d it鈥檚 true enough about her ignorance。
that鈥檚 one of the reasons she needs your help。鈥�
鈥渋 can鈥檛 remember much；鈥潯aid touchstone； snapping a branch in half with considerable ferocity。
鈥渆xcept my most recent past。 everything else is like a dream。 i鈥檓 not sure if it鈥檚 real or not； learned or imagined。 and i wasn鈥檛 insulted。 my oath isn鈥檛 worth much。鈥�
鈥渂ut you鈥檒l help her；鈥潯aid mogget。 it wasn鈥檛 a question。
鈥渘o；鈥潯aid touchstone。 鈥渉elp is for equals。 i鈥檒l serve her。 that鈥檚 all i鈥檓 good for。鈥�
as sabriel feared； there was little conversation over breakfast。 mogget went off in search of his own； and sabriel and touchstone were hindered by the sole cooking pot and single spoon； so they took it in turns to eat half the porridge。 even allowing for this difficulty； touchstone was unmunicative。 sabriel started asking a lot of questions； but as his standard response was； 鈥渋鈥檓 sorry； i can鈥檛 remember；鈥潯he soon gave up。
鈥渋 don鈥檛 suppose you can remember how to get out of this sinkhole； either；鈥潯he asked in exasperation； after a particularly long stretch of silence。
even to her； this sounded like a prefect addressing a miscreant twelve…year…old。
鈥渘o； i鈥檓 sorry 。 。 。鈥潯ouchstone began automatically； then he paused； and the corner of his mouth quirked up with a momentary spasm of pleasure。 鈥渨ait！ yes鈥攊 do remember！ there鈥檚 a hidden stair； to the north of king janeurl鈥檚 ship 。 。 。 oh； i can鈥檛 remember which one that is 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渢here鈥檚 only four ships near the northern rim；鈥�
sabriel mused。 鈥渋t won鈥檛 be too hard to find。
how鈥檚 your memory for other geography？ the kingdom； for instance？鈥�
鈥渋鈥檓 not sure；鈥潯eplied touchstone； guardedly； bowing his head again。 sabriel looked at him and took a deep breath to calm the eel…like writhings of anger that were slowly getting bigger and bigger inside her。 she could excuse his faulty memory鈥攁fter all； that was due to magical incarceration。
but the servile manner that went with it seemed to be an affectation。 he was like a bad actor playing the butler鈥攐r rather； a nonactor trying to impersonate a butler as best he could。 but why？ 鈥渕ogget drew me a map；鈥潯he said； talking as much to calm herself as for any real munication。
鈥渂ut； as he apparently has only left abhorsen鈥檚 house for a few weekends over the last thousand years； even two…hundred…year…old memories 。 。 。鈥�
sabriel paused； and bit her lip； suddenly aware that her annoyance with him had made her spiteful。
he looked up as she stopped speaking； but no reaction showed on his face。 he might as well still be carved from wood。
鈥渨hat i mean is；鈥潯abriel continued carefully； 鈥渋t would be very helpful if you could advise me on the best route to belisaere； and the important landmarks and locations on the way。鈥�
she got the map out of the special pocket in the pack and removed the protective oilskin。
touchstone took one end as she unrolled it； and weighted his two corners with stones； while sabriel secured hers with the telescope case。
鈥渋 think we鈥檙e about here；鈥潯he said； tracing her finger from abhorsen鈥檚 house； following the paperwing鈥檚 flight from there to a point a little north of the ratterlin river delta。
鈥渘o；鈥潯aid touchstone； sounding decisive for the first time； his finger stabbing the map an inch to the north of sabriel鈥檚 own。 鈥渢his is holehallow； here。 it鈥檚 only ten leagues from the coast and at the same latitude as mount anarson。鈥�
鈥済ood！鈥潯xclaimed sabriel； smiling； her anger slipping from her。 鈥測ou do remember。 now； what鈥檚 the best route to belisaere； and how long will it take？鈥�
鈥渋 don鈥檛 know the current conditions； mi 。 。 。
sabriel；鈥潯ouchstone replied。 his voice grew softer； more subdued。 鈥渇rom what mogget says； the kingdom is in a state of anarchy。 towns and villages may no longer exist。 there will be bandits； the dead； free magic unbound； fell creatures 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渋gnoring all that；鈥潯abriel asked； 鈥渨hich way did you normally go？鈥�
鈥渇rom nestowe； the fishing village here；鈥�
touchstone said； pointing at the coast to the east of holehallow。 鈥渨e鈥檇 ride north along the shoreway； changing horses at post houses。 four days to callibe； a rest day there。 then the interior road up through oncet pass； six days all told to aunden。 a rest day in aunden； then four days to orchyre。 from there； it would be a day鈥檚 ferry passage； or two days鈥櫋iding； to the westgate of belisaere。鈥�
鈥渆ven without the rest days； that鈥檇 be eighteen days鈥櫋iding； at least six weeks鈥櫋alking。 that鈥檚 too long。 is there any other way？鈥�
鈥渁 ship； or boat； from nestowe；鈥潯nterrupted mogget； stalking up behind sabriel； to place his paw firmly on the map。 鈥渋f we can find one and if either of you can sail it。鈥�
chapter xv
灏忥紲璇达紲t锛渪t锛炲ぉ锛熷爞
the stair was to the north of the middle ship of the four。 concealed by both magic and artifice； it seemed to be little more than a particularly wet patch of the damp limestone that 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 next morning； after another day of rest。 sabriel was eager to move on； for she felt that her father鈥檚 peril could only be increasing； but she was realistic enough to assess her own need for recovery time。 touchstone； too； probably needed a rest； she thought。 she鈥檇 tried to coax more information out of him while they鈥檇 searched for the steps； but he was clearly reluctant 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 near the spring； reading her father鈥檚 books on charter magic。 the book of the dead stayed wrapped in oilskin。 even then； she felt its presence； brooding in her pack 。 。 。
touchstone stayed at the opposite end of the ship； near the bow； performing a series of fencing exercises with his twin swords； and some stretches and minor acrobatics。 mogget watched him from the undergrowth； green eyes glittering； as if intent on a mouse。
lunch was a culinary and conversational failure。
dried beef strips； garnished with watercress from the fringes of the spring； and monosyllabic responses from touchstone。 he even went back to 鈥渕ilady；鈥潯espite sabriel鈥檚 repeated requests to use her name。 mogget didn鈥檛 help by calling her abhorsen。 after lunch； everyone went back to their respective activities。 sabriel to her book； touchstone to his exercises and mogget to his watching。
dinner was not something anyone had looked forward to。 sabriel tried talking to mogget； but he seemed to be infected with touchstone鈥檚 reticence； though not with his servility。 as soon as they鈥檇 eaten； everyone left the raked…together coals of the campfire鈥攖ouchstone to the west； mogget north and sabriel east鈥攁nd went to sleep on as fortable a stretch of ground as could be discovered。
sabriel woke once in the night。 without getting up； she saw that the fire had been rekindled and touchsto