THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第21章

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it　was　another　three　days　walk。　well；　they　were　getting　there。

and　so　were　others。

lord　asriels　force；　the　squadron　of　gyropters　and　the　zeppelin　fuel　tanker；　had　reached　the　opening　between　the　worlds：　the　breach　in　the　sky　above　svalbard。　they　had　a　very　long　way　to　go　still；　but　they　flew　without　pause　except　for　essential　maintenance；　and　the　mander；　the　afric　king　is　ogunwe；　kept　in　twice…daily　touch　with　the　basalt　fortress。　he　had　a　gallivespian　lodestone　operator　aboard　his　gyropter；　and　through　him　he　was　able　to　learn　as　quickly　as　lord　asriel　himself　about　what　was　going　on　elsewhere。

the　news　was　disconcerting。　the　little　spy；　the　lady　salmakia；　had　watched　from　the　shadows　as　the　two　powerful　arms　of　the　church；　the　consistorial　court　of　discipline　and　the　society　of　the　work　of　the　holy　spirit；　agreed　to　put　their　differences　aside　and　pool　their　knowledge。　the　society　had　a　swifter　and　more　skillful　alethiometrist　than　fra　pavel；　and　thanks　to　him；　the　consistorial　court　now　knew　exactly　where　lyra　was；　and　more：　they　knew　that　lord　asriel　had　sent　a　force　to　rescue　her。　wasting　no　time；　the　court　mandeered　a　flight　of　zeppelins；　and　that　same　day　a　battalion　of　the　swiss　guard　began　to　embark　aboard　the　zeppelins　waiting　in　the　still　air　beside　the　lake　of　geneva。

so　each　side　was　aware　that　the　other　was　also　making　its　way　toward　the　cave　in　the　mountains。　and　they　both　knew　that　whoever　got　there　first　would　have　the　advantage；　but　there　wasnt　much　in　it：　lord　asriels　gyropters　were　faster　than　the　zeppelins　of　the　consistorial　court；　but　they　had　farther　to　fly；　and　they　were　limited　by　the　speed　of　their　own　zeppelin　tanker。

and　there　was　another　consideration：　whoever　seized　lyra　first　would　have　to　fight　their　way　out　against　the　other　force。　it　would　be　easier　for　the　consistorial　court；　because　they　didnt　have　to　consider　getting　lyra　away　safely。　they　were　flying　there　to　kill　her。

the　zeppelin　carrying　the　president　of　the　consistorial　court　was　carrying　other　passengers　as　well；　unknown　to　him。　the　chevalier　tialys　had　received　a　message　on　his　lodestone　resonator；　ordering　him　and　the　lady　salrnakia　to　smuggle　themselves　aboard。　when　the　zeppelins　arrived　at　the　valley；　he　and　the　lady　were　to　go　ahead　and　make　their　way　independently　to　the　cave　where　lyra　was　held；　and　protect　her　as　well　as　they　could　until　king　ogunwes　force　arrived　to　rescue　her。　her　safety　was　to　e　above　every　other　consideration。

getting　themselves　aboard　the　zeppelin　was　hazardous　for　the　spies；　not　least　because　of　the　equipment　they　had　to　carry。　apart　from　the　lodestone　resonator；　the　most　important　items　were　a　pair　of　insect　larvae；　and　their　food。　when　the　adult　insects　emerged；　they　would　be　more　like　dragon…flies　than　anything　else；　but　they　were　not　like　any　kind　of　dragonfly　that　the　humans　of　wills　world；　or　lyras；　would　have　seen　before。　they　were　very　much　larger；　for　one　thing。　the　gallivespians　bred　these　creatures　carefully；　and　each　clans　insects　differed　from　the　rest。　the　chevalier　tialyss　clan　bred　powerful　red…and…yellow…striped　dragonflies　with　vigorous　and　brutal　appetites；　whereas　the　one　the　lady　salrnakia　was　nurturing　would　be　a　slender；　fast…flying　creature　with　an　electric　blue　body　and　the　power　of　glowing　in　the　dark。

every　spy　was　equipped　with　a　number　of　these　larvae；　which；　by　feeding　them　carefully　regulated　amounts　of　oil　and　honey；　they　could　either　keep　in　suspended　animation　or　bring　rapidly　to　adulthood。　tialys　and　salmakia　had　thirty…six　hours；　depending　on　the　winds；　to　hatch　these　larvae　now；　because　that　was　about　the　time　the　flight　would　take；　and　they　needed　the　insects　to　emerge　before　the　zeppelins　landed。

the　chevalier　and　his　colleague　found　an　overlooked　space　behind　a　bulkhead；　and　made　themselves　as　safe　as　they　could　while　the　vessel　was　loaded　and　fueled；　and　then　the　engines　began　to　roar；　shaking　the　light　structure　from　end　to　end　as　the　ground　crew　cast　off　and　the　eight　zeppelins　rose　into　the　night　sky。

their　kind　would　have　regarded　the　parison　as　a　mortal　insult；　but　they　were　able　to　conceal　themselves　at　least　as　well　as　rats。　from　their　hiding　place；　the　gallivespians　could　overhear　a　good　deal；　and　they　kept　in　hourly　touch　with　lord　roke；　who　was　aboard　king　ogunwes　gyropter。

but　there　was　one　thing　they　couldnt　learn　any　more　about　on　the　zeppelin；　because　the　president　never　spoke　of　it：　and　that　was　the　matter　of　the　assassin；　father　gomez；　who　had　been　absolved　already　of　the　sin　he　was　going　to　mit　if　the　consistorial　court　failed　in　their　mission。　father　gomez　was　somewhere　else；　and　no　one　was　tracking　him　at　all。

．。



TEN　…　WHEELS

。
〃yeah；〃　said　the　red…haired　girl；　in　the　garden　of　the　deserted　casino。　〃we　seen　her；　me　and　paolo　both　seen　her。　she　e　through　here　days　ago。〃

father　gomez　said；　〃and　do　you　remember　what　she　looked　like？〃

〃she　look　hot；〃　said　the　little　boy。　〃sweaty　in　the　face；　all　right。〃

〃how　old　did　she　seem　to　be？〃

〃about。。。〃　said　the　girl；　considering；　〃i　suppose　maybe　forty　or　fifty。　we　didnt　see　her　close。　she　could　be　thirty；　maybe。　but　she　was　hot；　like　paolo　said；　and　she　was　carrying　a　big　rucksack；　much　bigger　than　yours；　this　big。。。〃

paolo　whispered　something　to　her；　screwing　up　his　eyes　to　look　at　the　priest　as　he　did　so。　the　sun　was　bright　in　his　face。

〃yeah；〃　said　the　girl　impatiently；　〃i　know。　the　specters；〃　she　said　to　father　gomez；　〃she　wasn　afraid　of　the　specters　at　all。　she　just　walked　through　the　city　and　never　worried　a　bit。　i　ain　never　seen　a　grownup　do　that　before；　all　right。　she　looked　like　she　didn　know　about　them；　even。　same　as　you；〃　she　added；　looking　at　him　with　a　challenge　in　her　eyes。

〃theres　a　lot　i　dont　know；〃　said　father　gomez　mildly。

the　little　boy　plucked　at　her　sleeve　and　whispered　again。

〃paolo　says；〃　she　told　the　priest；　〃he　thinks　youre　going　to　get　the　knife　back。〃

father　gomez　felt　his　skin　bristle。　he　remembered　the　testimony　of　fra　pavel　in　the　inquiry　at　the　consistorial　court：　this　must　be　the　knife　he　meant。

〃if　i　can；〃　he　said；　〃i　shall。　the　knife　es　from　here；　does　it？〃

〃from　the　torre　degli　angeli；〃　said　the　girl；　pointing　at　the　square　stone　tower　over　the　red…brown　rooftops。　it　shimmered　in　the　midday　glare。　〃and　the　boy　who　stole　it；　he　kill　our　brother；　tullio。　the　specters　got　him；　all　right。　you　want　to　kill　that　boy；　thats　okay。　and　the　girl；　she　was　a　liar；　she　was　as　bad　as　him。〃

〃there　was　a　girl；　too？〃　said　the　priest；　trying　not　to　seem　too　interested。

〃lying　filth；〃　spat　the　red…haired　child。　〃we　nearly　killed　them　both；　but　then　there　came　some　women；　flying　women。。。”　

〃witches；〃　said　paolo。

〃witches；　and　we　couldn　fight　them。　they　took　them　away；　the　girl　and　boy。　we　don　know　where　they　went。　but　the　woman；　she　came　later。　we　thought　maybe　she　got　some　kind　of　knife；　to　keep　the　specters　away；　all　right。　and　maybe　you　have；　too；〃　she　added；　lifting　her　chin　to　stare　at　him　boldly。

〃i　have　no　knife；〃　said　father　gomez。　〃but　i　have　a　sacred　task。　maybe　that　is　protecting　me　against　these；　specters。〃

〃yeah；〃　said　the　girl；　〃maybe。　anyway；　you　want　her；　she　went　south；　toward　the　mountains。　we　don　know　where。　but　you　ask　anyone；　they　know　if　she　go　past；　because　there　ain　no　one　like　her　in　cigazze；　not　before　and　not　now。　she　be　easy　to　find。〃

〃thank　you；　angelica；〃　said　the　priest。　〃bless　you；　my　children。〃

he　shouldered　his　pack；　left　the　garden；　and　set　off　through　the　hot；　silent　streets；　satisfied。

after　three　days　in　the　pany　of　the　wheeled　creatures；　mary　malone　knew　rather　more　about　them；　and　they　knew　a　great　deal　about　her。

that　first　morning　they　carried　her　for　an　hour　or　so　along　the　basalt　highway　to　a　settlement　by　a　river；　and　the　journey　was　unfortable；　she　had　nothing　to　hold　on　to；　and　the　creatures　back　was　hard。　they　sped　along　at　a　pace　that　frightened　her；　but　the　thunder　of　their　wheels　on　the　hard　road　and　the　beat　of　their　scudding　feet　made　her　exhilarated　enough　to　ignore　the　disfort。

and　in　the　course　of　the　ride　she　became　more　aware　of　the　creatures　physiology。　like　the　grazers　skeletons；　theirs　had　a　diamond…shaped　frame；　with　a　limb　at　each　of　the　ers。　sometime　in　the　distant　past；　a　line　of　ancestral　creatures　must　have　developed　this　structure　and　found　it　worked；　just　as　generations

of　long…ago　crawling　things　in　marys　world　had　developed　the　central　spine。

the　basalt　highway　led　gradually　downward；　and　after　a　while　the　slope　increased；　so　the　creatures　could　freewheel。　they　tucked　their　side　legs　up　and　steered　by　leaning　to　one　side　or　the　other；　and　hurtled　along　at　a　speed　mary　found　terrifying；　though　she　had　to　admit　that　the　creature　she　was　riding　never　gave　her　the　slightest　feeling　of　danger。　if　only　shed　had　something　to　hold　on　to；　she　would　have　enjoyed　it。

at　the　foot　of　the　mile…long　slope；　there　was　a　stand　of　the　great　trees；　and　nearby　a　river　meandered　on　the　level　grassy　ground。　some　way　off；　mary　saw　a　gleam　that　looked　like　a　wider　expanse　of　water；　but　she　didnt　spend　long　looking　at　that；　because　the　creatures　were　making　for　a　settlement　on　the　riverbank；　and　she　was　burning　with　curiosity　to　se