THE AMBER SPYGLASS- 第69部分

follow；　and　if　he　can　control　those　two　children；　the　future　is　his；　forever。　our　task　is　clear：　we　have　to　find　the　daemons　before　he　does；　and　keep　them　safe　till　the　girl　and　the　boy　rejoin　them。〃

the　gallivespian　leader　said；　〃what　form　do　they　have；　these　two　lost　daemons？〃

〃they　are　not　yet　fixed；　madame；〃　said　teukros　basilides。　〃they　might　be　any　shape。〃

〃so；〃　said　lord　asriel；　〃to　sum　it　up：　all　of　us；　our　republic；　the　future　of　every　conscious　being；　we　all　depend　on　my　daughters　remaining　alive；　and　on　keeping　her　daemon　and　the　boys　out　of　the　hands　of　metatron？〃

〃that　is　so。〃

lord　asriel　sighed；　almost　with　satisfaction；　it　was　as　if　hed　e　to　the　end　of　a　long　and　plex　calculation；　and　reached　an　answer　that　made　quite　unexpected　sense。

〃very　well；〃　he　said；　spreading　his　hands　wide　on　the　table。　〃then　this　is　what　we　shall　do　when　the　battle　begins。　king　ogunwe；　you　will　assume　mand　of　all　the　armies　defending　the　fortress。　madame　oxentiel；　you　are　to　send　your　people　out　at　once　to　search　in　every　direction　for　the　girl　and　the　boy；　and　the　two　daemons。　when　you　find　them；　guard　them　with　your　lives　until　they　e　together　again。　at　that　point；　i　understand；　the　boy　will　be　able　to　help　them　escape　to　another　world；　and　safety。〃

the　lady　nodded。　her　stiff　gray　hair　caught　the　lamplight；　glinting　like　stainless　steel；　and　the　blue　hawk　she　had　inherited　from　lord　roke　spread　his　wings　briefly　on　the　bracket　by　the　door。

〃now；　xaphania；〃　said　lord　asriel。　〃what　do　you　know　of　this　metatron？　he　was　once　a　man：　does　he　still　have　the　physical　strength　of　a　human　being？〃

〃he　came　to　prominence　long　after　i　was　exiled；〃　the　angel　said。　〃i　have　never　seen　him　up　close。　but　he　would　not　have　been　able　to　dominate　the　kingdom　unless　he　was　very　strong　indeed；　strong　in　every　way。　most　angels　would　avoid　fighting　hand…to…hand。　metatron　would　relish　the　bat；　and　win。〃

ogunwe　could　tell　that　lord　asriel　had　been　struck　by　an　idea。　his　attention　suddenly　withdrew；　his　eyes　lost　focus　for　an　instant；　and　then　snapped　back　to　the　moment　with　an　extra　charge　of　intensity。

〃i　see；〃　he　said。　〃finally；　xaphania；　mr。　basilides　tells　us　that　their　bomb　not　only　opened　an　abyss　below　the　worlds；　but　also　fractured　the　structure　of　things　so　profoundly　that　there　are　fissures　and　cracks　everywhere。　somewhere　nearby　there　must　be　a　way　down　to　the　edge　of　that　abyss。　i　want　you　to　look　for　it。〃

〃what　are　you　going　to　do？〃　said　king　ogunwe　harshly。

〃im　going　to　destroy　metatron。　but　my　part　is　nearly　over。　its　my　daughter　who　has　to　live；　and　its　our　task　to　keep　all　the　forces　of　the　kingdom　away　from　her　so　that　she　has　a　chance　to　find　her　way　to　a　safer　world；　she　and　that　boy；　and　their　daemons。〃

〃and　what　about　mrs。　coulter？〃　said　the　king。

lord　asriel　passed　a　hand　over　his　forehead。

〃i　would　not　have　her　troubled；〃　he　said。　〃leave　her　alone　and　protect　her　if　you　can。　although。。。　well；　maybe　im　doing　her　an　injustice。　whatever　else　shes　done；　shes　never　failed　to　surprise　me。　but　we　all　know　what　we　must　do；　and　why　we　must　do　it：　we　have　to　protect　lyra　until　she　has　found　her　daemon　and　escaped。　our　republic　might　have　e　into　being　for　the　sole　purpose　of　helping　her　do　that。　let　us　do　it　as　well　as　we　can。〃

mrs。　coulter　lay　in　lord　asriels　bed　next　door。　hearing　voices　in　the　other　room；　she　stirred；　for　she　wasnt　deeply　asleep。　she　came　out　of　her　troubled　slumber　uneasy　and　heavy　with　longing。

her　daemon　sat　up　beside　her；　but　she　didnt　want　to　move　closer　to　the　door；　it　was　simply　the　sound　of　lord　asriels　voice　she　wanted　to　hear　rather　than　any　particular　words。　she　thought　they　were　both　doomed。　she　thought　they　were　all　doomed。

finally　she　heard　the　door　closing　in　the　other　room　and　roused　herself　to　stand　up。

〃asriel；〃　she　said；　going　through　into　the　warm　naphtha　light。

his　daemon　growled　softly；　the　golden　monkey　dropped　his　head　low　to　propitiate　her。　lord　asriel　was　rolling　up　a　large　map　and　did　not　turn。

〃asriel；　what　will　happen　to　us　all？〃　she　said；　taking　a　chair。

he　pressed　the　heels　of　his　hands　into　his　eyes。　his　face　was　ravaged　with　fatigue。　he　sat　down　and　rested　an　elbow　on　the　table。　their　daemons　were　very　still；　the　monkey　crouching　on　the　chair　back；　the　snow　leopard　sitting　upright　and　alert　at　lord　asriels　side；　watching　mrs。　coulter　unblinkingly。

〃you　didnt　hear？〃　he　said。

〃i　heard　a　little。　i　couldnt　sleep；　but　i　wasnt　listening。　where　is　lyra　now；　does　anyone　know？〃

〃no。〃

he　still　hadnt　answered　her　first　question；　and　he　wasnt　going　to；　and　she　knew　it。

〃we　should　have　married；〃　she　said；　〃and　brought　her　up　ourselves。〃

it　was　such　an　unexpected　remark　that　he　blinked。　his　daemon　uttered　the　softest　possible　growl　at　the　back　of　her　throat；　and　settled　down　with　her　paws　outstretched　in　the　manner　of　the　sphinx。　he　said　nothing。

〃i　cant　hear　the　thought　of　oblivion；　asriel；〃　she　continued。　〃sooner　anything　than　that。　i　used　to　think　pain　would　he　worse；　to　be　tortured　forever；　i　thought　that　must　he　worse。。。　but　as　long　as　you　were　conscious；　it　would　be　better；　wouldnt　it？　better　than　feeling　nothing；　just　going　into　the　dark；　everything　going　out　forever　and　ever？〃

his　part　was　simply　to　listen。　his　eyes　were　locked　on　hers；　and　he　was　paying　profound　attention；　there　was　no　need　to　respond。　she　said：

〃the　other　day；　when　you　spoke　about　her　so　bitterly；　and　about　me。。。　i　thought　you　hated　her。　i　could　understand　your　hating　me。　ive　never　hated　you；　but　i　could　understand。。。　i　could　see　why　you　might　hate　me。　but　i　couldnt　see　why　you　hated　lyra。〃

he　turned　his　head　away　slowly；　and　then　looked　back。

〃i　remember　you　said　something　strange；　on　svalbard；　on　the　mountaintop；　just　before　you　left　our　world；〃　she　went　on。　〃you　said：　e　with　me；　and　well　destroy　dust　forever。　you　remember　saying　that？　but　you　didnt　mean　it。　you　meant　the　very　opposite；　didnt　you？　i　see　now。　why　didnt　you　tell　me　what　you　were　really　doing？　why　didnt　you　tell　me　you　were　really　trying　to　preserve　dust？　you　could　have　told　me　the　truth。〃

〃i　wanted　you　to　e　and　join　me；〃　he　said；　his　voice　hoarse　and　quiet；　〃and　i　thought　you　would　prefer　a　lie。〃

〃yes；〃　she　whispered；　〃thats　what　i　thought。〃

she　couldnt　sit　still；　but　she　didnt　really　have　the　strength　to　stand　up。　for　a　moment　she　felt　faint；　her　head　swam；　sounds　receded；　the　room　darkened；　but　almost　at　once　her　senses　came　back　even　more　pitilessly　than　before；　and　nothing　in　the　situation　had　changed。

〃asriel。。。〃　she　murmured。

the　golden　monkey　put　a　tentative　hand　out　to　touch　the　paw　of　the　snow　leopard。　the　man　watched　without　a　word；　and　stelmaria　didnt　move；　her　eyes　were　fixed　on　mrs。　coulter。

〃oh；　asriel；　what　will　happen　to　us？〃　mrs。　coulter　said　again。　〃is　this　the　end　of　everything？〃

he　said　nothing。

moving　like　someone　in　a　dream；　she　got　to　her　feet；　picked　up　the　rucksack　that　lay　in　the　corner　of　the　room；　and　reached　inside　it　for　her　pistol；　and　what　she　would　have　done　next；　no　one　knew；　because　at　that　moment　there　came　the　sound　of　footsteps　running　up　the　stairs。

both　man　and　woman；　and　both　daemons；　turned　to　look　at　the　orderly　who　came　in　and　said

breathlessly：

〃excuse　me；　my　lord；　the　two　daemons；　theyve　been　seen；　not　far　from　the　eastern　gate；　in　the　form　of　cats；　the　sentry　tried　to　talk　to　them；　bring　them　inside；　but　they　wouldnt　e　near。　it　was　only　a　minute　or　so　ago。。。〃

lord　asriel　sat　up；　transfigured。　all　the　fatigue　had　been　wiped　off　his　face　in　a　moment。　he　sprang　to　his　feet　and　seized　his　greatcoat。

ignoring　mrs。　coulter；　he　flung　the　coat　around　his　shoulders　and　said　to　the　orderly：

〃tell　madame　oxentiel　at　once。　put　this　order　out：　the　daemons　are　not　to　be　threatened；　or　frightened；　or　coerced　in　any　way。　anyone　seeing　them　should　first。。。〃

mrs。　coulter　heard　no　more　of　what　he　was　saying；　because　he　was　already　halfway　down　the　stairs。　when　his　running　footsteps　had　faded；　too；　the　only　sounds　were　the　gentle　hiss　of　the　naphtha　lamp　and　the　moan　of　the　wild　wind　outside。

her　eyes　found　the　eyes　of　her　daemon。　the　golden　monkeys　expression　was　as　subtle　and　plex　as　it　had　ever　been　in　all　their　thirty…five　years　of　life。

〃very　well；〃　she　said。　〃i　cant　see　any　other　way。　i　think。。。　i　think　well。。。〃

he　knew　at　once　what　she　meant。　he　leapt　to　her　breast；　and　they　embraced。　then　she　found　her　fur…lined　coat；　and　they　very　quietly　left　the　chamber　and　made　their　way　down　the　dark　stairs。





TWENTY…NINE　…　THE　BATTLE　ON　THE　PLAIN

@小‘说〃网
it　was　desperately　hard　for　lyra　and　will　to　leave　that　sweet　world　where　they　had　slept　the　night　before；　but　if　they　were　ever　going　to　find　their　daemons；　they　knew　they　had　to　go　into　the　dark　once　more。　and　now；　after　hours　of　weary　crawling　through　the　dim　tunnel；　lyra　bent　over　the　alethiometer　for　the　twentieth　time；　making　little　unconscious　sounds　of　distress；　whimpers　and　catches　of　breath　that　would　have　been　sobs　if　they　were　any　stronger。　will；　too；　felt　the　pain　where　his　daemon　had　been；　a　scalded　place　of　acute　tenderness　that　every　breath　tore　at　with　cold　hooks。

how　wearily　lyra　turned　the　wheels；　on　what　leade