seem to be alive, I suppose there』s nothing else to be done.」
「I don』t like it,」 whispered Touchstone.
Just standing this close to the broken stoook most of his strength. For Sabriel to enter Death seemed madness, tempting fate. Who knew what might be lurking ih, close by the easy portal made by the broken stones? For that matter, who knew what was lurking in or around the reservoir? Sabriel didn』t answer. She moved closer to her father』s diamond of prote, studying the cardinal marks uhe water. Touchstone followed relutly, f his legs to move in short steps, minimizing the splash and ripple of his wake.
Sabriel snuffed out her dle, thrust it through her belt, then held out her open palm.
「Put your sword away and give me your hand,」 she said, in a tohat did not invite versatiument. Touchstoated— his left hand held only a dle, and he didn』t want both his swords scabbarded—then he plied. Her hand was cold, colder thaer. Instinctively, he gripped a little tighter, to give her some of his warmth.
「Mogget—keep watch,」 Sabriel instructed.
She closed her eyes, and began to visualize the East mark, the first of the four cardinal wards.
Touchstoook a quick look around, then closed his eyes too, drawn in by the force of Sabriel』s juration.
Pain shot through his hand and arm, as he added his will to Sabriel』s. The mark seemed blurry in his head, and impossible to focus. The pins and needles that had already plagued his feet spread up above his knees, shooting them through with rheumatic pains. But he blocked off the pain, narrowing his sciouso just ohing: the creation of a diamond of prote.
Finally, the East mark flowed down Sabriel』s blade and took root in the reservoir floor.
Without opening their eyes, the duo shuffled around to face the south, and the mark.
This was harder still, and both of them were sweating and shaking when it finally began its glowience. Sabriel』s hand was hot and feverish now, and Touchstone』s flesh ricocheted violently betweei and shivering cold. A terrible wave of nausea hit him, and he would have been sick, but Sabriel gripped his hand, like a fal its prey, a him strength. He gagged, dry-retched ohen recovered.
The West mark was simply a trial