THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第3章

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will　looked　at　each　of　the　bodies　in　turn；　but　none　of　them　was　serafina　pekkala；　the　queen　of　the　witch　clan；　lyras　particular　friend。　then　he　remembered：　hadnt　she　left　suddenly　on　another　errand；　not　long　before　the　evening？

so　she　might　still　be　alive。　the　thought　cheered　him；　and　he　scanned　the　horizon　for　any　sign　of　her；　but　found　nothing　but　the　blue　air　and　the　sharp　rock　in　every　direction　he　looked。

〃where　are　you？〃　he　said　to　the　angel。

〃beside　you；〃　came　the　voice；　〃as　always。〃

will　looked　to　his　left；　where　the　voice　was；　but　saw　nothing。

〃so　no　one　can　see　you。　could　anyone　else　hear　you　as　well　as　me？〃

〃not　if　i　whisper；〃　said　the　angel　tartly。

〃what　is　your　name？　do　you　have　names？〃

〃yes；　we　do。　my　name　is　balthamos。　my　panion　is　baruch。〃

will　considered　what　to　do。　when　you　choose　one　way　out　of　many；　all　the　ways　you　dont　take　are　snuffed　out　like　candles；　as　if　theyd　never　existed。　at　the　moment　all　wills　choices　existed　at　once。　but　to　keep　them　all　in　existence　meant　doing　nothing。　he　had　to　choose；　after　all。

〃well　go　back　down　the　mountain；〃　he　said。　〃well　go　to　that　lake。　there　might　be　something　there　i　can　use。　and　im　getting　thirsty　anyway。　ill　take　the　way　i　think　it　is　and　you　can　guide　me　if　i　go　wrong。〃

it　was　only　when　hed　been　walking　for　several　minutes　down　the　pathless；　rocky　slope　that　will　realized　his　hand　wasnt　hurting。　in　fact；　he　hadnt　thought　of　his　wound　since　he　woke　up。

he　stopped　and　looked　at　the　rough　cloth　that　his　father　had　bound　around　it　after　their　fight。　it　was　greasy　with　the　ointment　hed　spread　on　it；　but　there　was　not　a　sign　of　blood；　and　after　the　incessant　bleeding　hed　undergone　since　the　fingers　had　been　lost；　this　was　so　wele　that　he　felt　his　heart　leap　almost　with　joy。

he　moved　his　fingers　experimentally。　true；　the　wounds　still　hurt；　but　with　a　different　quality　of　pain：　not　the　deep　life…sapping　ache　of　the　day　before；　but　a　smaller；　duller　sensation。　it　felt　as　if　it　were　healing。　his　father　had　done　that。　the　witches　spell　had　failed；　but　his　father　had　healed　him。

he　moved　on　down　the　slope；　cheered。

it　took　three　hours；　and　several　words　of　guidance；　before　he　came　to　the　little　blue　lake。　by　the　time　he　reached　it；　he　was　parched　with　thirst；　and　in　the　baking　sun　the　cloak　was　heavy　and　hot；　though　when　he　took　it　off；　he　missed　its　cover；　for　his　bare　arms　and　neck　were　soon　burning。　he　dropped　cloak　and　rucksack　and　ran　the　last　few　yards　to　the　water；　to　fall　on　his　face　and　swallow　mouthful　after　freezing　mouthful。　it　was　so　cold　that　it　made　his　teeth　and　skull　ache。

once　hed　slaked　the　thirst；　he　sat　up　and　looked　around。　hed　been　in　no　condition　to　notice　things　the　day　before；　but　now　he　saw　more　clearly　the　intense　color　of　the　water；　and　heard　the　strident　insect　noises　from　all　around。

〃balthamos？〃

〃always　here。〃

〃where　is　the　dead　man？〃

〃beyond　the　high　rock　on　your　right。〃

〃are　there　any　specters　around？〃

〃no；　none。　i　dont　have　anything　the　specters　want；　and　nor　have　you。〃

will　took　up　his　rucksack　and　cloak　and　made　his　way　along　the　edge　of　the　lake　and　up　onto　the　rock　balthamos　had　pointed　out。

beyond　it　a　little　camp　had　been　set　up；　with　five　or　six　tents　and　the　remains　of　cooking　fires。　will　moved　down　warily　in　case　there　was　someone　still　alive　and　hiding。

but　the　silence　was　profound；　with　the　insect　scrapings　only　scratching　at　the　surface　of　it。　the　tents　were　still；　the　water　was　placid；　with　the　ripples　still　drifting　slowly　out　from　where　hed　been　drinking。　a　flicker　of　green　movement　near　his　foot　made　him　start　briefly；　but　it　was　only　a　tiny　lizard。

the　tents　were　made　of　camouflage　material；　which　only　made　them　stand　out　more　among　the　dull　red

rocks。　he　looked　in　the　first　and　found　it　empty。　so　was　the　second；　but　in　the　third　he　found　something　valuable：　a　mess　tin　and　a　box　of　matches。　there　was　also　a　strip　of　some　dark　substance　as　long　and　as　thick　as　his　forearm。　at　first　he　thought　it　was　leather；　but　in　the　sunlight　he　saw　it　clearly　to　be　dried　meat。

well；　he　had　a　knife；　after　all。　he　cut　a　thin　sliver　and　found　it　chewy　and　very　slightly　salty；　but　full　of　good　flavor。　he　put　the　meat　and　the　matches　together　with　the　mess　tin　into　his　rucksack　and　searched　the　other　tents；　but　found　them　empty。

he　left　the　largest　till　last。

〃is　that　where　the　dead　man　is？〃　he　said　to　the　air。

〃yes；〃　said　balthamos。　〃he　has　been　poisoned。〃

will　walked　carefully　around　to　the　entrance；　which　faced　the　lake。　sprawled　beside　an　overturned　canvas　chair　was　the　body　of　the　man　known　in　wills　world　as　sir　charles　latrom；　and　in　lyras　as　lord　boreal；　the　man　who　stole　her　alethiometer；　which　theft　in　turn　led　will　to　the　subtle　knife　itself。　sir　charles　had　been　smooth；　dishonest；　and　powerful；　and　now　he　was　dead。　his　face　was　distorted　unpleasantly；　and　will　didnt　want　to　look　at　it；　but　a　glance　inside　the　tent　showed　that　there　were　plenty　of　things　to　steal；　so　he　stepped　over　the　body　to　look　more　closely。

his　father；　the　soldier；　the　explorer；　would　have　known　exactly　what　to　take。　will　had　to　guess。　he　took　a　small　magnifying　glass　in　a　steel　case；　because　he　could　use　it　to　light　fires　and　save　his　matches；　a　reel　of　tough　twine；　an　alloy　canteen　for　water；　much　lighter　than　the　goatskin　flask　he　had　been　carrying；　and　a　small　tin　cup；　a　small　pair　of　binoculars；　a　roll　of　gold　coins　the　size　of　a　mans　thumb；　wrapped　in　paper；　a　first…aid　kit；　water…purifying　tablets；　a　packet　of　coffee；　three　packs　of　pressed　dried　fruit；　a　bag　of　oatmeal　biscuits；　six　bars　of　kendal　mint　cake；　a　packet　of　fishhooks　and　nylon　line；　and　finally；　a　notebook　and　a　couple　of　pencils；　and　a　small　electric　torch。

he　packed　it　all　in　his　rucksack；　cut　another　sliver　of　meat；　filled　his　belly　and　then　his　canteen　from　the　lake；　and　said　to　balthamos：

〃do　you　think　i　need　anything　else？〃

〃you　could　do　with　some　sense；〃　came　the　reply。　〃some　faculty　to　enable　you　to　recognize　wisdom　and　incline　you　to　respect　and　obey　it。〃

〃are　you　wise？〃

〃much　more　so　than　you。〃

〃well；　you　see；　i　cant　tell。　are　you　a　man？　you　sound　like　a　man。〃

〃baruch　was　a　man。　i　was　not。　now　he　is　angelic。〃

〃so。。。”　will　stopped　what　he　was　doing；　which　was　arranging　his　rucksack　so　the　heaviest　objects　were　in　the　bottom；　and　tried　to　see　the　angel。　there　was　nothing　there　to　see。　〃so　he　was　a　man；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　then。。。　do　people　bee　angels　when　they　die？　is　that　what　happens？〃

〃not　always。　not　in　the　vast　majority　of　cases。。。very　rarely。〃

〃when　was　he　alive；　then？〃

〃four　thousand　years　ago；　more　or　less。　i　am　much　older。〃

〃and　did　he　live　in　my　world？　or　lyras？　or　this　one？〃

〃in　yours。　but　there　are　myriads　of　worlds。　you　know　that。〃

〃but　how　do　people　bee　angels？〃

〃what　is　the　point　of　this　metaphysical　speculation？〃

〃i　just　want　to　know。〃

〃better　to　stick　to　your　task。　you　have　plundered　this　dead　mans　property；　you　have　all　the　toys　you　need　to　keep　you　alive；　now　may　we　move　on？〃

〃when　i　know　which　way　to　go。〃

〃whichever　way　we　go；　baruch　will　find　us。〃

〃then　hell　still　find　us　if　we　stay　here。　ive　got　a　couple　more　things　to　do。〃

will　sat　down　where　he　couldnt　see　sir　charless　body　and　ate　three　squares　of　the　kendal　mint　cake。　it　was　wonderful　how　refreshed　and　strengthened　he　felt　as　the　food　began　to　nourish　him。　then　he　looked　at　the　alethiometer　again。　the　thirty…six　little　pictures　painted　on　ivory　were　each　perfectly　clear：　there　was　no　doubt　that　this　was　a　baby；　that　a　puppet；　this　a　loaf　of　bread；　and　so　on。　it　was　what　they　meant　that　was　obscure。

〃how　did　lyra　read　this？〃　he　said　to　balthamos。

〃quite　possibly　she　made　it　up。　those　who　use　these　instruments　have　studied　for　many　years；　and　even　then　they　can　only　understand　them　with　the　help　of　many　books　of　reference。〃

〃she　wasnt　making　it　up。　she　read　it　truly。　she　told　me　things　she　could　never　have　known　otherwise。〃

〃then　it　is　as　much　of　a　mystery　to　me；　i　assure　you；〃　said　the　angel。

looking　at　the　alethiometer；　will　remembered　something　lyra　had　said　about　reading　it：　something　about　the　state　of　mind　she　had　to　be　in　to　make　it　work。　it　had　helped　him；　in　turn；　to　feel　the　subtleties　of　the　silver　blade。

feeling　curious；　he　took　out　the　knife　and　cut　a　small　window　in　front　of　where　he　was　sitting。　through　it　he　saw　nothing　but　blue　air；　but　below；　far　below；　was　a　landscape　of　trees　and　fields：　his　own　world；　without　a　doubt。

so　mountains　in　this　world　didnt　correspond　to　mountains　in　his。　he　closed　the　window；　using　his　left　hand　for　the　first　time。　the　joy　of　being　able　to　use　it　again！

then　an　idea　came　to　him　so　suddenly　it　felt　like　an　electric　shock。

if　there　were　myriads　of　worlds；　why　did　the　knife　only　open　windows　between　this　one　and　his　own？

surely　it　should　cut　into　any　of　them。

he　held　it　up　again；　letting　his　mind　flow　along　to　the　very　tip　of　the　blade　as　giao　paradisi　had　told　him；　until　his　consciousness　nestled　among　the　atoms　themselves　and　he　felt　every　tiny　snag　and　ripple　in　the　air。

instead　of　cutting　as　soon　as　he　felt　the　first　little　halt；　as　he　usually　did；　he　let　the　knife　move　on　to