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鈥渋t鈥檚 definitely an aircraft； sir；鈥潯e said； brightening up as he spoke。 鈥渢otally silent； like a glider； but it鈥檚 clearly powered somehow。 very maneuverable； and beautifully painted； too。 there鈥檚 two 。 。 。 people in it； sir。鈥�
horyse didn鈥檛 answer； but took up the binoculars and the same elbow…propping stance。 for a moment； he couldn鈥檛 see the aircraft； and he hastily panned left and right； then zigzagged up and down鈥攁nd there it was； lower than he expected； almost in a landing approach。
鈥渟ound stand…to；鈥潯e ordered harshly； as the realization struck him that the craft would land very close to the crossing point鈥攑erhaps only a hundred yards from the gate。
he heard his mand being repeated by jorbert to a sergeant； and then bellowed out； to be taken up by sentries； duty ncos； and eventually to hand…cranked klaxons and the old bell that hung in the front of the officer鈥檚 mess。
it was hard to see exactly who or what was in the craft； till he twiddled with the focus； and sabriel鈥檚 face leapt towards him； magnified up to a recognizable form； even at the current distance。 sabriel； the daughter of abhorsen； acpanied by an unknown man鈥攐r something wearing the shape of a man。 for a moment； horyse considered ordering the men to stand…down； but he could already hear hobnailed boots clattering on the duckboards； sergeants and corporals shouting鈥攁nd it might not really be sabriel。 the sun was weakening； and the ing night would be the first of the full moon 。 。 。
鈥渏orbert！鈥潯e snapped； handing the binoculars back to the surprised and unready subaltern。
鈥済o and give the regimental sergeant…major my pliments； and ask him to personally organize a section of the scouts鈥攚e鈥檒l go out and take a closer look at that aircraft。鈥�
鈥渙h； thank you； sir！鈥潯ushed lieutenant jorbert； obviously taking the 鈥渨e鈥潯o include himself。 his enthusiasm surprised horyse； at least for a moment。
鈥渢ell me； mr。 jorbert；鈥潯e asked。 鈥渉ave you by any chance sought a transfer to the flying corps？鈥�
鈥渨ell； yes； sir；鈥潯eplied jorbert。 鈥渆ight times 。 。 。鈥�
鈥渏ust remember；鈥潯oryse said； interrupting him。 鈥渢hat whatever is out there may be a flying creature； not a flying machine鈥攁nd its pilots may be half…rotted things that should be properly dead； or free magic beings that have never really lived at all。 not fellow aviators； knights of the sky； or anything like that。鈥�
jorbert nodded； unmilitarily； saluted； and turned on his heel。
鈥渁nd don鈥檛 forget your sword next time you鈥檙e on duty； officer；鈥潯oryse called after him。
鈥渉asn鈥檛 anyone told you your revolver might not work？鈥�
jorbert nodded again； flushed； almost saluted； then scuttled off down the munication trench。 one of the soldiers in the forward observation post； a corporal with a full sleeve of chevrons denoting twenty years鈥櫋ervice； and a charter mark on his forehead to show his perimeter pedigree； shook his head at the departing back of the young officer。
鈥渨hy are you shaking your head； corporal anshy？鈥潯napped horyse； irked by his many interrupted shaves and this new and potentially dangerous appearance of an aircraft。
鈥渨ater on the brain；鈥潯eplied the corporal cheerfully鈥攁nd rather ambiguously。 horyse opened his mouth to issue a sharp reprimand； then closed it as the corners of his mouth involuntarily inched up into a smile。 before he could actually laugh； he left the post； heading back to the trench junction where his section and the rsm would meet him to go beyond the wall。
within five paces； he鈥檇 lost his smile。
the paperwing slid to a perfect landing in a flurry of snow。 sabriel and touchstone sat in it； shivering under oilskin and boat cloak； respectively； then slowly levered themselves out to stand knee…deep in the tightly packed snow。
touchstone smiled at sabriel； his nose bright red and eyebrows frosted。
鈥渨e made it。鈥�
鈥渟o far；鈥潯eplied sabriel； warily looking around。 she could see the long grey bulk of the wall； with the deep honey…colored sun of autumn on the ancelstierran side。 here； the snow lay banked against the grey stone； and it was overcast； with the sun almost gone。 dark enough for the dead to be wandering around。
touchstone鈥檚 smile faded as he caught her mood； and he took his swords from the paperwing； giving the left sword to sabriel。 she sheathed it； but it was a bad fit鈥攁nother reminder of loss。
鈥渋鈥檇 better get the books； too；鈥潯he said； bending in to retrieve them from the cockpit。 the two charter magic books were fine； untouched by snow； but the book of the dead seemed wet。
when sabriel pulled it out； she found it wasn鈥檛 snow…wet。 beads of dark； thick blood were welling up out of its cover。 silently； sabriel wiped it on the hard crust of the snow； leaving a livid mark。 then she tucked the books away in the pockets of her coat。
鈥渨hy 。 。 。 why was the book like that？鈥潯sked touchstone； trying； and almost succeeding； to sound curious rather than afraid。
鈥渋 think it鈥檚 reacting to the presence of many deaths；鈥潯abriel replied。 鈥渢here is great potential here for the dead to rise。 this is a very weak point鈥斺��
鈥渟hhh！鈥潯ouchstone interrupted her； pointing towards the wall。 shapes； dark against the snow； were moving in an extended line towards them； at a deliberate； steady pace。 they carried bows and spears； and sabriel； at least； recognized the rifles slung across their backs。
鈥渋t鈥檚 all right；鈥潯abriel said； though a faint stab of nervousness touched her stomach。 鈥渢hey鈥檙e soldiers from the ancelstierran side鈥攕till； i might send the paperwing on its way 。 。 。鈥�
quickly； she checked that they鈥檇 taken everything from the cockpit； then laid her hand on the nose of the paperwing； just above its twinkling eye。 it seemed to look up at her as she spoke。
鈥済o now； friend。 i don鈥檛 want to risk you being dragged into ancelstierre and taken apart。
fly where you will鈥攖o the clayr鈥檚 glacier； or； if you care to； to abhorsen鈥檚 house； where the water falls。鈥�
she stepped back； and formed the charter marks that would imbue the paperwing with choice； and the wi