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sabriel swallowed； closed her eyes； fumbled with the collar and prayed that she was doing the right thing。 “father； forgive me；” she thought； but it was not just to her father that she spoke； but to all the abhorsens who had e before her—especially the one who had made the collar so long ago。
surprisingly for such an ancient spell； she felt little more than pins and needles as the collar came free。 then it was open； and suddenly heavy； like a lead rope； or a ball and chain。
sabriel almost dropped it； but it became light again； then insubstantial。 when sabriel opened her eyes； the collar had simply ceased to exist。
mogget sat still； on her lap； and seemed unchanged—then he seemed to glow with an internal light and expand； till he became frayed at the edges； and the light grew and grew。 within a few seconds； there was no cat…shape left； just a shining blur too bright to look at。 it seemed to hesitate for a moment and sabriel felt its attention flicker between aggression towards her and some inner struggle。 it almost formed back into the cat…shape again； then suddenly split into four shafts of brilliant white。 one shot forward； one aft； and two seemed to slide into the wings。
then the whole paperwing shone with fierce white brilliance； and it abruptly stopped its headlong dive and leveled out。 sabriel was flung violently forward； body checked by straps； but her nose almost hit the silver mirror； neck muscles cording out with an impossible effort to keep her head still。
despite this sudden improvement； they were still falling。 sabriel； hands now clasped behind her savagely aching neck； saw the ground rushing up to fill the horizon。 treetops suddenly appeared below； the paperwing imbued with the strange light； just clipping through the upper branches with a sound like hail on a tin roof。
then； they dropped again； skimming scant yards above what looked like a cleared field； but still too fast to land without total destruction。
mogget； or whatever mogget had bee； braked the paperwing again； in a series of shuddering halts that added bruises on top of bruises。
for the first time； sabriel felt the incredible relief of knowing that they would survive。 one more braking effort and the paperwing would be safely down； to skid a little in the long； soft grass of the field。
mogget braked； and sabriel cheered as the paperwing gently lay its belly on the grass and slid to what should have been a perfect landing。
but the cheer suddenly became a shriek of alarm； as the grass parted to reveal the lip of an enormous dark hole directly in their path。
too low to rise； and now too slow to glide over a hole at least fifty yards across； the paperwing reached the edge； flipped over and spiraled towards the bottom of the hole； hundreds of feet below。
．．
chapter xii
。
sabriel regained consciousness slowly； her brain fumbling for connections to her senses。 hearing came first； but that only caught her own labored breathing； and the creak of her armored coat as she struggled to sit up。 for the moment； sight eluded her； and she was panicked； afraid of blindness； till memory came。 it was night； and she was at the bottom of a sinkhole—a great； circular shaft bored into the ground； by either nature or artifice。 from her brief glimpse of it as they’d fallen； she guessed it was easily fifty yards in diameter and a hundred deep。 daylight would probably illuminate its murky depths； but starlight was insufficient。
pain came next； hard on the heels of memory。 a thousand aches and bruises； but no serious injury。
sabriel wiggled her toes and fingers； flexed muscles in arms； back and legs。 they all hurt； but everything seemed to work。
she vaguely recalled the last few seconds before impact—mogget； or the white force； slowing them just before they hit—but the actual instant of the crash might never have been； for she couldn’t remember it。 shock； she thought to herself； in an abstract way； almost like she was diagnosing someone else。
her next thought came some time later； and with it the realization that she must have passed out again。 with this awakening； she felt a little sharper； her mind catching some slight breeze to carry her out of the mental doldrums。 working by touch； she unstrapped herself and felt behind her for the pack。 in her current state； even a simple charter…spell for light was out of the question； but there were candles there； and matches； or the clockwork igniter。
as the match flared； sabriel’s heart sank。 in the small； flickering globe of yellow light； she saw that only the central cockpit portion of the paperwing survived—the sad blue and silver corpse of a once marvelous creation。 its wings lay torn and crumpled underneath it； and the entire nose section lay some yards away； shorn off pletely。 one eye stared up at the circular patch of sky above； but it was no longer fierce and alive。 just yellow paint and laminated paper。
sabriel stared at the wreckage； regret and sorrow coursing like influenza in her bones； till the match burnt her fingers。 she lit another； and then a candle； expanding both her light and field of vision。
more small pieces of the paperwing were strewn over a large； open； flat area。 groaning with the effort of motivating bruised muscles； sabriel levered herself out of the cockpit to have a closer look at the ground。
this revealed the flat area to be man…made； flagstones； carefully laid。 grass had long grown between the stones； and lichen upon them； so it was clearly not recent work。 sabriel sat on the cool stones and wondered why anyone would do such work at the bottom of a sinkhole。
thinking about that seemed to kickstart her befuddled wits and she started to wonder about a few other things。 where； for instance； was the force that had once been mogget？ and what was it？ that reminded her to fetch her sword and check the bells。
her turbanned helmet had rotated around on her head and was almost back…to…front。 slowly； she slid it around； feeling every slight movement all the way down her now very stiff neck。
balancing her first candle on the paving in a pool of cooling wax； she dragged her pack and weapons out of the wreckage and lit another