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es； the usual drill。 yes； whatever is in 。 。 。 yes； extraordinarily dangerous 。 。 。
hello！ hello！”
he put the handset down slowly； and pointed back up the hill。
“the fog is already moving through the northern part of bain。 it must be going much faster。 is it possible that this kerrigor could know what we’re up to？”
“yes；” replied sabriel and touchstone； together。
“we’d better get a move on then；” horyse announced； looking at his watch。 “i’d say we now have less than forty minutes。”
％％。
chapter xxvii
the last blocks came away slowly； pulled out by sweating； white…faced men； their hands and legs shivering； breath ragged。 as soon as the way was clear； they staggered back； away from the cairn； seeking patches of sunlight to bat the dreadful chill that seemed to eat at their bones。 one soldier； a dapper man with a white…blond moustache； fell down the hill； and lay retching； till stretcher…bearers ran up to take him away。
sabriel looked at the dark hole in the cairn； and saw the faint； unsettling sheen from the bronze sarcophagus within。 she felt sick too； with the hair on the back of her neck frizzing up； skin crawling。 the air seemed thick with the reek of free magic； a hard； metallic taste in her mouth。
“we will have to spell it open；” she announced； with a sinking heart。 “the sarcophagus is very strongly protected。 i think 。 。 。 the best thing would be if i go in with touchstone taking my hand； horyse his； and so on； to form a line reinforcement of the charter magic。 does everyone know the charter marks for the opening spell？”
the soldiers nodded； or said； “yes； ma’am。”
one said； “yes； abhorsen。”
sabriel looked at him。 a middle…aged corporal； with the chevrons of long service on his sleeve。 he seemed one of the least affected by the free magic。
“you can call me sabriel； if you want；” she said； strangely unsettled by what he had called her。
the corporal shook his head。 “no； miss。 i knew your dad。 you’re just like him。 the abhorsen； now。 you’ll make this dead bugger— begging your pardon—wish he’d stayed properly bloody dead。”
“thank you；” sabriel replied； uncertainly。
she knew the corporal didn’t have the sight— you could always tell—but his belief in her was so concrete 。 。 。
“he’s right；” said touchstone。 he gestured for her to go in front of him； making a courtly bow。
“let’s finish what we came to do； abhorsen。”
sabriel bowed back； in a motion that had almost the feel of ritual about it。 the abhorsen bowing to the king。 then she took a deep breath； her face settling into a determined mold。
beginning to form the charter marks of opening in her mind； she took touchstone’s hand and advanced towards the open cairn； its dark； shadowy interior in stark contrast with the sunlit thistles and the tumbled stones。 behind her； touchstone half…turned to take horyse’s calloused hand as well； the colonel’s other hand already gripping lieutenant aire’s； aire gripping a sergeant’s； the sergeant the long…service corporal’s； and so on down the hillside。 fourteen charter mages in all； if only two of the first rank。
sabriel felt the charter magic welling up the line； the marks glowing brighter and brighter in her mind； till she almost lost her normal vision in their brilliance。 she shuffled forwards into the cairn； each step bringing that all…too…familiar nausea； the pins and needles； uncontrollable shaking。 but the marks were strong in her mind； stronger than the sickness。
she reached the bronze sarcophagus； slapped her hand down and let the charter magic go。
instantly； there was an explosion of light； and a terrible scream echoed all through the cairn。 the bronze grew hot； and sabriel snatched back her hand； the palm red and blistered。 a second later； steam billowed out all around the sarcophagus； great gouts of scalding steam； forcing sabriel out； the whole line going down like dominoes； tumbling out of the cairn and down the hill。
sabriel and touchstone were thrown together； about five yards down from the entrance to the cairn。 somehow； sabriel’s head had landed on touchstone’s stomach。 his head was on a thistle； but both of them lay still for a moment； drained by the magic and the strength of the free magic defenses。 they looked up at the blue sky； already tinged with the red of the impending sunset。
around them there was much swearing and cursing； as the soldiers picked themselves up。
“it didn’t open；” sabriel said； in a quiet； matter…of…fact voice。 “we don’t have the power； or the skill—”
she paused； and then added； “i wish mogget wasn’t 。 。 。 i wish he was here。 he’d think of something 。 。 。”
touchstone was silent； then he said； “we need more charter mages—it would work if the marks were reinforced enough。”
“more charter mages；” sabriel said tiredly。
“we’re on the wrong side of the wall 。 。 。”
“what about your school？” asked touchstone； and then “ow！” as sabriel suddenly shot up； disrupting his balance； then “ow！” again as she bent down and kissed him； pushing his head further into the thistle。
“touchstone！ i should have thought 。 。 。 the senior magic classes。 there must be thirty…five girls with the charter mark and the basic skills。”
“good；” muttered touchstone； from the depths of the thistle。 sabriel put out her hands； and helped him up； smelling the sweat on him； and the fresh； pungent odor of crushed thistles。
he was halfway up when she suddenly seemed to lose her enthusiasm； and he almost fell back down again。
“the girls are there；” said sabriel； slowly； as if thinking aloud。 “but have i any right to involve them in something that 。 。 。”
“they’re involved anyway；” interrupted touchstone。 “the only reason that ancelstierre isn’t like the old kingdom is the wall； and it won’t last once kerrigor breaks the remaining stones。”
“they’re only schoolchildren；” sabriel said sadly。 “for all we always thought we were grown women。”
“we need them；” said touchstone； again。
“yes；” said sabriel； turning back towards the knot of men gathered as close as they dared to the cairn。 horyse； and some of the stronger charter mages； peering back towards the entrance and the shimmering bronze within。
“the spell failed；” sabriel said。 “but touchstone has just reminded me where we can get more charter mages。”
horyse looked at her； urgency in his face。
“where？”
“wyverley college。 my old school。 the fifth and sixth form magic classes； and their teacher； magistrix greenwood。 it’s less than a mile away。”
“i don’t think we’ve got time to get a message there； and get them over here；” horyse began； looking up at the setting sun； then at his watch— which was now going backwards。 he looked puzzled for a moment； then ignored it。 “but 。 。 。
do you think it would be possible to move the sarcophagus？”
sabriel thought about the protective spell that she’d encountered； then answered。 “yes。 most of the wards were on the cairn； for concealment。
there’s nothing to stop us moving the sarcophagus； save the side effects of the free magic。 if we can stand the sickness； we can shift it—”
“and wyverly college—it’s an old； solid building？”
“more like a castle than anything；” replied sabriel； seeing the way he was thinking。 “easier to defend than this hill。”
“running water 。 。 。 no？ that would be too much to hope for。 right！ private macking； run down to major tindall and tell him that i want his pany ready to move in two minutes。
we’re going back to the trucks； then on to wyverley college—it’s on the map； about a mile 。 。 。”
“south…west；” sabriel provided。
“south…west。 repeat that back。”
private macking repeated the message in a slow drawl； then ran off； clearly keen to get away from the cairn。 horyse turned to the longservice corporal and said； “corporal anshey。
you look pretty fit。 do you think you could get a rope around that coffin？”
“reckon so； sir；” replied corporal anshey。 he detached a coil of rope from his webbing as he spoke； and gestured with his hand to the other soldiers。
“e on you blokes； get yer ropes out。”
twenty minutes later； the sarcophagus was being lifte