THE AMBER SPYGLASS- 第73部分

at　once　he　spread　his　leathery　wings　and　bounded　upward；　and　a　moment　later　the　rest　of　the　troop　followed。

xaphania　and　her　angels　had　searched　diligently　all　the　night　and　some　of　the　morning；　and　finally　they　had　found　a　minute　crack　in　the　mountainside　to　the　south　of　the　fortress；　which　had　not　been　there　the　day　before。　they　had　explored　it　and　enlarged　it；　and　now　lord　asriel　was　climbing　down　into　a　series　of　caverns　and　tunnels　extending　a　long　way　below　the　fortress。

it　wasnt　totally　dark；　as　hed　thought。　there　was　a　faint　source　of　illumination；　like　a　stream　of　billions　of　tiny　particles；　faintly　glowing。　they　flowed　steadily　down　the　tunnel　like　a　river　of　light。

〃dust；〃　he　said　to　his　daemon。

he　had　never　seen　it　with　the　naked　eye；　but　then　he　had　never　seen　so　much　dust　together。　he　moved　on；　until　quite　suddenly　the　tunnel　opened　out；　and　he　found　himself　at　the　top　of　a　vast　cavern：　a　vault

immense　enough　to　contain　a　dozen　cathedrals。　there　was　no　floor；　the　sides　sloped　vertiginously　down　toward　the　edge　of　a　great　pit　hundreds　of　feet　below；　and　darker　than　darkness　itself；　and　into　the　pit　streamed　the　endless　dust　fall；　pouring　ceaselessly　down。　its　billions　of　particles　were　like　the　stars　of　every　galaxy　in　the　sky；　and　every　one　of　them　was　a　little　fragment　of　conscious　thought。　it　was　a　melancholy　light　to　see　by。

he　climbed　with　his　daemon　down　toward　the　abyss；　and　as　they　went；　they　gradually　began　to　see　what　was　happening　along　the　far　side　of　the　gulf；　hundreds　of　yards　away　in　the　gloom。　he　had　thought　there　was　a　movement　there；　and　the　farther　down　he　climbed；　the　more　clearly　it　resolved　itself：　a　procession　of　dim；　pale　figures　picking　their　way　along　the　perilous　slope；　men；　women；　children；　beings　of　every　kind　he　had　seen　and　many　he　had　not。　intent　on　keeping　their　balance；　they　ignored　him　altogether；　and　lord　asriel　felt　the　hair　stir　at　the　back　of　his　neck　when　he　realized　that　they　were　ghosts。

〃lyra　came　here；〃　he　said　quietly　to　the　snow　leopard。

〃tread　carefully；〃　was　all　she　said　in　reply。

will　and　lyra　were　soaked　through；　shivering；　racked　with　pain；　and　stumbling　blindly　through　mud　and　over　rocks　and　into　little　gullies　where　storm…fed　streams　ran　red　with　blood。　lyra　was　afraid　that　the　lady　salmakia　was　dying：　she　hadnt　uttered　a　word　for　several　minutes；　and　she　lay　faint　and　limp　in　lyras　hand。

as　they　sheltered　in　one　riverbed　where　the　water　was　white；　at　least；　and　scooped　up　handfuls　to　their　thirsty　mouths；　will　felt　tialys　rouse　himself　and　say：

〃will；　i　can　hear　horses　ing；　lord　asriel　has　no　cavalry。　it　must　be　the　enemy。　get　across　the　stream　and　hide；　i　saw　some　bushes　that　way。。。〃

〃e　on；〃　said　will　to　lyra；　and　they　splashed　through　the　icy；　bone…aching　water　and　scrambled　up　the　far　side　of　the　gully　just　in　time。　the　riders　who　came　over　the　slope　and　clattered　down　to　drink　didnt　look　like　cavalry：　they　seemed　to　be　of　the　same　kind　of　close…haired　flesh　as　their　horses；　and　they　had　neither　clothes　nor　harness。　they　carried　weapons；　though：　tridents；　nets；　and　scimitars。

will　and　lyra　didnt　stop　to　look；　they　stumbled　over　the　rough　ground　at　a　crouch；　intent　only　on　getting　away　unseen。

but　they　had　to　keep　their　heads　low　to　see　where　they　were　treading　and　avoid　twisting　an　ankle；　or　worse；　and　thunder　exploded　overhead　as　they　ran；　so　they　couldnt　hear　the　screeching　and　snarling　of　the　cliff…ghasts　until　they　were　upon　them。

the　creatures　were　surrounding　something　that　lay　glittering　in　the　mud：　something　slightly　taller　than　they　were；　which　lay　on　its　side；　a　large　cage；　perhaps；　with　walls　of　crystal。　they　were　hammering　at　it　with　fists　and　rocks；　shrieking　and　yelling。

and　before　will　and　lyra　could　stop　and　run　the　other　way；　they　had　stumbled　right　into　the　middle　of　the　troop。

。。。！



THIRTY…ONE　…　AUTHORITY’S　END

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mrs。　coulter　whispered　to　the　shadow　beside　her：

〃look　how　he　hides；　metatron！　he　creeps　through　the　dark　like　a　rat。。。〃

they　stood　on　a　ledge　high　up　in　the　great　cavern；　watching　lord　asriel　and　the　snow　leopard　make　their　careful　way　down；　a　long　way　below。

〃i　could　strike　him　now；〃　the　shadow　whispered。

〃yes；　of　course　you　could；〃　she　whispered　back；　leaning　close；　〃but　i　want　to　see　his　face；　dear　metatron；　i　want　him　to　know　ive　betrayed　him。　e；　lets　follow　and　catch　him。。。〃

the　dust　fall　shone　like　a　great　pillar　of　faint　light　as　it　descended　smoothly　and　never…endingly　into　the　gulf。　mrs。　coulter　had　no　attention　to　spare　for　it；　because　the　shadow　beside　her　was　trembling　with

desire；　and　she　had　to　keep　him　by　her　side；　under　what　control　she　could　manage。

they　moved　down；　silent；　following　lord　asriel。　the　farther　down　they　climbed；　the　more　she　felt　a　great　weariness　fall　over　her。

〃what？　what？〃　whispered　the　shadow；　feeling　her　emotions；　and　suspicious　at　once。

〃i　was　thinking；〃　she　said　with　a　sweet　malice；　〃how　glad　i　am　that　the　child　will　never　grow　up　to　love　and　be　loved。　i　thought　i　loved　her　when　she　was　a　baby；　but　now。。。”

〃there　was　regret；〃　the　shadow　said；　〃in　your　heart　there　was　regret　that　you　will　not　see　her　grow　up。〃

〃oh；　metatron；　how　long　it　is　since　you　were　a　man！　can　you　really　not　tell　what　it　is　im　regretting？　its　not　her　ing　of　age；　but　mine。　how　bitterly　i　regret　that　i　didnt　know　of　you　in　my　own　girlhood；　how　passionately　i　would　have　devoted　myself　to　you。。。〃

she　leaned　toward　the　shadow；　as　if　she　couldnt　control　the　impulses　of　her　own　body；　and　the　shadow　hungrily　sniffed　and　seemed　to　gulp　at　the　scent　of　her　flesh。

they　were　moving　laboriously　over　the　tumbled　and　broken　rocks　toward　the　foot　of　the　slope。　the　farther　down　they　went；　the　more　the　dust　light　gave　everything　a　nimbus　of　golden　mist。　mrs。　coulter　kept　reaching　for　where　his　hand　might　have　been　if　the　shadow　had　been　a　human　panion；　and　then　seemed　to　recollect　herself；　and　whispered：

〃keep　behind　me；　metatron；　wait　here；　asriel　is　suspicious；　let　me　lull　him　first。　when　hes　off　guard；　ill　call　you。　but　e　as　a　shadow；　in　this　small　form；　so　he　doesnt　see　you；　otherwise；　hell　just　let　the　childs　daemon　fly　away。〃

the　regent　was　a　being　whose　profound　intellect　had　had　thousands　of　years　to　deepen　and　strengthen　itself；　and　whose　knowledge　extended　over　a　million　universes。　nevertheless；　at　that　moment　he　was　blinded　by　his　twin　obsessions：　to　destroy　lyra　and　to　possess　her　mother。　he　nodded　and　stayed　where　he　was；　while　the　woman　and　the　monkey　moved　forward　as　quietly　as　they　could。

lord　asriel　was　waiting　behind　a　great　block　of　granite；　out　of　sight　of　the　regent。　the　snow　leopard　heard　them　ing；　and　lord　asriel　stood　up　as　mrs。　coulter　came　around　the　corner。　everything；　every　surface；　every　cubic　centimeter　of　air；　was　permeated　by　the　falling　dust；　which　gave　a　soft　clarity　to　every　tiny　detail；　and　in　the　dust　light　lord　asriel　saw　that　her　face　was　wet　with　tears；　and　that　she　was　gritting　her　teeth　so　as　not　to　sob。

he　took　her　in　his　arms；　and　the　golden　monkey　embraced　the　snow　leopards　neck　and　buried　his　black　face　in　her　fur。

〃is　lyra　safe？　has　she　found　her　daemon？〃　she　whispered。

〃the　ghost　of　the　boys　father　is　protecting　both　of　them。〃

〃dust　is　beautiful。。。　i　never　knew。〃

〃what　did　you　tell　him？〃

〃i　lied　and　lied；　asriel。。　。lets　not　wait　too　long；　i　cant　bear　it。。。　we　wont　live；　will　we？　we　wont　survive　like　the　ghosts？〃

〃not　if　we　fall　into　the　abyss。　we　came　here　to　give　lyra　time　to　find　her　daemon；　and　then　time　to　live　and　grow　up。　if　we　take　metatron　to　extinction；　marisa；　shell　have　that　time；　and　if　we　go　with　him；　it　doesnt　matter。〃

〃and　lyra　will　be　safe？〃

〃yes；　yes；〃　he　said　gently。

he　kissed　her。　she　felt　as　soft　and　light　in　his　arms　as　she　had　when　lyra　was　conceived　thirteen　years　before。

she　was　sobbing　quietly。　when　she　could　speak；　she　whispered：

〃i　told　him　i　was　going　to　betray　you；　and　betray　lyra；　and　he　believed　me　because　i　was　corrupt　and

full　of　wickedness；　he　looked　so　deep　i　felt　sure　hed　see　the　truth。　but　i　lied　too　well。　i　was　lying　with　every　nerve　and　fiber　and　everything　id　ever　done。。。i　wanted　him　to　find　no　good　in　me；　and　he　didnt。　there　is　none。　but　i　love　lyra。　where　did　this　love　e　from？　i　dont　know；　it　came　to　me　like　a　thief　in　the　night；　and　now　i　love　her　so　much　my　heart　is　bursting　with　it。　all　i　could　hope　was　that　my　crimes　were　so　monstrous　that　the　love　was　no　bigger　than　a　mustard　seed　in　the　shadow　of　them；　and　i　wished　id　mitted　even　greater　ones　to　hide　it　more　deeply　still。。。　but　the　mustard　seed　had　taken　root　and　was　growing；　and　the　little　green　shoot　was　splitting　my　heart　wide　open；　and　i　was　so　afraid　hed　see。。。〃

she　had　to　stop　to　gather　herself。　he　stroked　her　shining　hair；　all　set　about　with　golden　dust；　and　waited。

〃any　moment　now　hell　lose　patience；〃　she　whispered。　〃i　told　him　to　make　himself　small。　but　hes　only　an　angel；　after　all；　even　if　he　was　once　a　man。　and　we　can　wrestle　with　him　and　bring　him　to　the　edge　of　the　gulf；　and　well　both　go　down　with　him。。。〃

he　kissed　her；　saying；　〃yes。　lyra　will　be　safe；　and　the　kingdom　will　be　powerless　against　her。　call　him　now；　marisa；　my　love。〃