THE AMBER SPYGLASS- 第49部分

〃because；〃　she　began；　lying；　〃because　theres　something　ive　got　to　do　there；　not　just　seeing　my　friend　roger；　something　else。　it　was　a　task　put　on　me　by　an　angel；　and　no　one　else　can　do　it；　only　me。　its　too　important　to　wait　till　i　die　in　the　natural　way；　its　got　to　be　done　now。　see；　the　angel　manded　me。　thats　why　we　came　here；　me　and　will。　we　got　to。〃

behind　her；　tialys　put　away　his　instrument　and　sat　watching　the　child　plead　with　her　own　death　to　be　taken　where　no　one　should　go。

the　death　scratched　his　head　and　held　up　his　hands；　but　nothing　could　stop　lyras　words；　nothing　could　deflect　her　desire；　not　even　fear：　shed　seen　worse　than　death；　she　claimed；　and　she　had；　too。

so　eventually　her　death　said：

〃if　nothing　can　put　you　off；　then　all　i　can　say　is；　e　with　me；　and　i　will　take　you　there；　into　the　land　of　the　dead。　ill　be　your　guide。　i　can　show　you　the　way　in；　but　as　for　getting　out　again；　youll　have　to　manage　by　yourself。〃

〃and　my　friends；〃　said　lyra。　〃my　friend　will　and　the　others。〃

〃lyra；〃　said　tialys；　〃against　every　instinct；　well　go　with　you。　i　was　angry　with　you　a　minute　ago。　but　you　make　it　hard。。。〃

lyra　knew　that　this　was　a　time　to　conciliate；　and　she　was　happy　to　do　that；　having　gotten　her　way。

〃yes；〃　she　said；　〃i　am　sorry；　tialys；　but　if　you　hadnt　got　angry；　wed　never　have　found　this　gentleman　to　guide　us。　so　im　glad　you　were　here；　you　and　the　lady；　im　really　grateful　to　you　for　being　with　us。〃

so　lyra　persuaded　her　own　death　to　guide　her　and　the　others　into　the　land　where　roger　had　gone；　and　wills　father；　and　tony　makarios；　and　so　many　others；　and　her　death　told　her　to　go　down　to　the　jetty　when　the　first　light　came　to　the　sky；　and　prepare　to　leave。

but　pantalaimon　was　trembling　and　shivering；　and　nothing　lyra　could　do　could　soothe　him　into　stillness；　or　quiet　the　soft　little　moan　he　couldnt　help　uttering。　so　her　sleep　was　broken　and　shallow；　on　the　floor　of　the　shack　with　all　the　other　sleepers；　and　her　death　sat　watchfully　beside　her。

．co



TWENTY　…　CLIMBING

gxiaoshuowang
the　mulefa　made　many　kinds　of　rope　and　cord；　and　mary　malone　spent　a　morning　inspecting　and　testing　the　ones　atals　family　had　in　their　stores　before　choosing　what　she　wanted。　the　principle　of　twisting　and　winding　hadnt　caught　on　in　their　world；　so　all　the　cords　and　ropes　were　braided；　but　they　were　strong　and　flexible；　and　mary　soon　found　exactly　the　sort　she　wanted。

what　are　you　doing？　said　atal。

the　mulefa　had　no　term　for　climb；　so　mary　had　to　do　a　lot　of　gesturing　and　roundabout　explaining。　atal　was　horrified。

to　go　into　the　high　part　of　the　trees？

i　must　see　what　is　happening；　mary　explained。　now　you　can　help　me　prepare　the　rope。

once　in　california；　mary　had　met　a　mathematician　who　spent　every　weekend　climbing　among　the　trees。　mary　had　done　a　little　rock　climbing；　and　shed　listened　avidly　as　he　had　talked　about　the　techniques　and　equipment。　she　had　decided　to　try　it　herself　as　soon　as　she　had　the　chance。　of　course　shed　never　expected　to　be　climbing　trees　in　another　universe；　and　climbing　solo　didnt　greatly　appeal；　either；　but　there　was　no　choice　about　that。　what　she　could　do　was　make　it　as　safe　as　possible　beforehand。

she　took　a　coil　long　enough　to　reach　over　one　of　the　branches　of　a　high　tree　and　back　down　to　the　ground；　and　strong　enough　to　bear　several　times　her　weight。　then　she　cut　a　large　number　of　short　pieces　of　a　smaller　but　very　tough　cord　and　made　slings　with　them：　short　loops　tied　with　a　fishermans　knot；　which　could　make　hand…　and　footholds　when　she　tied　them　to　the　main　line。

then　there　was　the　problem　of　getting　the　rope　over　the　branch　in　the　first　place。　an　hour　or　twos　experimenting　with　some　fine　tough　cord　and　a　length　of　springy　branch　produced　a　bow；　the　swiss　army　knife　cut　some　arrows；　with　stiff　leaves　in　place　of　feathers　to　stabilize　them　in　flight；　and　finally；　after　a　days　work；　mary　was　ready　to　begin。　but　the　sun　was　setting；　and　her　hands　were　tired；　and　she　ate　and　slept；　preoccupied；　while　the　mulefa　discussed　her　endlessly　in　their　quiet；　musical　whispers。

first　thing　in　the　morning；　she　set　off　to　shoot　an　arrow　over　a　branch。　some　of　the　mulefa　gathered　to　watch；　anxious　for　her　safety。　climbing　was　so　alien　to　creatures　with　wheels　that　the　very　thought　of　it　horrified　them。

privately　mary　knew　how　they　felt。　she　swallowed　her　nervousness　and　tied　an　end　of　the　thinnest；　lightest　line　to　one　of　her　arrows；　and　sent　it　flying　upward　from　the　bow。

she　lost　the　first　arrow：　it　stuck　in　the　bark　partway　up　and　wouldnt　e　out。　she　lost　the　second　because；　although　it　did　clear　the　branch；　it　didnt　fall　far　enough　to　reach　the　ground　on　the　other　side；　and　pulling　it　back；　she　caught　it　and　snapped　it。　the　long　line　fell　back　attached　to　the　broken　shaft；　and　she　tried　again　with　the　third　and　last；　and　this　time　it　worked。

pulling　carefully　and　steadily　so　as　not　to　snag　the　line　and　break　it；　she　hauled　the　prepared　rope　up　and

over　until　both　ends　were　on　the　ground。　then　she　tied　them　both　securely　to　a　massive　buttress　of　one　of　the　roots；　as　thick　around　as　her　own　hips。　so　it　should　be　fairly　solid；　she　thought。　it　had　better　be。　what　she　couldnt　tell　from　the　ground；　of　course；　was　what　kind　of　branch　the　whole　thing；　including　her；　would　be　depending　on。　unlike　climbing　on　rock；　where　you　could　fasten　the　rope　to　pitons　on　the　cliff　face　every　few　yards　so　you　never　had　far　to　fall；　this　business　involved　one　very　long　free　length　of　rope；　and　one　very　long　fall　if　anything　went　wrong。　to　make　herself　a　little　more　secure；　she　braided　together　three　small　ropes　into　a　harness；　and　passed　it　around　both　hanging　ends　of　the　main　rope　with　a　loose　knot　that　she　could　tighten　the　moment　she　began　to　slip。

mary　put　her　foot　in　the　first　sling　and　began　to　climb。

she　reached　the　canopy　in　less　time　than　shed　anticipated。　the　climbing　was　straightforward；　the　rope　was　kindly　on　her　hands；　and　although　she　hadnt　wanted　to　think　about　the　problem　of　getting　on　top　of　the　first　branch；　she　found　that　the　deep　fissures　in　the　bark　helped　her　to　get　a　solid　purchase　and　feel　secure。　in　fact；　only　fifteen　minutes　after　shed　left　the　ground；　she　was　standing　on　the　first　branch　and　planning　her　route　to　the　next。

she　had　brought　two　more　coils　of　rope　with　her；　intending　to　make　a　web　of　fixed　lines　to　serve　in　place　of　the　pitons　and　anchors　and　〃friends〃　and　other　hardware　she　relied　on　when　climbing　a　rock　face。　tying　them　in　place　took　her　some　minutes　more；　and　once　shed　secured　herself；　she　chose　what　looked　like　the　most　promising　branch；　coiled　her　spare　rope　again；　and　set　off。

after　ten　minutes　careful　climbing　she　found　herself　right　in　the　thickest　part　of　the　canopy。　she　could　reach　the　long　leaves　and　run　them　through　her　hands；　she　found　flower　after　flower；　off…white　and　absurdly　small；　each　growing　the　little　coin…sized　thing　that　would　later　bee　one　of　those　great　iron…hard　seedpods。

she　reached　a　fortable　spot　where　three　branches　forked；　tied　the　rope　securely；　adjusted　her　harness；　and　rested。

through　the　gaps　in　the　leaves；　she　could　see　the　blue　sea；　clear　and　sparkling　as　far　as　the　horizon；　and　in　the　other　direction　over　her　right　shoulder；　she　could　see　the　succession　of　low　rises　in　the　gold…brown　prairie；　laced　across　by　the　black　highways。

there　was　a　light　breeze；　which　lifted　a　faint　scent　out　of　the　flowers　and　rustled　the　stiff　leaves；　and　mary　imagined　a　huge；　dim　benevolence　holding　her　up；　like　a　pair　of　giant　hands。　as　she　lay　in　the　fork　of　the　great　branches；　she　felt　a　kind　of　bliss　she　had　only　felt　once　before；　and　that　was　not　when　she　made　her　vows　as　a　nun。

eventually　she　was　brought　back　to　her　normal　state　of　mind　by　a　cramp　in　her　right　ankle；　which　was　resting　awkwardly　in　the　crook　of　the　fork。　she　eased　it　away　and　turned　her　attention　to　the　task；　still　dizzy　from　the　sense　of　oceanic　gladness　that　surrounded　her。

shed　explained　to　the　mulefa　how　she　had　to　hold　the　sap…lacquer　plates　a　hand　span　apart　in　order　to　see　the　sraf　and　at　once　theyd　seen　the　problem　and　made　a　short　tube　of　bamboo；　fixing　the　amber…colored　plates　at　each　end　like　a　telescope。　this　spyglass　was　tucked　in　her　breast　pocket；　and　she　took　it　out　now。　when　she　looked　through　it；　she　saw　those　drifting　golden　sparkles；　the　sraf；　the　shadows；　lyras　dust；　like　a　vast　cloud　of　tiny　beings　floating　through　the　wind。　for　the　most　part　they　drifted　randomly　like　dust　motes　in　a　shaft　of　sunlight；　or　molecules　in　a　glass　of　water。

for　the　most　part。

but　the　longer　she　looked；　the　more　she　began　to　see　another　kind　of　motion。　underlying　the　random　drifting　was　a　deeper；　slower；　universal　movement；　out　from　the　land　toward　the　sea。

well；　that　was　curious。　securing　herself　to　one　of　her　fixed　ropes；　she　crawled　out　along　a　horizontal　branch；　looking　closely　at　all　the　flower　heads　she　could　find。　and　presently　she　began　to　see　what　was　happening。　she　watched　and　waited　till　she　was　perfectly　sure；　and　then　began　the　careful；　lengthy；　strenuous　process　of　climbing　down。

mary　found　the　mulefa　in　a　fearful　state；　having　suffered　a　thousand　anxieties　for　their　friend　so　far　off　the　ground。

atal　was