THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第31章

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go　as　far　as　they　could；　but　he　was　just　as　fast；　and　even　more　brightly　patterned。　she　raised　her　hand　and　he　settled　on　it；　his　long；　transparent　wings　vibrating。

〃do　you　think　we　can　trust　them　while　we　sleep？〃　will　said。

〃yes。　theyre　fierce；　but　i　think　theyre　honest。〃

they　went　back　to　the　rock；　and　will　said　to　the　gallivespians；　〃im　going　to　sleep　now。　well　move　on　in　the　morning。〃

the　chevalier　nodded；　and　will　curled　up　at　once　and　fell　asleep。

lyra　sat　down　beside　him；　with　pantalaimon　cat…formed　and　warm　in　her　lap。　how　lucky　will　was　that　she　was　awake　now　to　look　after　him！　he　was　truly　fearless；　and　she　admired　that　beyond　measure；　but　he　wasnt　good　at　lying　and　betraying　and　cheating；　which　all　came　to　her　as　naturally　as　breathing。　when　she　thought　of　that；　she　felt　warm　and　virtuous；　because　she　did　it　for　will；　never　for　herself。

she　had　intended　to　look　at　the　alethiometer　again；　but　to　her　deep　surprise　she　found　herself　as　weary　as　if　shed　been　awake　all　that　time　instead　of　unconscious；　and　she　lay　down　close　by　and　closed　her　eyes；　just　for　a　brief　nap；　as　she　assured　herself　before　she　fell　asleep。

．co



FOURTEEN　…　KNOW　WHAT　IT　IS

@小‘说〃网
will　and　lyra　slept　through　the　night　and　woke　up　when　the　sun　struck　their　eyelids。　they　actually　awoke　within　seconds　of　each　other；　with　the　same　thought；　but　when　they　looked　around；　the　chevalier　tialys　was　calmly　on　guard　close　by。

〃the　force　of　the　consistorial　court　has　retreated；〃　he　told　them。　〃mrs。　coulter　is　in　the　hands　of　king　ogunwe；　and　on　her　way　to　lord　asriel。〃

〃how　do　you　know？〃　said　will；　sitting　up　stiffly。　〃have　you　been　back　through　the　window？〃

〃no。　we　talk　through　the　lodestone　resonator。　i　reported　our　conversation；〃　tialys　said　to　lyra；　〃to　my　mander；　lord　roke；　and　he　has　agreed　that　we　should　go　with　you　to　the　bear；　and　that　once　you　have　seen　him；　you　will　e　with　us。　so　we　are　allies；　and　we　shall　help　you　as　much　as　we　can。〃

〃good；〃　said　will。　〃then　lets　eat　together。　do　you　eat　our　food？〃

〃thank　you；　yes；〃　said　the　lady。

will　took　out　his　last　few　dried　peaches　and　the　stale　flat　loaf　of　rye　bread；　which　was　all　he　had　left；　and　shared　it　among　them；　though　of　course　the　spies　did　not　take　much。

〃as　for　water；　there　doesnt　seem　to　be　any　around　here　on　this　world；〃　will　said。　〃well　have　to　wait　till　we　go　back　through　before　we　can　have　a　drink。〃

〃then　we　better　do　that　soon；〃　said　lyra。

first；　though；　she　took　out　the　alethiometer　and　asked　if　there　was　still　any　danger　in　the　valley。　no；　came　the　answer；　all　the　soldiers　have　gone；　and　the　villagers　are　in　their　homes；　so　they　prepared　to　leave。

the　window　looked　strange　in　the　dazzling　air　of　the　desert；　giving　onto　the　deep…shaded　bush；　a　square　of　thick　green　vegetation　hanging　in　the　air　like　a　painting。　the　gallivespians　wanted　to　look　at　it；　and　were　astounded　to　see　how　it　was　just　not　there　from　the　back；　and　how　it　only　sprang　into　being　when　you　came　round　from　the　side。

〃ill　have　to　close　it　once　were　through；〃　will　said。

lyra　tried　to　pinch　the　edges　together　after　they　went　through；　but　her　fingers　couldnt　find　it　at　all；　nor　could　the　spies；　despite　the　fineness　of　their　hands。　only　will　could　feel　exactly　where　the　edges　were；　and　he　did　it　cleanly　and　quickly。

〃how　many　worlds　can　you　enter　with　the　knife？〃　said　tialys。

〃as　many　as　there　are；〃　said　will。　〃no　one　would　ever　have　time　to　find　out。〃

he　swung　his　rucksack　up　and　led　the　way　along　the　forest　path。　the　dragonflies　relished　the　fresh；　moist　air　and　darted　like　needles　through　the　shafts　of　sunlight。　the　movement　of　the　trees　above　was　less　violent；　and　the　air　was　cool　and　tranquil；　so　it　was　all　the　more　shocking　to　see　the　twisted　wreckage　of　a　gyropter　suspended　among　the　branches；　with　the　body　of　its　african　pilot；　tangled　in　his　seat　belt；　half　out　of　the　door；　and　to　find　the　charred　remains　of　the　zeppelin　a　little　farther　up；　soot…black　strips　of　cloth；　blackened　struts　and　pipe　work；　broken　glass；　and　then　the　bodies：　three　men　burned　to　cinders；　their　limbs　contorted　and　drawn　up　as　if　they　were　still　threatening　to　fight。

and　they　were　only　the　ones　who　had　fallen　near　the　path。　there　were　other　bodies　and　more　wreckage　on　the　cliff　above　and　among　the　trees　farther　down。　shocked　and　silenced；　the　two　children　moved　through　the　carnage；　while　the　spies　on　their　dragonflies　looked　around　more　coolly；　accustomed　to　battle；　noting　how　it　had　gone　and　who　had　lost　most。

when　they　reached　the　top　of　the　valley；　where　the　trees　thinned　out　and　the　rainbow…waterfalls　began；　they　stopped　to　drink　deeply　of　the　ice…cold　water。

〃i　hope　that　little　girls　all　right；〃　said　will。　〃wed　never　have　got　you　away　if　she　hadnt　woken　you　up。　she　went　to　a　holy　man　to　get　that　powder　specially。〃

〃she　is　all　right；〃　said　lyra；　〃　cause　i　asked　the　alethiometer；　last　night。　she　thinks　were　devils；　though。　shes　afraid　of　us。　she　probably　wishes　shed　never　got　mixed　up　in　it；　but　shes　safe　all　right。〃

they　climbed　up　beside　the　waterfalls　and　refilled　wills　canteen　before　striking　off　across　the　plateau　toward　the　ridge　where　the　alethiometer　told　lyra　that　iorek　had　gone。

and　then　there　came　a　day　of　long；　hard　walking：　no　trouble　for　will；　but　a　torment　to　lyra；　whose　limbs　were　weakened　and　softened　after　her　long　sleep。　but　she　would　sooner　have　her　tongue　torn　out　than　confess　how　bad　she　felt；　limping；　tight…lipped；　trembling；　she　kept　pace　with　will　and　said　nothing。　only　when　they　sat　down　at　noon　did　she　allow　herself　so　much　as　a　whimper；　and　then　only　when　will　had　gone　apart　to　relieve　himself。

the　lady　salmakia　said；　〃rest。　there　is　no　disgrace　in　being　weary。〃

〃but　i　dont　want　to　let　will　down！　i　dont　want　him　to　think　im　weak　and　holding　him　back。〃

〃thats　the　last　thing　he　thinks。〃

〃you　dont　know；〃　said　lyra　rudely。　〃you　dont　know　him　any　more　than　you　know　me。〃

〃i　know　impertinence　when　i　hear　it；〃　said　the　lady　calmly。　〃do　as　i　tell　you　now　and　rest。　save　your　energy　for　the　walking。〃

lyra　felt　mutinous；　but　the　ladys　glittering　spurs　were　very　clear　in　the　sunlight；　so　she　said　nothing。

the　ladys　panion；　the　chevalier；　was　opening　the　case　of　the　lodestone　resonator；　and；　curiosity　overing　resentment；　lyra　watched　to　see　what　he　did。　the　instrument　looked　like　a　short　length　of　pencil　made　of　dull　gray…black　stone；　resting　on　a　stand　of　wood；　and　the　chevalier　swept　a　tiny　bow　like　a　violinists　across　the　end　while　he　pressed　his　fingers　at　various　points　along　the　surface。　the　places　werent　marked；　so　he　seemed　to　be　touching　it　at　random；　but　from　the　intensity　of　his　expression　and　the　certain　fluency　of　his　movements；　lyra　knew　it　was　as　skillful　and　demanding　a　process　as　her　own　reading　of　the　alethiometer。

after　several　minutes　the　spy　put　the　bow　away　and　took　up　a　pair　of　headphones；　the　earpieces　no　larger　than　lyras　little　fingernail；　and　wrapped　one　end　of　the　wire　tightly　around　a　peg　in　the　end　of　the

stone；　leading　the　rest　along　to　another　peg　at　the　other　end　and　wrapping　it　around　that。　by　manipulating　the　two　pegs　and　the　tension　on　the　wire　between　them；　he　could　obviously　hear　a　response　to　his　own　message。

〃how　does　that　work？〃　she　said　when　hed　finished。

tialys　looked　at　her　as　if　to　judge　whether　she　was　genuinely　interested；　and　then　said；　〃your　scientists；　what　do　you　call　them；　experimental　theologians；　would　know　of　something　called　quantum　entanglement。　it　means　that　two　particles　can　exist　that　only　have　properties　in　mon；　so　that　whatever　happens　to　one　happens　to　the　other　at　the　same　moment；　no　matter　how　far　apart　they　are。　well；　in　our　world　there　is　a　way　of　taking　a　mon　lodestone　and　entangling　all　its　particles；　and　then　splitting　it　in　two　so　that　both　parts　resonate　together。　the　counterpart　to　this　is　with　lord　roke；　our　mander。　when　i　play　on　this　one　with　my　bow；　the　other　one　reproduces　the　sounds　exactly；　and　so　we　municate。〃

he　put　everything　away　and　said　something　to　the　lady。　she　joined　him　and　they　went　a　little　apart；　talking　too　quietly　for　lyra　to　hear；　though　pantalaimon　became　an　owl　and　turned　his　great　ears　in　their　direction。

presently　will　came　back　and　then　they　moved　on；　more　slowly　as　the　day　went　by　and　the　track　got　steeper　and　the　snow　line　nearer。　they　rested　once　more　at　the　head　of　a　rocky　valley；　because　even　will　could　tell　that　lyra　was　nearly　finished：　she　was　limping　badly　and　her　face　was　gray。

〃let　me　see　your　feet；〃　he　said　to　her；　〃because　if　theyre　blistered；　ill　put　some　ointment　on。〃

they　were；　badly；　and　she　let　him　rub　in　the　bloodmoss　salve；　closing　her　eyes　and　gritting　her　teeth。

meanwhile；　the　chevalier　was　busy；　and　after　a　few　minutes　he　put　his　lodestone　away　and　said；　〃i　have　told　lord　roke　of　our　position；　and　they　are　sending　a　gyropter　to　bring　us　away　as　soon　as　you　have　spoken　to　your　friend。〃

will　nodded。　lyra　took　no　notice。　presently　she　sat　up　wearily　and　pulled　on　her　socks　and　shoes；　and　they　set　off　once　more。

another　hour；　and　most　of　the　valley　was　in　shadow；　and　will　was　wondering　whether　they　would　find　any　shelter　before　night　fell；　but　then　lyra　gave　a　cry　of　reli