THE AMBER SPYGLASS- 第63部分

at　the　zeppelin　father　macphail　had　rallied　the　soldiers。　several　men　stood　guard；　looking　out　into　the　sleet…filled　dark　with　rifles　at　the　ready；　while　others　opened　the　wooden　crate　containing　the　bomb　and　made　it　ready　for　the　cable。　mrs。　coulter　could　see　it　clearly　in　the　wash　of　the　floodlights；　streaming　with　rain；　an　ungainly　mass　of　machinery　and　wiring　slightly　tilted　on　the　rocky　ground。　she　heard　a　high…tension　crackle　and　hum　from　the　lights；　whose　cables　swung　in　the　wind；　scattering　the　rain　and　throwing　shadows　up　over　the　rocks　and　down　again；　like　a　grotesque　jump　rope。

mrs。　coulter　was　horribly　familiar　with　one　part　of　the　structure：　the　mesh　cages；　the　silver　blade　above。

they　stood　at　one　end　of　the　apparatus。　the　rest　of　it　was　strange　to　her；　she　could　see　no　principle　behind　the　coils；　the　jars；　the　banks　of　insulators；　the　lattice　of　tubing。　nevertheless；　somewhere　in　all　that　plexity　was　the　little　lock　of　hair　on　which　everything　depended。

to　her　left　the　slope　fell　away　into　the　dark；　and　far　below　was　a　glimmer　of　white　and　a　thunder　of　water　from　the　cataract　of　saint…jean…les…eaux。

there　came　a　cry。　a　soldier　dropped　his　rifle　and　stumbled　forward；　falling　to　the　ground；　kicking　and　thrashing　and　groaning　with　pain。　in　response　the　president　looked　up　to　the　sky；　put　his　hands　to　his　mouth；　and　uttered　a　piercing　yell。

what　was　he　doing？

a　moment　later　mrs。　coulter　found　out。　of　all　unlikely　things；　a　witch　flew　down　and　landed　beside　the　president　as　he　shouted　above　the　wind：

〃search　nearby！　there　is　a　creature　of　some　kind　helping　the　woman。　its　attacked　several　of　my　men　already。　you　can　see　through　the　dark。　find　it　and　kill　it！〃

〃there　is　something　ing；〃　said　the　witch　in　a　tone　that　carried　clearly　to　mrs。　coulters　shelter。　〃i　can　see　it　in　the　north。〃

〃never　mind　that。　find　the　creature　and　destroy　it；〃　said　the　president。　〃it　cant　be　far　away。　and　look　for　the　woman；　too。”

the　witch　sprang　into　the　air　again。

suddenly　the　monkey　seized　mrs。　coulters　hand　and　pointed。

there　was　lord　roke；　lying　in　the　open　on　a　patch　of　moss。　how　could　they　not　have　seen　him？　but　something　had　happened；　for　he　wasnt　moving。

〃go　and　bring　him　back；〃　she　said；　and　the　monkey；　crouching　low；　darted　from　one　rock　to　another；　making　for　the　little　patch　of　green　among　the　rocks。　his　golden　fur　was　soon　darkened　by　the　rain　and　plastered　close　to　his　body；　making　him　smaller　and　less　easy　to　see；　but　all　the　same　he　was　horribly　conspicuous。

father　macphail；　meanwhile；　had　turned　to　the　bomb　again。　the　engineers　from　the　generating　station　had　brought　their　cable　right　down　to　it；　and　the　technicians　were　busy　securing　the　clamps　and　making　ready　the　terminals。

mrs。　coulter　wondered　what　he　intended　to　do；　now　that　his　victim　had　escaped。　then　the　president　turned　to　look　over　his　shoulder；　and　she　saw　his　expression。　it　was　so　fixed　and　intense　that　he　looked　more　like　a　mask　than　a　man。　his　lips　were　moving　in　prayer；　his　eyes　were　turned　up　wide　open　as　the　rain　beat　into　them；　and　altogether　he　looked　like　some　gloomy　spanish　painting　of　a　saint　in　the　ecstasy　of　martyrdom。　mrs。　coulter　felt　a　sudden　bolt　of　fear；　because　she　knew　exactly　what　he　intended：　he　was　going　to　sacrifice　himself。　the　bomb　would　work　whether　or　not　she　was　part　of　it。

darting　from　rock　to　rock；　the　golden　monkey　reached　lord　roke。

〃my　left　leg　is　broken；〃　said　the　gallivespian　calmly。　〃the　last　man　stepped　on　me。　listen　carefully。。。”

as　the　monkey　lifted　him　away　from　the　lights；　lord　roke　explained　exactly　where　the　resonating　chamber　was　and　how　to　open　it。　they　were　practically　under　the　eyes　of　the　soldiers；　but　step　by　step；　from　shadow　to　shadow；　the　daemon　crept　with　his　little　burden。

mrs。　coulter；　watching　and　biting　her　lip；　heard　a　rush　of　air　and　felt　a　heavy　knock；　not　to　her　body；　but　to　the　tree。　an　arrow　stuck　there　quivering　less　than　a　hands　breadth　from　her　left　arm。　at　once　she　rolled　away；　before　the　witch　could　shoot　another；　and　tumbled　down　the　slope　toward　the　monkey。

and　then　everything　was　happening　at　once；　too　quickly：　there　was　a　burst　of　gunfire；　and　a　cloud　of　acrid　smoke　billowed　across　the　slope；　though　she　saw　no　flames。　the　golden　monkey；　seeing　mrs。　coulter　attacked；　set　lord　roke　down　and　sprang　to　her　defense；　just　as　the　witch　flew　down；　knife　at　the　ready。　lord　roke　pushed　himself　back　against　the　nearest　rock；　and　mrs。　coulter　grappled　directly　with　the　witch。

they　wrestled　furiously　among　the　rocks；　while　the　golden　monkey　set　about　tearing　all　the　needles　from　the　witchs　cloud…pine　branch。

meanwhile；　the　president　was　thrusting　his　lizard　daemon　into　the　smaller　of　the　silver　mesh　cages。　she　writhed　and　screamed　and　kicked　and　bit；　but　he　struck　her　off　his　hand　and　slammed　the　door　shut　quickly。　the　technicians　were　making　the　final　adjustments；　checking　their　meters　and　gauges。

out　of　nowhere　a　seagull　flew　down　with　a　wild　cry　and　seized　the　gallivespian　in　his　claw。　it　was　the　witchs　daemon。　lord　roke　fought　hard；　but　the　bird　had　him　too　tightly；　and　then　the　witch　tore　herself　from　mrs。　coulters　grasp；　snatched　the　tattered　pine　branch；　and　leapt　into　the　air　to　join　her　daemon。

mrs。　coulter　hurled　herself　toward　the　bomb；　feeling　the　smoke　attack　her　nose　and　throat　like　claws：　tear　gas。　the　soldiers；　most　of　them；　had　fallen　or　stumbled　away　choking　（and　where　had　the　gas　e　from？　she　wondered）；　but　now；　as　the　wind　dispersed　it；　they　were　beginning　to　gather　themselves　again。　the　great　ribbed　belly　of　the　zeppelin　bulked　over　the　bomb；　straining　at　its　cables　in　the　wind；　its　silver　sides　running　with　moisture。

but　then　a　sound　from　high　above　made　mrs。　coulters　ears　ring：　a　scream　so　high　and　horrified　that　even　the　golden　monkey　clutched　her　in　fear。　and　a　second　later；　pitching　down　in　a　swirl　of　white　limbs；　black　silk；　and　green　twigs；　the　witch　fell　right　at　the　feet　of　father　macphail；　her　bones　crunching　audibly　on　the　rock。

mrs。　coulter　darted　forward　to　see　if　lord　roke　had　survived　the　fall。　but　the　gallivespian　was　dead。　his　right　spur　was　deep　in　the　witchs　neck。

the　witch　herself　was　still　just　alive；　and　her　mouth　moved　shudderingly；　saying；　〃something　ing；　something　else…　ing…〃

it　made　no　sense。　the　president　was　already　stepping　over　her　body　to　reach　the　larger　cage。　his　daemon　was　running　up　and　down　the　sides　of　the　other；　her　little　claws　making　the　silver　mesh　ring；　her　voice　crying　for　pity。

the　golden　monkey　leapt　for　father　macphail；　but　not　to　attack：　he　scrambled　up　and　over　the　mans　shoulders　to　reach　the　plex　heart　of　the　wires　and　the　pipe　work；　the　resonating　chamber。　the　president　tried　to　grab　him；　but　mrs。　coulter　seized　the　mans　arm　and　tried　to　pull　him　back。　she　couldnt　see：　the　rain　was　driving　into　her　eyes；　and　there　was　still　gas　in　the　air。

and　all　around　there　was　gunfire。　what　was　happening？

the　floodlights　swung　in　the　wind；　so　that　nothing　seemed　steady；　not　even　the　black　rocks　of　the　mountainside。　the　president　and　mrs。　coulter　fought　hand　to　hand；　scratching；　punching；　tearing；　pulling；　biting；　and　she　was　tired　and　he　was　strong；　but　she　was　desperate；　too；　and　she　might　have　pulled　him　away；　but　part　of　her　was　watching　her　daemon　as　he　manipulated　the　handles；　his　fierce　black　paws　snapping　the　mechanism　this　way；　that　way；　pulling；　twisting；　reaching　in。。。

then　came　a　blow　to　her　temple。　she　fell　stunned；　and　the　president　broke　free　and　hauled　himself　bleeding　into　the　cage；　dragging　the　door　shut　after　him。

and　the　monkey　had　the　chamber　open；　a　glass　door　on　heavy　hinges；　and　he　was　reaching　inside；　and　there　was　the　lock　of　hair：　held　between　rubber　pads　in　a　metal　clasp！　still　more　to　undo；　and　mrs。　coulter　was　hauling　herself　up　with　shaking　hands。　she　shook　the　silvery　mesh　with　all　her　might；　looking　up　at　the　blade；　the　sparking　terminals；　the　man　inside。　the　monkey　was　unscrewing　the　clasp；　and　the　president；　his　face　a　mask　of　grim　exultation；　was　twisting　wires　together。

there　was　a　flash　of　intense　white；　a　lashing　crack；　and　the　monkeys　form　was　flung　high　in　the　air。　with　him　came　a　little　cloud　of　gold：　was　it　lyras　hair？　was　it　his　own　fur？　whatever　it　was；　it　blew　away　at　once　in　the　dark。　mrs。　coulters　right　hand　had　convulsed　so　tightly　that　it　clung　to　the　mesh；　leaving　her　half…lying；　half…hanging；　while　her　head　rang　and　her　heart　pounded。

but　something　had　happened　to　her　sight。　a　terrible　clarity　had　e　over　her　eyes；　the　power　to　see　the　most　tiny　details；　and　they　were　focused　on　the　one　detail　in　the　universe　that　mattered：　stuck　to　one　of

the　pads　of　the　clasp　in　the　resonating　chamber；　there　was　a　single　dark　gold　hair。

she　cried　a　great　wail　of　anguish；　and　shook　and　shook　the　cage；　trying　to　loosen　the　hair　with　the　little　strength　she　had　left。　the　president　passed　his　hands　over　his　face；　wiping　it　clear　of　the　rain。　his　mouth　moved　as　though　he　were　speaking；　but　she　couldnt　hear　a　word。　she　tore　at　the　mesh；　helpless；　and　then　hurled　her　whole　weight　against　the　machine　as　he　brought　two　wires　together　with　a　spark。　in　utter　silence　the　brilliant　silver　blade　shot　down。

something　explo