THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第19章

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　all　of　you。〃

he　knew　that　the　huge　bear　was　only　a　few　yards　behind　him；　but　he　didnt　turn；　he　watched　the　townspeople　talking；　gesticulating；　arguing；　and　after　a　minute；　a　voice　called；　〃boy！　make　the　bear　agree！〃

will　turned　back。　he　swallowed　hard　and　took　a　deep　breath　and　called：

〃bear！　you　must　agree。　if　you　give　way　to　me；　the　fighting　has　to　stop；　and　you　can　buy　fuel　and　go　peacefully　up　the　river。〃

〃impossible；〃　roared　the　bear。　〃it　would　be　shameful　to　fight　you。　you　are　as　weak　as　an　oyster　out　of　its　shell。　i　cannot　fight　you。〃

〃i　agree；〃　said　will；　and　every　scrap　of　his　attention　was　now　focused　on　this　great　ferocious　being　in　front　of　him。　〃its　not　a　fair　contest　at　all。　you　have　all　that　armor；　and　i　have　none。　you　could　take　off　my　head　with　one　sweep　of　your　paw。　make　it　fairer；　then。　give　me　one　piece　of　your　armor；　any　one　you　like。　your　helmet；　for　example。　then　well　be　better　matched；　and　itll　be　no　shame　to　fight　me。〃

with　a　snarl　that　expressed　hatred；　rage；　and　scorn；　the　bear　reached　up　with　a　great　claw　and　unhooked　the　chain　that　held　his　helmet　in　place。

and　now　there　was　a　deep　hush　over　the　whole　waterfront。　no　one　spoke；　no　one　moved。　they　could　tell　that　something　was　happening　such　as　theyd　never　seen　before；　and　they　couldnt　tell　what　it　was。　the　only　sound　now　was　the　splashing　of　the　river　against　the　wooden　pilings；　the　beat　of　the　ships　engine；　and　the　restless　crying　of　seagulls　overhead；　and　then　the　great　clang　as　the　hear　hurled　his　helmet　down　at　wills　feet。

will　put　his　rucksack　down　and　hoisted　the　helmet　up　on　its　end。　he　could　barely　lift　it。　it　consisted　of　a　single　sheet　of　iron；　dark　and　dented；　with　eyeholes　on　top　and　a　massive　chain　underneath。　it　was　as　long　as　wills　forearm；　and　as　thick　as　his　thumb。

〃so　this　is　your　armor；〃　he　said。　〃well；　it　doesnt　look　very　strong　to　me。　i　dont　know　if　i　can　trust　it。　let　me　see。〃

and　he　took　the　knife　from　the　rucksack　and　rested　the　edge　against　the　front　of　the　helmet；　and　sliced　off　a　corner　as　if　he　were　cutting　butter。

〃thats　what　i　thought；〃　he　said；　and　cut　another　and　another；　reducing　the　massive　thing　to　a　pile　of　fragments　in　less　than　a　minute。　he　stood　up　and　held　out　a　handful。

〃that　was　your　armor；〃　he　said；　and　dropped　the　pieces　with　a　clatter　onto　the　rest　at　his　feet；　〃and　this　is　my　knife。　and　since　your　helmet　was　no　good　to　me；　ill　have　to　fight　without　it。　are　you　ready；　bear？　i　think　were　well　matched。　i　could　take　off　your　head　with　one　sweep　of　my　knife；　after　all。〃

utter　stillness。　the　bears　black　eyes　glowed　like　pitch；　and　will　felt　a　drop　of　sweat　trickle　down　his　spine。

then　the　bears　head　moved。　he　shook　it　and　took　a　step　backward。

〃too　strong　a　weapon；〃　he　said。　〃i　cant　fight　that。　boy；　you　win。〃

will　knew　that　a　second　later　the　people　would　cheer　and　hoot　and　whistle；　so　even　before　the　bear　had

finished　saying　the　word　win；　will　had　begun　to　turn　and　call　out；　to　keep　them　quiet：

〃now　you　must　keep　the　bargain。　look　after　the　wounded　people　and　start　repairing　the　buildings。　then　let　the　boat　tie　up　and　refuel。〃

he　knew　that　it　would　take　a　minute　to　translate　that　and　let　the　message　spread　out　among　the　watching　townsfolk；　and　he　knew；　too；　that　the　delay　would　prevent　their　relief　and　anger　from　bursting　out；　as　a　net　of　sandbanks　baffles　and　breaks　up　the　flow　of　a　river。　the　bear　watched　and　saw　what　he　was　doing　and　why；　and　understood　more　fully　than　will　himself　did　what　the　boy　had　achieved。

will　put　the　knife　back　in　the　rucksack；　and　he　and　the　bear　exchanged　another　glance；　but　a　different　kind　this　time。　they　approached；　and　behind　them　as　the　bears　began　to　dismantle　their　fire　thrower；　the　other　two　ships　maneuvered　their　way　to　the　quayside。

onshore　some　of　the　people　set　about　clearing　up；　but　several　more　came　crowding　to　see　will；　curious　about　this　boy　and　the　power　he　had　to　mand　the　bear。　it　was　time　for　will　to　bee　inconspicuous　again；　so　he　performed　the　magic　that　had　deflected　all　kinds　of　curiosity　away　from　his　mother　and　kept　them　safe　for　years。　of　course　it　wasnt　magic；　but　simply　a　way　of　behaving。　he　made　himself　quiet　and　dull…eyed　and　slow；　and　in　under　a　minute　he　became　less　interesting；　less　attractive　to　human　attention。　the　people　simply　became　bored　with　this　dull　child；　and　forgot　him　and　turned　away。

but　the　bears　attention　was　not　human；　and　he　could　see　what　was　happening；　and　he　knew　it　was　yet　another　extraordinary　power　at　wills　mand。　he　came　close　and　spoke　quietly；　in　a　voice　that　seemed　to　throb　as　deeply　as　the　ships　engines。

〃what　is　your　name？〃　he　said。

〃will　parry。　can　you　make　another　helmet　？〃

〃yes。　what　do　you　seek？〃

〃youre　going　up　the　river。　i　want　to　e　with　you。　im　going　to　the　mountains　and　this　is　the　quickest　way。　will　you　take　me？〃

〃yes。　i　want　to　see　that　knife。〃

〃i　will　only　show　it　to　a　bear　i　can　trust。　there　is　one　bear　ive　heard　of　whos　trustworthy。　he　is　the　king　of　the　bears；　a　good　friend　of　the　girl　im　going　to　the　mountains　to　find。　her　name　is　lyra　silvertongue。　the　bear　is　called　iorek　byrnison。〃

〃i　am　iorek　byrnison；〃　said　the　bear。

〃i　know　you　are；〃　said　will。

the　boat　was　taking　fuel　on　board；　the　railcars　were　hauled　alongside　and　tilted　sideways　to　let　coal　thunder　down　the　chutes　into　the　hold；　and　the　black　dust　rose　high　above　them。　unnoticed　by　the　townspeople；　who　were　busy　sweeping　up　glass　and　haggling　over　the　price　of　the　fuel；　will　followed　the　bear…king　up　the　gangway　and　aboard　the　ship。

。。



NINE　…　UPRIVER

［。小＾说）网）
〃let　me　see　the　knife；〃　said　iorek　byrnison。　〃i　understand　metal。　nothing　made　of　iron　or　steel　is　a　mystery　to　a　bear。　but　i　have　never　seen　a　knife　like　yours；　and　i　would　be　glad　to　look　at　it　closely。〃

will　and　the　bear…king　were　on　the　foredeck　of　the　river　steamer；　in　the　warm　rays　of　the　setting　sun；　and　the　vessel　was　making　swift　progress　upstream；　there　was　plenty　of　fuel　on　board；　there　was　food　that　will　could　eat；　and　he　and　iorek　byrnison　were　taking　their　second　measure　of　each　other。　they　had　taken　the　first　already。

will　held　out　the　knife　toward　iorek；　handle　first；　and　the　bear　took　it　from　him　delicately。　his　thumb　claw　opposed　the　four　finger　claws；　letting　him　manipulate　objects　as　skillfully　as　a　human；　and　now　he　turned　the　knife　this　way　and　that；　bringing　it　closely　to　his　eyes；　holding　it　to　catch　the　light；　testing　the　edge；　the　steel　edge；　on　a　piece　of　scrap　iron。

〃this　edge　is　the　one　you　cut　my　armor　with；〃　he　said。　〃the　other　is　very　strange。　i　cannot　tell　what　it　is；　what　it　will　do；　how　it　was　made。　but　i　want　to　understand　it。　how　did　you　e　to　possess　it？〃

will　told　him　most　of　what　had　happened；　leaving　out　only　what　concerned　him　alone：　his　mother；　the　man　he　killed；　his　father。

〃you　fought　for　this；　and　lost　two　fingers？〃　the　bear　said。　〃show　me　the　wound。〃

will　held　out　his　hand。　thanks　to　his　fathers　ointment；　the　raw　surfaces　were　healing　well；　but　they　were　still　very　tender。　the　bear　sniffed　at　them。

〃bloodmoss；〃　he　said。　〃and　something　else　i　cannot　identify。　who　gave　you　that？〃

〃a　man　who　told　me　what　i　should　do　with　the　knife。　then　he　died。　he　had　some　ointment　in　a　horn　box；　and　it　cured　my　wound。　the　witches　tried；　but　their　spell　didnt　work。〃

〃and　what　did　he　tell　you　to　do　with　the　knife？〃　said　iorek　byrnison；　handing　it　carefully　back　to　will。

〃to　use　it　in　a　war　on　the　side　of　lord　asriel；〃　will　replied。　〃but　first　i　must　rescue　lyra　silvertongue。〃

〃then　we　shall　help；〃　said　the　bear；　and　wills　heart　leapt　with　pleasure。

over　the　next　few　days　will　learned　why　the　bears　were　making　this　voyage　into　central　asia；　so　far　from　their　homeland。

since　the　catastrophe　that　had　burst　the　worlds　open；　all　the　arctic　ice　had　begun　to　melt；　and　new　and　strange　currents　appeared　in　the　water。　since　the　bears　depended　on　ice　and　on　the　creatures　who　lived　in　the　cold　sea；　they　could　see　that　they　would　soon　starve　if　they　stayed　where　they　were；　and　being　rational；　they　decided　how　they　should　respond。　they　would　have　to　migrate　to　where　there　was　snow　and　ice　in　plenty：　they　would　go　to　the　highest　mountains；　to　the　range　that　touched　the　sky；　half　a　world　away　but　unshakable；　eternal；　and　deep　in　snow。　from　bears　of　the　sea　they　would　bee　bears　of　the　mountains；　for　as　long　as　it　took　the　world　to　settle　itself　again。

〃so　youre　not　making　war？〃　will　said。

〃our　old　enemies　vanished　with　the　seals　and　the　walruses。　if　we　meet　new　ones；　we　know　how　to　fight。〃

〃i　thought　there　was　a　great　war　ing　that　would　involve　everyone。　which　side　would　you　fight　for　in　that　case？〃

〃the　side　that　gave　advantage　to　the　bears。　what　else？　but　i　have　some　regard　for　a　few　among　humans。　one　was　a　man　who　flew　a　balloon。　he　is　dead。　the　other　is　the　witch　serafina　pekkala。　the　third　is　the　child　lyra　silvertongue。　first；　i　would　do　whatever　serves　the　bears。　second；　whatever　serves　the　child；　or　the　witch；　or　avenges　my　dead　rade　lee　scoresby。　that　is　why　i　will　help　you　rescue　lyra　silvertongue　from　the　abominable　woman　coulter。〃

he　told　will　of　how　he　and　a　few　of　his　subjects　had　swum　to　the　river　mouth　and　paid　f