THE AMBER SPYGLASS- 第6部分

but　the　angel　was　struggling　hard；　and　now　he　had　one　wing　free　and　he　was　forcing　himself　up　from　the　ground；　and　will　had　to　hang　on　or　lose　him　entirely。　baruch　sprang　to　help　him；　and　forced　the　attackers　head　back　and　back。

〃no！〃　cried　balthamos　again。　〃no！　no！〃

he　hurled　himself　at　will；　shaking　his　arm；　his　shoulder；　his　hands；　and　the　attacker　was　trying　to　shout　again；　but　baruchs　hand　was　over　his　mouth。　from　above　came　a　deep　tremor；　like　a　mighty　dynamo；　almost　too　low　to　hear；　though　it　shook　the　very　atoms　of　the　air　and　jolted　the　marrow　in　wills　bones。

〃hes　ing。。。”　balthamos　said；　almost　sobbing；　and　now　will　did　catch　some　of　his　fear。　〃please；　please；　will。。。”

will　looked　up。

the　clouds　were　parting；　and　through　the　dark　gap　a　figure　was　speeding　down：　small　at　first；　but　as　it

came　closer　second　by　second；　the　form　became　bigger　and　more　imposing。　he　was　making　straight　for　them；　with　unmistakable　malevolence。

〃will；　you　must；〃　said　baruch　urgently。

will　stood　up；　meaning　to　say　〃hold　him　tight；〃　but　even　as　the　words　came　to　his　mind；　the　angel　sagged　against　the　ground；　dissolving　and　spreading　out　like　mist；　and　then　he　was　gone。　will　looked　around；　feeling　foolish　and　sick。

〃did　i　kill　him？〃　he　said　shakily。

〃you　had　to；〃　said　baruch。　〃but　now。。。”

〃i　hate　this；〃　said　will　passionately；　〃truly；　truly；　i　hate　this　killing！　when　will　it　stop？〃

〃we　must　go；〃　said　balthamos　faintly。　〃quickly　will；　quickly；　please。。。”

they　were　both　mortally　afraid。

will　felt　in　the　air　with　the　tip　of　the　knife：　any　world；　out　of　this　one。　he　cut　swiftly；　and　looked　up：　that　other　angel　from　the　sky　was　only　seconds　away；　and　his　expression　was　terrifying。　even　from　that　distance；　and　even　in　that　urgent　second　or　so；　will　felt　himself　searched　and　scoured　from　one　end　of　his　being　to　the　other　by　some　vast；　brutal；　and　merciless　intellect。

and　what　was　more；　he　had　a　spear；　he　was　raising　it　to　hurl。。。

and　in　the　moment　it　took　the　angel　to　check　his　flight　and　turn　upright　and　pull　back　his　arm　to　fling　the　weapon；　will　followed　baruch　and　balthamos　through　and　closed　the　window　behind　him。　as　his　fingers　pressed　the　last　inch　together；　he　felt　a　shock　of　air；　but　it　was　gone；　he　was　safe：　it　was　the　spear　that　would　have　passed　through　him　in　that　other　world。

they　were　on　a　sandy　beach　under　a　brilliant　moon。　giant　fernlike　trees　grew　some　way　inland；　low　dunes　extended　for　miles　along　the　shore。　it　was　hot　and　humid。

〃who　was　that？〃　said　will；　trembling；　facing　the　two　angels。

〃that　was　metatron；〃　said　balthamos。　〃you　should　have。。。”

〃metatron？　whos　he？　why　did　he　attack？　and　dont　lie　to　me。〃

〃we　must　tell　him；〃　said　baruch　to　his　panion。　〃you　should　have　done　so　already。〃

〃yes；　i　should　have；〃　balthamos　agreed；　〃but　i　was　cross　with　him；　and　anxious　for　you。〃

〃tell　me　now；　then；〃　said　will。　〃and　remember；　its　no　good　telling　me　what　i　should　do；　none　of　it　matters　to　me；　none。　only　lyra　matters；　and　my　mother。　and　that；〃　he　added　to　balthamos；　〃is　the　point　of　all　this　metaphysical　speculation；　as　you　called　it。〃

baruch　said；　〃i　think　we　should　tell　you　our　information。　will；　this　is　why　we　two　have　been　seeking　you；　and　why　we　must　take　you　to　lord　asriel。　we　discovered　a　secret　of　the　kingdom；　of　the　authoritys　world；　and　we　must　share　it　with　him。　are　we　safe　here？〃　he　added；　looking　around。　〃there　is　no　way　through？〃

〃this　is　a　different　world。　a　different　universe。〃

the　sand　they　stood　on　was　soft；　and　the　slope　of　the　dune　nearby　was　inviting。　they　could　see　for　miles　in　the　moonlight；　they　were　utterly　alone。

〃tell　me；　then；〃　said　will。　〃tell　me　about　metatron；　and　what　this　secret　is。　why　did　that　angel　call　him　regent？　and　what　is　the　authority？　is　he　god？〃

he　sat　down；　and　the　two　angels；　their　forms　clearer　in　the　moonlight　than　he　had　ever　seen　them　before；　sat　with　him。

balthamos　said　quietly；　〃the　authority；　god；　the　creator；　the　lord；　yahweh；　el；　adonai；　the　king；　the　father；　the　almighty；　those　were　all　names　he　gave　himself。　he　was　never　the　creator。　he　was　an　angel　like　ourselves；　the　first　angel；　true；　the　most　powerful；　but　he　was　formed　of　dust　as　we　are；　and　dust　is　only　a　name　for　what　happens　when　matter　begins　to　understand　itself。　matter　loves　matter。　it　seeks　to　know　more

about　itself；　and　dust　is　formed。　the　first　angels　condensed　out　of　dust；　and　the　authority　was　the　first　of　all。　he　told　those　who　came　after　him　that　he　had　created　them；　but　it　was　a　lie。　one　of　those　who　came　later　was　wiser　than　he　was；　and　she　found　out　the　truth；　so　he　banished　her。　we　serve　her　still。　and　the　authority　still　reigns　in　the　kingdom；　and　metatron　is　his　regent。

〃but　as　for　what　we　discovered　in　the　clouded　mountain；　we　cant　tell　you　the　heart　of　it。　we　swore　to　each　other　that　the　first　to　hear　should　be　lord　asriel　himself。〃

〃then　tell　me　what　you　can。　dont　keep　me　in　the　dark。〃

〃we　found　our　way　into　the　clouded　mountain；〃　said　baruch；　and　at　once　went　on：　〃im　sorry；　we　use　these　terms　too　easily。　its　sometimes　called　the　chariot。　its　not　fixed；　you　see；　it　moves　from　place　to　place。　wherever　it　goes；　there　is　the　heart　of　the　kingdom；　his　citadel；　his　palace。　when　the　authority　was　young；　it　wasnt　surrounded　by　clouds；　but　as　time　passed；　he　gathered　them　around　him　more　and　more　thickly。　no　one　has　seen　the　summit　for　thousands　of　years。　so　his　citadel　is　known　now　as　the　clouded　mountain。〃

〃what　did　you　find　there？〃

〃the　authority　himself　dwells　in　a　chamber　at　the　heart　of　the　mountain。　we　couldnt　get　close；　although　we　saw　him。　his　power。。。”

〃he　has　delegated　much　of　his　power；〃　balthamos　interrupted；　〃to　metatron。　youve　seen　what　hes　like。　we　escaped　from　him　before；　and　now　hes　seen　us　again；　and　what　is　more；　hes　seen　you；　and　hes　seen　the　knife。　i　did　say。。。”

〃balthamos；〃　said　baruch　gently；　〃dont　chide　will。　we　need　his　help；　and　he　cant　be　blamed　for　not　knowing　what　it　took　us　so　long　to　find　out。〃

balthamos　looked　away。

will　said；　〃so　youre　not　going　to　tell　me　this　secret　of　yours？　all　right。　tell　me　this；　instead：　what　happens　when　we　die？〃

balthamos　looked　back；　in　surprise。

baruch　said；　〃well；　there　is　a　world　of　the　dead。　where　it　is；　and　what　happens　there；　no　one　knows。　my　ghost；　thanks　to　balthamos；　never　went　there；　i　am　what　was　once　the　ghost　of　baruch。　the　world　of　the　dead　is　just　dark　to　us。〃

〃it　is　a　prison　camp；〃　said　balthamos。　〃the　authority　established　it　in　the　early　ages。　why　do　you　want　to　know？　you　will　see　it　in　time。〃

〃my　father　has　just　died；　thats　why。　he　would　have　told　me　all　he　knew；　if　he　hadnt　been　killed。　you　say　its　a　world；　do　you　mean　a　world　like　this　one；　another　universe？〃

balthamos　looked　at　baruch；　who　shrugged。

〃and　what　happens　in　the　world　of　the　dead？〃　will　went　on。

〃its　impossible　to　say；〃　said　baruch。　〃everything　about　it　is　secret。　even　the　churches　dont　know；　they　tell　their　believers　that　theyll　live　in　heaven；　but　thats　a　lie。　if　people　really　knew。。。〃

〃and　my　fathers　ghost　has　gone　there。〃

〃without　a　doubt；　and　so　have　the　countless　millions　who　died　before　him。〃

will　found　his　imagination　trembling。

〃and　why　didnt　you　go　directly　to　lord　asriel　with　your　great　secret；　whatever　it　is；〃　he　said；　〃instead　of　looking　for　me？〃

〃we　were　not　sure；〃　said　balthamos；　〃that　he　would　believe　us　unless　we　brought　him　proof　of　our　good　intentions。　two　angels　of　low　rank；　among　all　the　powers　he　is　dealing　with；　why　should　he　take　us　seriously？　but　if　we　could　bring　him　the　knife　and　its　bearer；　he　might　listen。　the　knife　is　a　potent　weapon；　and　lord　asriel　would　be　glad　to　have　you　on　his　side。〃

〃well；　im　sorry；〃　said　will；　〃but　that　sounds　feeble　to　me。　if　you　had　any　confidence　in　your　secret；

you　wouldnt　need　an　excuse　to　see　lord　asriel。〃

〃theres　another　reason；〃　said　baruch；　〃we　knew　that　metatron　would　be　pursuing　us；　and　we　wanted　to　make　sure　the　knife　didnt　fall　into　his　hands。　if　we　could　persuade　you　to　e　to　lord　asriel　first；　then　at　least。。。”

〃oh；　no；　thats　not　going　to　happen；〃　said　will。　〃youre　making　it　harder　for　me　to　reach　lyra；　not　easier。　shes　the　most　important　thing；　and　youre　forgetting　her　pletely。　well；　im　not。　why　dont　you　just　go　to　lord　asriel　and　leave　me　alone？　make　him　listen。　you　could　fly　to　him　much　more　quickly　than　i　can　walk；　and　im　going　to　find　lyra　first；　e　what　may。　just　do　that；　just　go；　just　leave　me。〃

〃but　you　need　me；〃　said　balthamos　stiffly；　〃because　i　can　pretend　to　be　your　daemon；　and　in　lyras　world　youd　stand　out　otherwise。〃

will　was　too　angry　to　speak。　he　got　up　and　walked　twenty　steps　away　through　the　soft；　deep　sand；　and　then　stopped；　for　the　heat　and　humidity　were　stunning。

he　turned　around　to　see　the　two　angels　talking　closely　together；　and　then　they　came　up　to　him；　humble　and　awkward；　but　proud；　too。

baruch　said；　〃we　are　sorry。　i　shall　go　on　my　own　to　lord　asriel　and　give　him　our　information；　and　ask　him　to　send　you　help　to　find　his　daughter。　it　will　be　two　days　flying　time；　if　i　navigate　truly。〃

〃and　i　shall　stay　with　you；　will；〃　said　balthamos。

〃well；〃　said　will；　〃thank　you。〃

the　two　angels　embraced。　then　baruch　f