THE AMBER SPYGLASS- 第15部分

she　awoke　with　the　early　sun　full　in　her　face。　the　air　was　cool；　and　the　dew　had　settled　in　tiny　beads　on　her　hair　and　on　the　sleeping　bag。　she　lay　for　a　few　minutes　lapped　in　freshness；　feeling　as　if　she　were　the　first　human　being　who　had　ever　lived。

she　sat　up；　yawned；　stretched；　shivered；　and　washed　in　the　chilly　spring　before　eating　a　couple　of　dried　figs　and　taking　stock　of　the　place。

behind　the　little　rise　she　had　found　herself　on；　the　land　sloped　gradually　down　and　then　up　again；　the　fullest　view　lay　in　front；　across　that　immense　prairie。　the　long　shadows　of　the　trees　lay　toward　her　now；　and　she　could　see　flocks　of　birds　wheeling　in　front　of　them；　so　small　against　the　towering　green　canopy　that　they　looked　like　motes　of　dust。

loading　her　rucksack　again；　she　made　her　way　down　onto　the　coarse；　rich　grass　of　the　prairie；　aiming　for　the　nearest　stand　of　trees；　four　or　five　miles　away。

the　grass　was　knee…high；　and　growing　among　it　were　low…lying　bushes；　no　higher　than　her　ankles；　of　something　like　juniper；　and　there　were　flowers　like　poppies；　like　buttercups；　like　cornflowers；　giving　a　haze　of　different　tints　to　the　landscape；　and　then　she　saw　a　large　bee；　the　size　of　the　top　segment　of　her　thumb；

visiting　a　blue　flower　head　and　making　it　bend　and　sway。　but　as　it　backed　out　of　the　petals　and　took　to　the　air　again；　she　saw　that　it　was　no　insect；　for　a　moment　later　it　made　for　her　hand　and　perched　on　her　finger；　dipping　a　long　needle…like　beak　against　her　skin　with　the　utmost　delicacy　and　then　taking　flight　again　when　it　found　no　nectar。　it　was　a　minute　hummingbird；　its　bronze…feathered　wings　moving　too　fast　for　her　to　see。

how　every　biologist　on　earth　would　envy　her　if　they　could　see　what　she　was　seeing！

she　moved　on　and　found　herself　getting　closer　to　a　herd　of　those　grazing　creatures　she　had　seen　the　previous　evening；　whose　movement　had　puzzled　her　without　her　knowing　why。　they　were　about　the　size　of　deer　or　antelopes；　and　similarly　colored；　but　what　made　her　stop　still　and　rub　her　eyes　was　the　arrangement　of　their　legs。　they　grew　in　a　diamond　formation：　two　in　the　center；　one　at　the　front；　and　one　under　the　tail；　so　that　the　animals　moved　with　a　curious　rocking　motion。　mary　longed　to　examine　a　skeleton　and　see　how　the　structure　worked。

for　their　part；　the　grazing　creatures　regarded　her　with　mild；　incurious　eyes；　showing　no　alarm。　she　would　have　loved　to　go　closer　and　take　time　to　look　at　them；　but　it　was　getting　hot；　and　the　shade　of　the　great　trees　looked　inviting；　and　there　was　plenty　of　time；　after　all。

before　long　she　found　herself　stepping　out　of　the　grass　onto　one　of　those　rivers　of　stone　shed　seen　from　the　hill：　something　else　to　wonder　at。

it　might　once　have　been　some　kind　of　lava…flow。　the　underlying　color　was　dark；　almost　black；　but　the　surface　was　paler；　as　if　it　had　been　ground　down　or　worn　by　crushing。　it　was　as　smooth　as　a　stretch　of　well…laid　road　in　marys　own　world；　and　certainly　easier　to　walk　on　than　the　grass。

she　followed　the　one　she　was　on；　which　flowed　in　a　wide　curve　toward　the　trees。　the　closer　she　got；　the　more　astounded　she　was　by　the　enormous　size　of　the　trunks；　as　wide；　she　estimated；　as　the　house　she　lived　in；　and　as　tall；　as　tall　as。。。　she　couldnt　even　make　a　guess。

when　she　came　to　the　first　trunk；　she　rested　her　hands　on　the　deeply　ridged　red…gold　bark。　the　ground　was　covered　ankle…deep　in　brown　leaf　skeletons　as　long　as　her　hand；　soft　and　fragrant　to　walk　on。　she　was　soon　surrounded　by　a　cloud　of　midgelike　flying　things；　as　well　as　a　little　flock　of　the　tiny　hummingbirds；　a　yellow　butterfly　with　a　wingspread　as　broad　as　her　hand；　and　too　many　crawling　things　for　fort。　the　air　was　full　of　humming　and　buzzing　and　scraping。

she　walked　along　the　floor　of　the　grove　feeling　much　as　if　she　were　in　a　cathedral：　there　was　the　same　stillness；　the　same　sense　of　upwardness　in　the　structures；　the　same　awe　within　herself。

it　had　taken　her　longer　than　she　thought　it　would　to　walk　here。　it　was　getting　on　toward　midday；　for　the　shafts　of　light　ing　down　through　the　canopy　were　almost　vertical。　drowsily　mary　wondered　why　the　grazing　creatures　didnt　move　under　the　shade　of　the　trees　during　this　hottest　part　of　the　day。

she　soon　found　out。

feeling　too　hot　to　move　any　farther；　she　lay　down　to　rest　between　the　roots　of　one　of　the　giant　trees；　with　her　head　on　her　rucksack；　and　fell　into　a　doze。

her　eyes　were　closed　for　twenty　minutes　or　so；　and　she　was　not　quite　asleep；　when　suddenly；　from　very　close　by；　there　came　a　resounding　crash　that　shook　the　ground。

then　came　another。　alarmed；　mary　sat　up　and　gathered　her　wits；　and　saw　a　movement　that　resolved　itself　into　a　round　object；　about　three　feet　across；　rolling　along　the　ground；　ing　to　a　halt；　and　falling　on　its　side。

and　then　another　fell；　farther　off；　she　saw　the　massive　thing　descend；　and　watched　it　crash　into　the　buttress…like　root　of　the　nearest　trunk　and　roll　away。

the　thought　of　one　of　those　things　falling　on　her　was　enough　to　make　her　take　her　rucksack　and　run　out　of　the　grove　altogether。　what　were　they？　seedpods？

watching　carefully　upward；　she　ventured　under　the　canopy　again　to　look　at　the　nearest　of　the　fallen　objects。　she　pulled　it　upright　and　rolled　it　out　of　the　grove；　and　then　laid　it　on　the　grass　to　look　at　it　more

closely。

it　was　perfectly　circular　and　as　thick　as　the　width　of　her　palm。　there　was　a　depression　in　the　center；　where　it　had　been　attached　to　the　tree。　it　wasnt　heavy；　but　it　was　immensely　hard　and　covered　in　fibrous　hairs；　which　lay　along　the　circumference　so　that　she　could　run　her　hand　around　it　easily　one　way　but　not　the　other。　she　tried　her　knife　on　the　surface；　it　made　no　impression　at　all。

her　fingers　seemed　smoother。　she　smelled　them；　there　was　a　faint　fragrance　there；　under　the　smell　of　dust。　she　looked　at　the　seedpod　again。　in　the　center　there　was　a　slight　glistening；　and　as　she　touched　it　again；　she　felt　it　slide　easily　under　her　fingers。　it　was　exuding　a　kind　of　oil。

mary　laid　the　thing　down　and　thought　about　the　way　this　world　had　evolved。

if　her　guess　about　these　universes　was　right；　and　they　were　the　multiple　worlds　predicted　by　quantum　theory；　then　some　of　them　would　have　split　off　from　her　own　much　earlier　than　others。　and　clearly　in　this　world　evolution　had　favored　enormous　trees　and　large　creatures　with　a　diamond…framed　skeleton。

she　was　beginning　to　see　how　narrow　her　scientific　horizons　were。　no　botany；　no　geology；　no　biology　of　any　sort；　she　was　as　ignorant　as　a　baby。

and　then　she　heard　a　low　thunder…like　rumble；　which　was　hard　to　locate　until　she　saw　a　cloud　of　dust　moving　along　one　of　the　roads；　toward　the　stand　of　trees；　and　toward　her。　it　was　about　a　mile　away；　but　it　wasnt　moving　slowly；　and　all　of　a　sudden　she　felt　afraid。

she　darted　back　into　the　grove。　she　found　a　narrow　space　between　two　great　roots　and　crammed　herself　into　it；　peering　over　the　buttress　beside　her　and　out　toward　the　approaching　dust　cloud。

what　she　saw　made　her　head　spin。　at　first　it　looked　like　a　motorcycle　gang。　then　she　thought　it　was　a　herd　of　wheeled　animals。　but　that　was　impossible。　no　animal　could　have　wheels。　she　wasnt　seeing　it。　but　she　was。

there　were　a　dozen　or　so。　they　were　roughly　the　same　size　as　the　grazing　creatures；　but　leaner　and　gray…colored；　with　horned　heads　and　short　trunks　like　elephants。　they　had　the　same　diamond…shaped　structure　as　the　grazers；　but　somehow　they　had　evolved；　on　their　front　and　rear　single　legs；　a　wheel。

but　wheels　did　not　exist　in　nature；　her　mind　insisted；　they　couldnt；　you　needed　an　axle　with　a　bearing　that　was　pletely　separate　from　the　rotating　part；　it　couldnt　happen；　it　was　impossible…

then；　as　they　came　to　a　halt　not　fifty　yards　away；　and　the　dust　settled；　she　suddenly　made　the　connection；　and　she　couldnt　help　laughing　out　loud　with　a　little　cough　of　delight。

the　wheels　were　seedpods。　perfectly　round；　immensely　hard　and　light；　they　couldnt　have　been　designed　better。　the　creatures　hooked　a　claw　through　the　center　of　the　pods　with　their　front　and　rear　legs；　and　used　their　two　lateral　legs　to　push　against　the　ground　and　move　along。　while　she　marveled　at　this；　she　was　also　a　little　anxious；　for　their　horns　looked　formidably　sharp；　and　even　at　this　distance　she　could　see　intelligence　and　curiosity　in　their　gaze。

and　they　were　looking　for　her。

one　of　them　had　spotted　the　seedpod　she　had　taken　out　of　the　grove；　and　he　trundled　off　the　road　toward　it。　when　he　reached　it；　he　lifted　it　onto　an　edge　with　his　trunk　and　rolled　it　over　to　his　panions。

they　gathered　around　the　pod　and　touched　it　delicately　with　those　powerful；　flexible　trunks；　and　she　found　herself　interpreting　the　soft　chirrups　and　clicks　and　hoots　they　were　making　as　expressions　of　disapproval。　someone　had　tampered　with　this：　it　was　wrong。

then　she　thought：　i　came　here　for　a　purpose；　although　i　dont　understand　it　yet。　be　bold。　take　the　initiative。　so　she　stood　up　and　very　self…consciously　called：

〃over　here。　this　is　where　i　am。　i　looked　at　your　seedpod。　im　sorry。　please　dont　harm　me。〃

instantly　their　heads　snapped　around；　trunks　held　out；　glittering　eyes　facing　forward。　their　ears　had　all　flicked　upright。

she　stepped　out　of　the　sh