THE AMBER SPYGLASS- 第76部分

but　the　specters　had　found　their　target；　too；　and　they　pressed　in　through　the　snagging　tangle　of　bush　and　briar　and　root　and　branch；　meeting　no　more　resistance　than　smoke。　a　dozen；　a　score　of　the　pallid　malignities　seemed　to　pour　in　toward　the　center　of　the　grove；　where　john　parrys　ghost　marshaled　his　panions　to　fight　them　off。

will　and　lyra　were　both　trembling　and　weak　with　fear；　exhaustion；　nausea；　and　pain；　but　giving　up　was　inconceivable。　lyra　tore　at　the　brambles　with　her　bare　hands；　will　slashed　and　hacked　to　left　and　right；　as　around　them　the　bat　of　the　shadowy　beings　became　more　and　more　savage。

〃there！〃　cried　lee。　〃see　em？　by　that　big　rock。。。”

a　wildcat；　two　wildcats；　spitting　and　hissing　and　slashing。　both　were　daemons；　and　will　felt　that　if　there　were　time　hed　easily　be　able　to　tell　which　was　pantalaimon；　but　there　wasnt　time；　because　a　specter　eased　horribly　out　of　the　nearest　patch　of　shadow　and　glided　toward　the　daemons。

will　leapt　over　the　last　obstacle；　a　fallen　tree　trunk；　and　plunged　the　knife　into　the　unresisting　shimmer　in　the　air。　he　felt　his　arm　go　numb；　but　he　clenched　his　teeth　as　he　was　clenching　his　fingers　around　the　hilt；　and　the　pale　form　seemed　to　boil　away　and　melt　back　into　the　darkness　again。

almost　there；　and　the　daemons　were　mad　with　fear；　because　more　specters　and　still　more　came　pressing　through　the　trees；　and　only　the　valiant　ghosts　were　holding　them　back。

〃can　you　cut　through？〃　said　john　parrys　ghost。

will　held　up　the　knife；　and　had　to　stop　as　a　racking　bout　of　nausea　shook　him　from　head　to　toe。　there　was　nothing　left　in　his　stomach；　and　the　spasm　hurt　dreadfully。　lyra　beside　him　was　in　the　same　state。　lees　ghost；　seeing　why；　leapt　for　the　daemons　and　wrestled　with　the　pale　thing　that　was　ing　through　the　rock　from　behind　them。

〃will；　please。。。”　said　lyra；　gasping。

in　went　the　knife；　along；　down；　back。　lee　scoresbys　ghost　looked　through　and　saw　a　wide；　quiet　prairie　under　a　brilliant　moon；　so　very　like　his　own　homeland　that　he　thought　hed　been　blessed。

will　leapt　across　the　clearing　and　seized　the　nearest　daemon　while　lyra　scooped　up　the　other。

and　even　in　that　horrible　urgency；　even　at　that　moment　of　utmost　peril；　each　of　them　felt　the　same　little　shock　of　excitement：　for　lyra　was　holding　wills　daemon；　the　nameless　wildcat；　and　will　was　carrying　pantalaimon。

they　tore　their　glance　away　from　each　others　eyes。

〃good…bye；　mr。　scoresby！〃　lyra　cried；　looking　around　for　him。　〃i　wish；　oh；　thank　you；　thank　you；　good…bye！〃

〃good…bye；　my　dear　child；　good…bye；　will；　go　well！〃

lyra　scrambled　through；　but　will　stood　still　and　looked　into　the　eyes　of　his　fathers　ghost；　brilliant　in　the　shadows。　before　he　left　him；　there　was　something　he　had　to　say。

will　said　to　his　fathers　ghost；　〃you　said　i　was　a　warrior。　you　told　me　that　was　my　nature；　and　i　shouldnt　argue　with　it。　father；　you　were　wrong。　i　fought　because　i　had　to。　i　cant　choose　my　nature；　but　i　can　choose　what　i　do。　and　i　will　choose；　because　now　im　free。〃

his　fathers　smile　was　full　of　pride　and　tenderness。　〃well　done；　my　boy。　well　done　indeed；〃　he　said。

will　couldnt　see　him　anymore。　he　turned　and　climbed　through　after　lyra。

and　now　that　their　purpose　was　achieved；　now　the　children　had　found　their　daemons　and　escaped；　the　dead　warriors　allowed　their　atoms　to　relax　and　drift　apart；　at　long；　long　last。

out　of　the　little　grove；　away　from　the　baffled　specters；　out　of　the　valley；　past　the　mighty　form　of　his　old

panion　the　armor…clad　bear；　the　last　little　scrap　of　the　consciousness　that　had　been　the　aeronaut　lee　scoresby　floated　upward；　just　as　his　great　balloon　had　done　so　many　times。　untroubled　by　the　flares　and　the　bursting　shells；　deaf　to　the　explosions　and　the　shouts　and　cries　of　anger　and　warning　and　pain；　conscious　only　of　his　movement　upward；　the　last　of　lee　scoresby　passed　through　the　heavy　clouds　and　came　out　under　the　brilliant　stars；　where　the　atoms　of　his　beloved　daemon；　hester；　were　waiting　for　him。

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THIRTY…TWO　…　MORNING

小说
the　wide　golden　prairie　that　lee　scoresbys　ghost　had　seen　briefly　through　the　window　was　lying　quiet　under　the　first　sun　of　morning。

golden；　but　also　yellow；　brown；　green；　and　every　one　of　the　million　shades　between　them；　and　black；　in　places；　in　lines　and　streaks　of　bright　pitch；　and　silvery；　too；　where　the　sun　caught　the　tops　of　a　particular　kind　of　grass　just　ing　into　flower；　and　blue；　where　a　wide　lake　some　way　off　and　a　small　pond　closer　by　reflected　back　the　wide　blue　of　the　sky。

and　quiet；　but　not　silent；　for　a　soft　breeze　rustled　the　billions　of　little　stems；　and　a　billion　insects　and　other　small　creatures　scraped　and　hummed　and　chirruped　in　the　grass；　and　a　bird　too　high　in　the　blue　to　be　seen　sang　little　looping　falls　of　bell　notes　now　close　by；　now　far　off；　and　never　twice　the　same。

in　all　that　wide　landscape　the　only　living　things　that　were　silent　and　still　were　the　boy　and　the　girl　lying　asleep；　back　to　back；　under　the　shade　of　an　outcrop　of　rock　at　the　top　of　a　little　bluff。

they　were　so　still；　so　pale；　that　they　might　have　been　dead。　hunger　had　drawn　the　skin　over　their　faces；　pain　had　left　lines　around　their　eyes；　and　they　were　covered　in　dust　and　mud　and　not　a　little　blood。　and　from　the　absolute　passivity　of　their　limbs；　they　seemed　in　the　last　stages　of　exhaustion。

lyra　was　the　first　to　wake。　as　the　sun　moved　up　the　sky；　it　came　past　the　rock　above　and　touched　her　hair；　and　she　began　to　stir；　and　when　the　sunlight　reached　her　eyelids；　she　found　herself　pulled　up　from　the　depths　of　sleep　like　a　fish；　slow　and　heavy　and　resistant。

but　there　was　no　arguing　with　the　sun；　and　presently　she　moved　her　head　and　threw　her　arm　across　her　eyes　and　murmured：　〃pan；　pan。。。〃

under　the　shadow　of　her　arm；　she　opened　her　eyes　and　came　properly　awake。　she　didnt　move　for　some　time；　because　her　arms　and　legs　were　so　sore；　and　every　part　of　her　body　felt　limp　with　weariness；　but　still　she　was　awake；　and　she　felt　the　little　breeze　and　the　suns　warmth；　and　she　heard　the　little　insect　scrapings　and　the　bell　song　of　that　bird　high　above。　it　was　all　good。　she　had　forgotten　how　good　the　world　was。

presently　she　rolled　over　and　saw　will；　still　fast　asleep。　his　hand　had　bled　a　lot；　his　shirt　was　ripped　and　filthy；　his　hair　was　stiff　with　dust　and　sweat。　she　looked　at　him　for　a　long　time；　at　the　little　pulse　in　his　throat；　at　his　chest　rising　and　falling　slowly；　at　the　delicate　shadows　his　eyelashes　made　when　the　sun　finally　reached　them。

he　murmured　something　and　stirred。　not　wanting　to　be　caught　looking　at　him；　she　looked　the　other　way　at　the　little　grave　theyd　dug　the　night　before；　just　a　couple　of　hand　spans　wide；　where　the　bodies　of　the　chevalier　tialys　and　the　lady　salmakia　now　lay　at　rest。　there　was　a　flat　stone　nearby；　she　got　up　and　prized　it　loose　from　the　soil；　and　set　it　upright　at　the　head　of　the　grave；　and　then　sat　up　and　shaded　her　eyes　to　gaze　across　the　plain。

it　seemed　to　stretch　forever　and　ever。　it　was　nowhere　entirely　flat；　gentle　undulations　and　little　ridges　and　gullies　varied　the　surface　wherever　she　looked；　and　here　and　there　she　saw　a　stand　of　trees　so　tall　they　seemed　to　be　constructed　rather　than　grown。　their　straight　trunks　and　dark　green　canopy　seemed　to　defy　distance；　being　so　clearly　visible　at　what　must　have　been　many　miles　away。

closer；　though；　in　fact；　at　the　foot　of　the　bluff；　not　more　than　a　hundred　yards　away；　there　was　a　little　pond　fed　by　a　spring　ing　out　of　the　rock；　and　lyra　realized　how　thirsty　she　was。

she　got　up　on　shaky　legs　and　walked　slowly　down　toward　it。　the　spring　gurgled　and　trickled　through　mossy　rocks；　and　she　dipped　her　hands　in　it　again　and　again；　washing　them　clear　of　the　mud　and　grime

before　lifting　the　water　to　her　mouth。　it　was　teeth…achingly　cold；　and　she　swallowed　it　with　delight。

the　pond　was　fringed　with　reeds；　where　a　frog　was　croaking。　it　was　shallow　and　warmer　than　the　spring；　as　she　discovered　when　she　took　off　her　shoes　and　waded　into　it。　she　stood　for　a　long　time　with　the　sun　on　her　head　and　her　body；　relishing　the　cool　mud　under　her　feet　and　the　cold　flow　of　springwater　around　her　calves。

she　bent　down　to　dip　her　face　under　the　water　and　wet　her　hair　thoroughly；　letting　it　trail　out　and　flicking　it　back　again；　stirring　it　with　her　fingers　to　lift　all　the　dust　and　grime　out。

when　she　felt　a　little　cleaner　and　her　thirst　was　satisfied；　she　looked　up　the　slope　again；　to　see　that　will　was　awake。　he　was　sitting　with　his　knees　drawn　up　and　his　arms　across　them；　looking　out　across　the　plain　as　shed　done；　and　marveling　at　the　extent　of　it。　and　at　the　light；　and　at　the　warmth；　and　at　the　quiet。

she　climbed　slowly　back　to　join　him　and　found　him　cutting　the　names　of　the　gallivespians　on　the　little　headstone；　and　setting　it　more　firmly　in　the　soil。

〃are　they。。。〃　he　said；　and　she　knew　he　meant　the　daemons。

〃dont　know。　i　havent　seen　pan。　i　got　the　feeling　hes　not　far　away；　but　i　dont　know。　dyou　remember　what　happened？〃

he　rubbed　his　eyes　and　yawned　so　deeply　she　heard　little　cracking　noises　in　his　jaw。　then　he　blinked　and　shook　his　head。

〃not　much；〃　he　said。　〃i　picked　up　pantalaimon　and　you　picked　up；　the　other　one　and　we　came　through；　and　it　w