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shiver； and told herself that she knew all that was necessary。
鈥渕y first step must be to find my father鈥檚 body；鈥潯he said。 鈥渨hich is where i need your help； mogget。鈥�
鈥渋 have no knowledge of where he met his end；鈥潯ogget stated； with finality。 he yawned； and started licking his paws。
sabriel frowned； and found herself pulling in her lips； a characteristic she had deplored in the unpopular history teacher at school； who often went 鈥渢hin…lipped鈥潯n anger or exasperation。
鈥渏ust tell me when you last saw him； and what his plans were。鈥�
鈥渨hy don鈥檛 you read his diary；鈥潯uggested mogget； in a momentary break from cleaning himself。
鈥渨here is it？鈥潯sked sabriel； excited。 a diary would be tremendously helpful。
鈥渉e probably took it with him；鈥潯eplied mogget。 鈥渋 haven鈥檛 seen it。鈥�
鈥渋 thought you had to help me！鈥潯abriel said； another frown wrinkling across her forehead； reinforcing the thin lips。 鈥減lease answer my question。鈥�
鈥渢hree weeks ago；鈥潯ogget mumbled； mouth half muffled in the fur of his stomach； pink tongue alternating between words and cleansing。
鈥渁 messenger came from belisaere； begging for his help。 something dead； something that could pass the wards； was preying on them。
abhorsen鈥攊 mean the previous abhorsen； ma鈥檃m鈥攕uspected that there was more to it than that； belisaere being belisaere。 but he went。鈥�
鈥渂elisaere。 the name鈥檚 familiar鈥攊t鈥檚 a town？鈥�
鈥渁 city。 the capital。 at least it was； when there was still a kingdom。鈥�
鈥渨as？鈥�
mogget stopped washing； and looked across； eyes narrowing to frowning slits。 鈥渨hat did they teach you in that school？ there hasn鈥檛 been a king or queen for two hundred years； and not even a regent for twenty。 that鈥檚 why the kingdom sinks day by day； into a darkness from which no one will rise 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渢he charter鈥斺�潯abriel began； but mogget interrupted with a yowl of derision。
鈥渢he charter crumbles too；鈥潯e mewed。
鈥渨ithout a ruler； charter stones broken one by one with blood； one of the great charters twi 。 。 。 twis 。 。 。 twisted鈥斺��
鈥渨hat do you mean； one of the great charters？鈥潯abriel interrupted in turn。 she had never heard of such a thing。 not for the first time； she also wondered what she鈥檇 been taught in school； and why her father had kept so quiet about the state of the old kingdom。
but mogget was silent； as if the things he鈥檇 already said had stopped his mouth。 for a moment； he seemed to be trying to form words； but nothing came from his small red mouth。
finally； he gave up。 鈥渋 cannot tell you。 it鈥檚 part of my binding； curse it！ suffice to say that the whole world slides into evil； and many are helping the slide。鈥�
鈥渁nd others resist it；鈥潯aid sabriel。 鈥渓ike my father。 like me。鈥�
鈥渋t depends what you do；鈥潯ogget said； as if he doubted that someone as patently useless as sabriel would make much difference。 鈥渘ot that i care鈥斺��
the sound of the trapdoor opening above their heads stopped the cat in mid…speech。
sabriel tensed； looking up to see what was ing down the ladder； then started breathing again as she realized that it was only another charter sending； its black habit flopping over the rungs of the ladder as it came down。 this one； like the guards on the cliff corridor鈥攂ut unlike the other house servants鈥攈ad the silver key emblazoned on its chest and back。 it bowed to sabriel； and pointed up。
with a feeling of foreboding； sabriel knew that it wanted her to look at something from the observatory。 reluctantly； she pushed her chair back and went over to the ladder。 a cold draft was blowing in through the open trapdoor； carrying with it the chill of ice from further up the river。 sabriel shivered； as her hands touched the cold metal rungs。
emerging into the observatory； the chill passed； for the room was still lit by the last； red light of the setting sun； giving an illusion of warmth and making sabriel squint。 she had no memory of this room； so it was with delight that she saw that it was totally walled in glass； or something like it。 the bare beams of the redtiled roof rested on transparent walls； so cleverly morticed together that the roof was like a work of art； plete with the slight draft that reduced its perfection to a more human level。
a large telescope of gleaming glass and bronze dominated the observatory； standing triumphant on a tripod of dark wood and darker iron。 a tall observer鈥檚 stool stood next to it； and a lectern； a star chart still spilled across it。 a thick； toe wriggle…inviting carpet lay under all； a carpet that was also a map of the heavens； showing many different； colorful constellations and whirling planets； woven in thick； richly dyed wool。
the sending； who had followed sabriel； went to the south wall and pointed out towards the southern riverbank； its pallid； charter…drawn hand indicating the very spot where sabriel had emerged after her underground flight from the mordicant。
sabriel looked there； shielding her right eye from the west…falling sun。 her gaze crossed the white tops of the river and was drawn to the ledge； despite an inner quailing about what she would see。
as she feared； the mordicant was still there。
but with what she had e to think of as her death sight； sabriel sensed it was quiescent； temporarily just an unpleasant statue； a foreground to other； more active shapes that bustled about in some activity behind。
sabriel stared a little longer； then went to the telescope； narrowly avoiding mogget； who had somehow appeared underfoot。 sabriel wondered how he had got up the ladder； then dismissed the thought as she concentrated on what was happening outside。
unaided； she hadn鈥檛 been certain what the shapes around the mordicant were； but they sprang sharply at her through the telescope； drawn so close she felt she could somehow lean forward and snatch them away。
they were men and women鈥攍iving； breathing people。 each was shackled to a partner鈥檚 leg by an iron chain and they shuffled about in these pairs under the dominating presence of the mordicant。 there were scores of them； ing out of the corridor； carrying heavily