THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第33章

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like　handing　it　over　to　em　and　saying；　go　on；　use　it；　we　wont　stop　you。　all　right；　we　dont　know　what　it　does；　but　i　can　ask　the　alethiometer；　cant　i？　then　wed　know。　and　we　could　think　about　it　properly；　instead　of　just　guessing　and　being　afraid。〃

will　didnt　want　to　mention　his　own　most　pressing　reason：　if　the　knife　was　not　repaired；　he　might　never　get　home；　never　see　his　mother　again；　she　would　never　know　what　had　happened；　shed　think　hed　abandoned　her　as　his　father　had　done。　the　knife　would　have　been　directly　responsible　for　both　their　desertions。　he　must　use　it　to　return　to　her；　or　never　forgive　himself。

iorek　byrnison　said　nothing　for　a　long　time；　but　turned　his　head　to　look　out　at　the　darkness。　then　he　slowly　got　to　his　feet　and　stalked　to　the　cave　mouth；　and　looked　up　at　the　stars：　some　the　same　as　those　he　knew；　from　the　north；　and　some　that　were　strange　to　him。

behind　him；　lyra　turned　the　meat　over　on　the　fire；　and　will　looked　at　his　wounds；　to　see　how　they　were　healing。　tialys　and　salmakia　sat　silent　on　their　ledge。

then　iorek　turned　around。

〃very　well；　i　shall　do　it　on　one　condition；〃　he　said。　〃though　i　feel　it　is　a　mistake。　my　people　have　no　gods；　no　ghosts　or　daemons。　we　live　and　die　and　that　is　that。　human　affairs　bring　us　nothing　but　sorrow　and　trouble；　but　we　have　language　and　we　make　war　and　we　use　tools；　maybe　we　should　take　sides。　but　full　knowledge　is　better　than　half…knowledge。　lyra；　read　your　instrument。　know　what　it　is　that　youre　asking。　if　you　still　want　it　then；　i　shall　mend　the　knife。〃

at　once　lyra　took　out　the　alethiometer　and　edged　nearer　to　the　fire　so　that　she　could　see　the　face。　the　reading　took　her　longer　than　usual；　and　when　she　blinked　and　sighed　and　came　out　of　the　trance；　her　face　was　troubled。

〃i　never　known　it　so　confused；〃　she　said。　〃there　was　lots　of　things　it　said。　i　think　i　got　it　clear。　i　think　so。　it　said　about　balance　first。　it　said　the　knife　could　be　harmful　or　it　could　do　good；　but　it　was　so　slight；　such　a　delicate　kind　of　a　balance；　that　the　faintest　thought　or　wish　could　tip　it　one　way　or　the　other。。。and　it　meant　you；　will；　it　meant　what　you　wished　or　thought；　only　it　didnt　say　what　would　be　a　good　thought　or　a　bad　one。

〃then。。。　it　said　yes；〃　she　said；　her　eyes　flashing　at　the　spies。　〃it　said　yes；　do　it；　repair　the　knife。〃

iorek　looked　at　her　steadily　and　then　nodded　once。

tialys　and　salmakia　climbed　down　to　watch　more　closely；　and　lyra　said；　〃dyou　need　more　fuel；　iorek？　me　and　will　could　go　and　fetch　some；　im　sure。〃

will　understood　what　she　meant：　away　from　the　spies　they　could　talk。

iorek　said；　〃below　the　first　spur　on　the　track；　there　is　a　bush　with　resinous　wood。　bring　as　much　of　that　as　you　can。〃

she　jumped　up　at　once；　and　will　went　with　her。

the　moon　was　brilliant；　the　path　a　track　of　scumbled　footprints　in　the　snow；　the　air　cutting　and　cold。　both　of　them　felt　brisk　and　hopeful　and　alive。　they　didnt　talk　till　they　were　well　away　from　the　cave。

〃what　else　did　it　say？〃　will　said。

〃it　said　some　things　i　didnt　understand　then　and　i　still　dont　understand　now。　it　said　the　knife　would　be　the　death　of　dust；　but　then　it　said　it　was　the　only　way　to　keep　dust　alive。　i　didnt　understand　it；　will。　but　it　said　again　it　was　dangerous；　it　kept　saying　that。　it　said　if　we；　you　know；　what　i　thought。。。”

〃if　we　go　to　the　world　of　the　dead。。。”

〃yeah；　if　we　do　that；　it　said　that　we　might　never　e　back；　will。　we　might　not　survive。〃

he　said　nothing；　and　they　walked　along　more　soberly　now；　watching　out　for　the　bush　that　iorek　had　mentioned；　and　silenced　by　the　thought　of　what　they　might　be　taking　on。

〃weve　got　to；　though；〃　he　said；　〃havent　we？〃

〃i　dont　know。〃

〃now　we　know；　i　mean。　you　have　to　speak　to　roger；　and　i　want　to　speak　to　my　father。　we　have　to；　now。〃

〃im　frightened；〃　she　said。

and　he　knew　shed　never　admit　that　to　anyone　else。

〃did　it　say　what　would　happen　if　we　didnt？〃　he　asked。

〃just　emptiness；　just　blankness。　i　really　didnt　understand　it；　will。　but　i　think　it　meant　that　even　if　it　is　that　dangerous；　we　should　still　try　and　rescue　roger。　but　it　wont　be　like　when　i　rescued　him　from　bolvangar；　i　didnt　know　what　i　was　doing　then；　really；　i　just　set　off；　and　i　was　lucky。　i　mean　there　was　all　kinds　of　other　people　to　help；　like　the　gyptians　and　the　witches。　there　wont　be　any　help　where　wed　have　to　go。　and　i　can　see。。。　in　my　dream　i　saw。。。　the　place　was。。。　it　was　worse　than　bolvangar。　thats　why　im　afraid。〃

〃what　im　afraid　of；〃　said　will　after　a　minute；　not　looking　at　her　at　all；　〃is　getting　stuck　somewhere　and　never　seeing　my　mother　again。〃

from　nowhere　a　memory　came　to　him：　he　was　very　young；　and　it　was　before　her　troubles　began；　and　he　was　ill。　all　night　long；　it　seemed；　his　mother　had　sat　on　his　bed　in　the　dark；　singing　nursery　rhymes；　telling　him　stories；　and　as　long　as　her　dear　voice　was　there；　he　knew　he　was　safe。　he　couldnt　abandon　her　now。　he　couldnt！　hed　look　after　her　all　his　life　long　if　she　needed　it。

and　as　if　lyra　had　known　what　he　was　thinking；　she　said　warmly：

〃yeah；　thats　true；　that　would　be　awful。。。　you　know；　with　my　mother；　i　never　realized。。。　i　just　grew　up　on　my　own；　really；　i　dont　remember　anyone　ever　holding　me　or　cuddling　me；　it　was　just　me　and　pan　as　far　back　as　i　can　go。。。　i　cant　remember　mrs。　lonsdale　being　like　that　to　me；　she　was　the　housekeeper　at　jordan　college；　all　she　did　was　make　sure　i　was　clean；　thats　all　she　thought　about。。。　oh；　and　manners。。。　but　in　the　cave；　will；　i　really　felt；　oh；　its　strange；　i　know　shes　done　terrible　things；　but　i　really　felt　she　was　loving　me　and　looking　after　me。。。　she　must　have　thought　i　was　going　to　die；　being　asleep　all　that　time；　i　suppose　i　mustve　caught　some　disease；　but　she　never　stopped　looking　after　me。　and　i　remember　waking　up　once　or　twice　and　she　was　holding　me　in　her　arms。。。　i　do　remember　that；　im　sure。。。　thats　what　id　do　in　her　place；　if　i　had　a　child。〃

so　she　didnt　know　why　shed　been　asleep　all　that　time。　should　he　tell　her；　and　betray　that　memory；　even　if　it　was　false？　no；　of　course　he　shouldnt。

〃is　that　the　bush？〃　lyra　said。

the　moonlight　was　brilliant　enough　to　show　every　leaf。　will　snapped　off　a　twig；　and　the　piney　resinous　smell　stayed　strongly　on　his　fingers。

〃and　we　ent　going　to　say　anything　to　those　little　spies；〃　she　added。

they　gathered　armfuls　of　the　bush　and　carried　them　back　up　toward　the　cave。

m。



FIFTEEN　…　THE　FORGE

　小说
at　that　moment　the　gallivespians；　too；　were　talking　about　the　knife。　having　made　a　suspicious　peace　with　iorek　byrnison；　they　climbed　back　to　their　ledge　to　be　out　of　the　way；　and　as　the　crackle　of　flames　rose　and　the　snapping　and　roaring　of　the　fire　filled　the　air；　tialys　said；　〃we　must　never　leave　his　side。　as　soon　as　the　knife　is　mended；　we　must　keep　closer　than　a　shadow。〃

〃he　is　too　alert。　he　watches　everywhere　for　us；〃　said　salmakia。　〃the　girl　is　more　trusting。　i　think　we　could　win　her　around。　shes　innocent；　and　she　loves　easily。　we　could　work　on　her。　i　think　we　should　do　that；　tialys。〃

〃but　he　has　the　knife。　he　is　the　one　who　can　use　it。〃

〃he　wont　go　anywhere　without　her。〃

〃but　she　has　to　follow　him；　if　he　has　the　knife。　and　i　think　that　as　soon　as　the　knifes　intact　again；　theyll　use　it　to　slip　into　another　world；　so　as　to　get　away　from　us。　did　you　see　how　he　stopped　her　from　speaking　when　she　was　going　to　say　something　more？　they　have　some　secret　purpose；　and　its　very　different　from　what　we　want　them　to　do。〃

〃well　see。　but　youre　right；　tialys；　i　think。　we　must　stay　close　to　the　boy　at　all　costs。〃

they　both　watched　with　some　skepticism　as　iorek　byrnison　laid　out　the　tools　in　his　improvised　workshop。　the　mighty　workers　in　the　ordnance　factories　under　lord　asriels　fortress；　with　their　blast　furnaces　and　rolling　mills；　their　anbaric　forges　and　hydraulic　presses；　would　have　laughed　at　the　open　fire；　the　stone　hammer；　the　anvil　consisting　of　a　piece　of　ioreks　armor。　nevertheless；　the　bear　had　taken　the　measure　of　the　task；　and　in　the　certainty　of　his　movements　the　little　spies　began　to　see　some　quality　that　muffled　their　scorn。

when　lyra　and　will　came　in　with　the　bushes；　iorek　directed　them　in　placing　branches　carefully　on　the　fire。　he　looked　at　each　branch；　turning　it　from　side　to　side；　and　then　told　will　or　lyra　to　place　it　at　such…and…such　an　angle；　or　to　break　off　part　and　place　it　separately　at　the　edge。　the　result　was　a　fire　of　extraordinary　ferocity；　with　all　its　energy　concentrated　at　one　side。

by　this　time　the　heat　in　the　cave　was　intense。　iorek　continued　to　build　the　fire；　and　made　the　children　take　two　more　trips　down　the　path　to　ensure　that　there　was　enough　fuel　for　the　whole　operation。

then　the　bear　turned　over　a　small　stone　on　the　floor　and　told　lyra　to　find　some　more　stones　of　the　same　kind。　he　said　that　those　stones；　when　heated；　gave　off　a　gas　that　would　surround　the　blade　and　keep　the　air　from　it；　for　if　the　hot　metal　came　in　contact　with　the　air；　it　would　absorb　some　and　be　weakened　by　it。

lyra　set　about　searching；　and　with　owl…eyed　pantalaimons　help　soon　had　a　dozen　or　more　stones　to　hand。　iorek　told　her　how　to　place　them；　and　where；　and　showed　her　exactly　the　kind　of　draft　she　should　get　moving；　with　a　leafy　branch；　to　make　sure　t