THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第18章

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and　leave　you　nothing。　they　should　be　put　to　death；　every　one。〃

the　priest　reached　across　to　the　shelf　beside　his　chair　and　took　down　a　bottle　and　two　small　glasses。

〃now　i　am　going　to　offer　you　a　little　drink；　will　ivanovitch；〃　he　said。　〃you　are　young；　so　not　very　many　glasses。　but　you　are　growing；　and　so　you　need　to　know　some　things；　like　the　taste　of　vodka。　lydia　alexandrovna　collected　the　berries　last　year；　and　i　distilled　the　liquor；　and　here　in　the　bottle　is　the　result；　the　only　place　where　otyets　semyon　borisovitch　and　lydia　alexandrovna　lie　together！〃

he　laughed　and　uncorked　the　bottle；　filling　each　glass　to　the　rim。　this　kind　of　talk　made　will　hideously　uneasy。　what　should　he　do？　how　could　he　refuse　to　drink　without　discourtesy？

〃otyets　semyon；〃　he　said；　standing；　〃you　have　been　very　kind；　and　i　wish　i　could　stay　longer　to　taste　your　drink　and　to　hear　you　talk；　because　what　you　tell　me　has　been　very　interesting。　but　you　understand　i　am　unhappy　about　my　family；　and　very　anxious　to　find　them　again；　so　i　think　i　must　move　on；　much　as　i　would　like　to　stay。〃

the　priest　pushed　out　his　lips；　in　the　thicket　of　his　beard；　and　frowned；　but　then　he　shrugged　and　said；　〃well；　you　shall　go　if　you　must。　but　before　you　leave；　you　must　drink　your　vodka。　stand　with　me　now！　take　it；　and　down　all　in　one；　like　this！〃

he　threw　back　the　glass；　swallowing　it　all　at　once；　and　then　hauled　his　massive　body　up　and　stood　very　close　to　will。　in　his　fat；　dirty　fingers　the　glass　he　held　out　seemed　tiny；　but　it　was　brimming　with　the　clear　spirit；　and　will　could　smell　the　heady　tang　of　the　drink　and　the　stale　sweat　and　the　food　stains　on　the　mans　cassock；　and　he　felt　sick　before　he　began。

〃drink；　will　ivanovitch！〃　the　priest　cried；　with　a　threatening　heartiness。

will　lifted　the　glass　and　unhesitatingly　swallowed　the　fiery；　oily　liquid　in　one　gulp。　now　he　would　have　to　fight　hard　to　avoid　being　sick。

there　was　one　more　ordeal　to　e。　semyon　borisovitch　leaned　forward　from　his　great　height；　and　took　will　by　both　shoulders。

〃my　boy；〃　he　said；　and　then　closed　his　eyes　and　began　to　intone　a　prayer　or　a　psalm。　vapors　of　tobacco　and　alcohol　and　sweat　came　powerfully　from　him；　and　he　was　close　enough　for　his　thick　beard；　wagging　up　and　down；　to　brush　wills　face。　will　held　his　breath。

the　priests　hands　moved　behind　wills　shoulders；　and　then　semyon　borisovitch　was　hugging　him　tightly　and　kissing　his　cheeks；　right；　left；　right　again。　will　felt　balthamos　dig　tiny　claws　into　his　shoulder；　and　kept　still。　his　head　was　swimming；　his　stomach　lurching；　but　he　didnt　move。

finally　it　was　over；　and　the　priest　stepped　back　and　pushed　him　away。

〃go；　then；〃　he　said；　〃go　south；　will　ivanovitch。　go。〃

will　gathered　his　cloak　and　the　rucksack；　and　tried　to　walk　straight　as　he　left　the　priests　house　and　took　the　road　out　of　the　village。

he　walked　for　two　hours；　feeling　the　nausea　gradually　subside　and　a　slow；　pounding　headache　take　its　place。　balthamos　made　him　stop　at　one　point；　and　laid　his　cool　hands　on　wills　neck　and　forehead；　and　the　ache　eased　a　little；　but　will　made　himself　a　promise　that　he　would　never　drink　vodka　again。

and　in　the　late　afternoon　the　path　widened　and　came　out　of　the　reeds；　and　will　saw　the　town　ahead　of　him；　and　beyond　it　an　expanse　of　water　so　broad　it　might　have　been　a　sea。

even　from　some　way　off；　will　could　see　that　there　was　trouble。　puffs　of　smoke　were　erupting　from　beyond　the　roofs；　followed　a　few　seconds　later　by　the　boom　of　a　gun。

〃balthamos；〃　he　said；　〃youll　have　to　be　a　daemon　again。　just　keep　near　me　and　watch　out　for　danger。〃

he　walked　into　the　outskirts　of　the　scruffy　little　town；　where　the　buildings　leaned　even　more　perilously　than　the　village；　and　where　the　flooding　had　left　its　mud　stains　on　the　walls　high　above　wills　head。　the　edge　of　the　town　was　deserted；　but　as　he　made　his　way　toward　the　river；　the　noise　of　shouting；　of　screams；　and　of　the　crackle　of　rifle　fire　got　louder。

and　here　at　last　there　were　people：　some　watching　from　upper…floor　windows；　some　craning　anxiously　around　the　corners　of　buildings　to　look　ahead　at　the　waterfront；　where　the　metal　fingers　of　cranes　and　derricks　and　the　masts　of　big　vessels　rose　above　the　rooftops。

an　explosion　shook　the　walls；　and　glass　fell　out　of　a　nearby　window。　people　drew　back　and　then　peered　around　again；　and　more　cries　rose　into　the　smoky　air。

will　reached　the　corner　of　the　street　and　looked　along　the　waterfront。　when　the　smoke　and　dust　cleared　a　little；　he　saw　one　rusting　vessel　standing　offshore；　keeping　its　place　against　the　flow　of　the　river；　and　on　the　wharf　a　mob　of　people　armed　with　rifles　or　pistols　surrounding　a　great　gun；　which；　as　he　watched；

boomed　again。　a　flash　of　fire；　a　lurching　recoil；　and　near　the　vessel；　a　mighty　splash。

will　shaded　his　eyes。　there　were　figures　in　the　boat；　but；　he　rubbed　his　eyes；　even　though　he　knew　what　to　expect；　they　werent　human。　they　were　huge　beings　of　metal；　or　creatures　in　heavy　armor；　and　on　the　foredeck　of　the　vessel；　a　bright　flower　of　flame　suddenly　bloomed；　and　the　people　cried　out　in　alarm。　the　flame　sped　into　the　air；　rising　higher　and　ing　closer　and　shedding　sparks　and　smoke；　and　then　fell　with　a　great　splash　of　fire　near　the　gun。　men　cried　and　scattered；　and　some　ran　in　flames　to　the　waters　edge　and　plunged　in；　to　be　swept　along　and　out　of　sight　in　the　current。

will　found　a　man　close　by　who　looked　like　a　teacher；　and　said：

〃do　you　speak　english？〃

〃yes；　yes；　indeed。。。”

〃what　is　happening？〃

〃the　bears；　they　are　attacking；　and　we　try　to　fight　them；　but　it　is　difficult；　we　have　only　one　gun；　and。。。”

the　fire　thrower　on　the　boat　hurled　another　gout　of　blazing　pitch；　and　this　time　it　landed　even　closer　to　the　gun。　three　big　explosions　almost　immediately　afterward　showed　that　it　had　found　the　ammunition；　and　the　gunners　leapt　away；　letting　the　barrel　swing　down　low。

〃ah；〃　the　man　lamented；　〃its　no　good；　they　cant　fire。。。”

the　mander　of　the　boat　brought　the　vessels　head　around　and　moved　in　toward　the　shore。　many　people　cried　out　in　alarm　and　despair；　especially　when　another　great　bulb　of　flame　burst　into　being　on　the　foredeck；　and　some　of　those　with　rifles　fired　a　shot　or　two　and　turned　to　flee；　but　this　time　the　bears　didnt　launch　the　fire；　and　soon　the　vessel　moved　broadside　on　toward　the　wharf；　engine　beating　hard　to　hold　it　against　the　current。

two　sailors　（human；　not　bears）　leapt　down　to　throw　ropes　around　the　bollards；　and　a　great　hiss　and　cry　of　anger　rose　from　the　townsfolk　at　these　human　traitors。　the　sailors　took　no　notice；　but　ran　to　lower　a　gangplank。

then　as　they　turned　to　go　back　on　board；　a　shot　was　fired　from　somewhere　near　will；　and　one　of　the　sailors　fell。　his　daemon；　a　seagull；　vanished　as　if　shed　been　pinched　out　of　existence　like　a　candle　flame。

the　reaction　from　the　bears　was　pure　fury。　at　once　the　fire　thrower　was　relit　and　hauled　around　to　face　the　shore；　and　the　mass　of　flame　shot　upward　and　then　cascaded　in　a　hundred　spilling　gouts　over　the　rooftops。　and　at　the　top　of　the　gangway　appeared　a　hear　larger　than　any　of　the　others；　an　apparition　of　ironclad　might；　and　the　bullets　that　rained　on　him　whined　and　clanged　and　thudded　uselessly；　unable　to　make　the　slightest　dent　in　his　massive　armor。

will　said　to　the　man　beside　him；　〃why　are　they　attacking　the　town？〃

〃they　want　fuel。　but　we　have　no　dealings　with　bears。　now　they　are　leaving　their　kingdom　and　sailing　up　the　river；　who　knows　what　they　will　do？　so　we　must　fight　them。　pirates；　robbers。。。”

the　great　bear　had　e　down　the　gangway；　and　massed　behind　him　were　several　others；　so　heavy　that　the　ship　listed；　and　will　saw　that　the　men　on　the　wharf　had　gone　back　to　the　gun　and　were　loading　a　shell　into　the　breech。

an　idea　came；　and　he　ran　out　onto　the　quayside；　right　into　the　empty　space　between　the　gunners　and　the　bear。

〃stop！〃　he　shouted。　〃stop　fighting。　let　me　speak　to　the　bear！〃

there　was　a　sudden　lull；　and　everyone　stood　still；　astonished　at　this　crazy　behavior。　the　bear　himself；　who　had　been　gathering　his　strength　to　charge　the　gunners；　stayed　where　he　was；　but　every　line　of　his　body　trembled　with　ferocity。　his　great　claws　dug　into　the　ground；　and　his　black　eyes　glowed　with　rage　under　the　iron　helmet。

〃what　are　you？　what　do　you　want？〃　he　roared　in　english；　since　will　had　spoken　in　that　language。

the　people　watching　looked　at　one　another　in　bewilderment；　and　those　who　could　understand　translated　for　the　others。

〃ill　fight　you；　in　single　bat；〃　cried　will；　〃and　if　you　give　way；　then　the　fighting　has　to　stop。〃

the　bear　didnt　move。　as　for　the　people；　as　soon　as　they　understood　what　will　was　saying；　they　shouted　and　jeered　and　hooted　with　mocking　laughter。　but　not　for　long；　because　will　turned　to　face　the　crowd；　and　stood　cold…eyed；　contained；　and　perfectly　still；　until　the　laughter　stopped。　he　could　feel　the　blackbird…balthamos　trembling　on　his　shoulder。

when　the　people　were　silent；　he　called　out；　〃if　i　make　the　bear　give　way；　you　must　agree　to　sell　them　fuel。　then　theyll　go　on　along　the　river　and　leave　you　alone。　you　must　agree。　if　you　dont；　theyll　destroy　all　of　you。〃

he　knew　that　the　huge　bear　was　only　a　few　yards　behind　him；　but　he　didnt　turn；　he　w