THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第14章

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ewell。

—

youre　lyra。〃

then　she　realized　what　that　meant。　she　felt　dizzy；　even　in　her　dream；　she　felt　a　great　burden　settle　on　her　shoulders。　and　to　make　it　even　heavier；　sleep　was　closing　in　again；　and　rogers　face　was　receding　into　shadow。

〃well；　i。。。　i　know。。。　theres　all　kinds　of　people　on　our　side；　like　dr。　malone。。　。you　know　theres　another　oxford；　roger；　just　like　ours。　well；　she　。。。　i　found　her　in。。。　shed　help　。。。　but　theres　only　one　person　really　who。。。〃

it　was　almost　impossible　now　to　see　the　little　boy；　and　her　thoughts　were　spreading　out　and　wandering　away　like　sheep　in　a　field。

〃but　we　can　trust　him；　roger；　i　swear；〃　she　said　with　a　final　effort；

。。



SEVEN　…　MARY　MALONE

　　
almost　at　the　same　time；　the　tempter　whom　father　gomez　was　setting　out　to　follow　was　being　tempted　herself。

〃thank　you；　no；　no；　thats　all　i　need；　no　more；　honestly；　thank　you；〃　said　dr。　mary　malone　to　the　old　couple　in　the　olive　grove　as　they　tried　to　give　her　more　food　than　she　could　carry。

they　lived　here　isolated　and　childless；　and　they　had　been　afraid　of　the　specters　theyd　seen　among　the　silver…gray　trees；　but　when　mary　malone　came　up　the　road　with　her　rucksack；　the　specters　had　taken　fright　and　drifted　away。　the　old　couple　had　weled　mary　into　their　little　vine…sheltered　farmhouse；　had　plied　her　with　wine　and　cheese　and　bread　and　olives；　and　now　didnt　want　to　let　her　go。

〃i　must　go　on；〃　said　mary　again；　〃thank　you；　youve　been　very　kind；　i　cant　carry；　oh；　all　right；　another　little　cheese；　thank　you。。。”

they　evidently　saw　her　as　a　talisman　against　the　specters。　she　wished　she　could　be。　in　her　week　in　the　world　of　cittagazze；　she　had　seen　enough　devastation；　enough　specter…eaten　adults　and　wild；　scavenging　children；　to　have　a　horror　of　those　ethereal　vampires。　all　she　knew　was　that　they　did　drift　away　when　she　approached；　but　she　couldnt　stay　with　everyone　who　wanted　her　to；　because　she　had　to　move　on。

she　found　room　for　the　last　little　goats　cheese　wrapped　in　its　vine　leaf；　smiled　and　bowed　again；　and　took　a　last　drink　from　the　spring　that　bubbled　up　among　the　gray　rocks。　then　she　clapped　her　hands　gently　together　as　the　old　couple　were　doing；　and　turned　firmly　away　and　left。

she　looked　more　decisive　than　she　felt。　the　last　munication　with　those　entities　she　called　shadow　particles；　and　lyra　called　dust；　had　been　on　the　screen　of　her　puter；　and　at　their　instruction　she　had　destroyed　that。　now　she　was　at　a　loss。　theyd　told　her　to　go　through　the　opening　in　the　oxford　she　had　lived　in；　the　oxford　of　wills　world；　which　shed　done；　to　find　herself　dizzy　and　quaking　with　wonder　in　this　extraordinary　other　world。　beyond　that；　her　only　task　was　to　find　the　boy　and　the　girl；　and　then　play　the　serpent；　whatever　that　meant。

so　shed　walked　and　explored　and　inquired；　and　found　nothing。　but　now；　she　thought；　as　she　turned　up　the　little　track　away　from　the　olive　grove；　she　would　have　to　look　for　guidance。

once　she　was　far　enough　away　from　the　little　farmstead　to　be　sure　she　wouldnt　be　disturbed；　she　sat　under　the　pine　trees　and　opened　her　rucksack。　at　the　bottom；　wrapped　in　a　silk　scarf；　was　a　book　shed　had　for　twenty　years：　a　mentary　on　the　chinese　method　of　divination；　the　i　ching。

she　had　taken　it　with　her　for　two　reasons。　one　was　sentimental：　her　grandfather　had　given　it　to　her；　and　she　had　used　it　a　lot　as　a　schoolgirl。　the　other　was　that　when　lyra　had　first　found　her　way　to　marys　laboratory；　she　had　asked：　〃whats　that？〃　and　pointed　to　the　poster　on　the　door　that　showed　the　symbols　from　the　i　ching；　and　shortly　afterward；　in　her　spectacular　reading　of　the　puter；　lyra　had　learned　（she　claimed）　that　dust　had　many　other　ways　of　speaking　to　human　beings；　and　one　of　them　was　the　method　from　china　that　used　those　symbols。

so　in　her　swift　packing　to　leave　her　own　world；　mary　malone　had　taken　with　her　the　book　of　changes；　as　it　was　called；　and　the　little　yarrow　stalks　with　which　she　read　it。　and　now　the　time　had　e　to　use　them。

she　spread　the　silk　on　the　ground　and　began　the　process　of　dividing　and　counting；　dividing　and　counting　and　setting　aside；　which　shed　done　so　often　as　a　passionate；　curious　teenager；　and　hardly　ever　since。　she　had　almost　forgotten　how　to　do　it；　but　she　soon　found　the　ritual　ing　back；　and　with　it　a　sense　of　that　calm　and　concentrated　attention　that　played　such　an　important　part　in　talking　to　the　shadows。

eventually　she　came　to　the　numbers　that　indicated　the　hexagram　she　was　being　given；　the　group　of　six　broken　or　unbroken　lines；　and　then　she　looked　up　the　meaning。　this　was　the　difficult　part；　because　the　book　expressed　itself　in　such　an　enigmatic　style。　she　read：

turning　to　the　summit

for　provision　of　nourishment

brings　goo　d　fortun　e。

spying　about　with　sharp　eyes

like　a　tiger　with　insatiable　craving。

that　seemed　encouraging。　she　read　on；　following　the　mentary　through　the　mazy　paths　it　led　her　on；　until　she　came　to：　keeping　still　is　the　mountain；　it　is　a　bypath；　it　means　little　stones；　doors；　and　openings。

she　had　to　guess。　the　mention　of　〃openings〃　recalled　the　mysterious　window　in　the　air　through　which　she　had　entered　this　world；　and　the　first　words　seemed　to　say　that　she　should　go　upward。

both　puzzled　and　encouraged；　she　packed　the　book　and　the　yarrow　stalks　away　and　set　off　up　the　path。

four　hours　later　she　was　very　hot　and　tired。　the　sun　was　low　over　the　horizon。　the　rough　track　she　was　following　had　petered　out；　and　she　was　clambering　with　more　and　more　disfort　among　tumbled　boulders　and　smaller　stones。　to　her　left　the　slope　fell　away　toward　a　landscape　of　olive　and　lemon　groves；　of　poorly　tended　vineyards　and　abandoned　windmills；　lying　hazy　in　the　evening　light。　to　her　right　a　scree　of　small　rocks　and　gravel　sloped　up　to　a　cliff　of　crumbling　limestone。

wearily　she　hoisted　her　rucksack　again　and　set　her　foot　on　the　next　flat　stone；　but　before　she　even　transferred　her　weight；　she　stopped。　the　light　was　catching　something　curious；　and　she　shaded　her　eyes　against　the　glare　from　the　scree　and　tried　to　find　it　again。

〃and　there　it　was：　like　a　sheet　of　glass　hanging　unsupported　in　the　air；　but　glass　with　no　attention…catching　reflections　in　it；　just　a　square　patch　of　difference。　and　then　she　remembered　what　the　i　ching　had　said：　a　bypath　。　。　。　little　stones；　doors；　and　openings。

it　was　a　window　like　the　one　in　sunderland　avenue　in　oxford。　she　could　only　see　it　because　of　the　light：　with　the　sun　any　higher　it　probably　wouldnt　show　up　at　all。

she　approached　the　little　patch　of　air　with　passionate　curiosity；　because　she　hadnt　had　time　to　look　at　the　first　one：　shed　had　to　get　away　as　quickly　as　possible。　but　she　examined　this　one　in　detail；　touching　the　edge；　moving　around　to　see　how　it　became　invisible　from　the　other　side；　noting　the　absolute　difference　between　this　and　that；　and　found　her　mind　almost　bursting　with　excitement　that　such　things　could　be。

the　knife　bearer　who　had　made　it；　at　about　the　time　of　the　american　revolution；　had　been　too　careless　to　close　it；　but　at　least　hed　cut　through　at　a　point　very　similar　to　the　world　on　this　side：　next　to　a　rock　face。　but　the　rock　on　the　other　side　was　different；　not　limestone　but　granite；　and　as　mary　stepped　through　into　the　new　world　she　found　herself　not　at　the　foot　of　a　towering　cliff　but　almost　at　the　top　of　a　low　outcrop　overlooking　a　vast　plain。

it　was　evening　here；　too；　and　she　sat　down　to　breathe　the　air　and　rest　her　limbs　and　taste　the　wonder　without　rushing。

wide　golden　light；　and　an　endless　prairie　or　savanna；　like　nothing　she　had　ever　seen　in　her　own　world。　to　begin　with；　although　most　of　it　was　covered　in　short　grass　in　an　infinite　variety　of　buff…brown…green…ocher…yellow…golden　shades；　and　undulating　very　gently　in　a　way　that　the　long　evening　light　showed　up　clearly；　the　prairie　seemed　to　be　laced　through　and　through　with　what　looked　like　rivers　of　rock　with　a　light　gray　surface。

and　secondly；　here　and　there　on　the　plain　were　stands　of　the　tallest　trees　mary　had　ever　seen。　attending　a　high…energy　physics　conference　once　in　california；　she　had　taken　time　out　to　look　at　the　great　redwood　trees；　and　marveled；　but　whatever　these　trees　were；　they　would　have　overtopped　the　redwoods　by　half　again；　at　least。　their　foliage　was　dense　and　dark　green；　their　vast　trunks　gold…red　in　the　heavy　evening　light。

and　finally；　herds　of　creatures；　too　far　off　to　see　distinctly；　grazed　on　the　prairie。　there　was　a　strangeness　about　their　movement　that　she　couldnt　quite　work　out。

she　was　desperately　tired；　and　thirsty　and　hungry　besides。　somewhere　nearby；　though；　she　heard　the　wele　trickle　of　a　spring；　and　only　a　minute　later　she　found　it：　just　a　seepage　of　clear　water　from　a　mossy　fissure；　and　a　tiny　stream　that　led　away　down　the　slope。　she　drank　long　and　gratefully；　and　filled　her　bottles；　and　then　set　about　making　herself　fortable；　for　night　was　falling　rapidly。

propped　against　the　rock；　wrapped　in　her　sleeping　bag；　she　ate　some　of　the　rough　bread　and　the　goats　cheese；　and　then　fell　deeply　asleep。

she　awoke　with　the　early　sun　full　in　her　face。　the　air　was　cool；　and　the　dew　had　settled　in　tiny　beads　on　her　hair　and　on　the　sleeping　bag。　she　lay　for　a　few　minutes　lapped　in　freshness；　feelin