THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第50章

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mary　found　the　mulefa　in　a　fearful　state；　having　suffered　a　thousand　anxieties　for　their　friend　so　far　off　the　ground。

atal　was　especially　relieved；　and　touched　her　nervously　all　over　with　her　trunk；　uttering　gentle　whinnies　of　pleasure　to　find　her　safe；　and　carrying　her　swiftly　down　to　the　settlement　along　with　a　dozen　or　so　others。

a　soon　as　they　came　over　the　brow　of　the　hill；　the　call　went　out　among　those　in　the　village；　and　by　the　time　they　reached　the　speaking　ground；　the　throng　was　so　thick　that　mary　guessed　there　were　many　visitors　from　elsewhere；　e　to　hear　what　she　said。　she　wished　she　had　better　news　for　them。

the　old　zalif　sattamax　mounted　the　platform　and　weled　her　warmly；　and　she　responded　with　all　the　mulefa　courtesy　she　could　remember。　as　soon　as　the　greetings　were　over；　she　began　to　speak。

haltingly　and　with　many　roundabout　phrasings；　she　said：

my　good　friends；　i　have　been　into　the　high　canopy　of　your　trees　and　looked　closely　at　the　growing　leaves　and　the　young　flowers　and　the　seedpods。

i　could　see　that　there　is　a　current　of　sraf　high　in　the　treetops；　she　went　on；　and　it　moves　against　the　wind。　the　air　is　moving　inland　off　the　sea；　but　the　sraf　is　moving　slowly　against　it。　can　you　see　that　from　the　ground？　because　i　could　not。

no；　said　sattamax。　that　is　the　first　we　ever　heard　about　that。

well；　she　continued；　the　trees　are　filtering　the　sraf　as　it　moves　through　them；　and　some　of　it　is　attracted　to　the　flowers。　i　could　see　it　happening：　the　flowers　are　turned　upward；　and　if　the　sraf　were　failing　straight　down；　it　would　enter　their　petals　and　fertilize　them　like　pollen　from　the　stars。

but　the　sraf　isnt　falling　down；　its　moving　out　toward　the　sea。　when　a　flower　happens　to　be　facing　the　land；　the　sraf　can　enter　it。　thats　why　there　are　still　some　seedpods　growing。　but　most　of　them　face　upward；　and　the　sraf　just　drifts　past　without　entering。　the　flowers　must　have　evolved　like　that　because　in　the　past　all　the　sraf　fell　straight　down。　something　has　happened　to　the　sraf；　not　to　the　trees。　and　you　can　only　see　that　current　from　high　up；　which　is　why　you　never　knew　about　it。

so　if　you　want　to　save　the　trees；　and　mulefa　life；　we　must　find　out　why　the　sraf　is　doing　that。　i　cant　think　of　away　yet；　but　i　will　try。

she　saw　many　of　them　craning　to　look　upward　at　this　drift　of　dust。　but　from　the　ground　you　couldnt　see　it：　she　looked　through　the　spyglass　herself；　but　the　dense　blue　of　the　sky　was　all　she　could　see。

they　spoke　for　a　long　time；　trying　to　recall　any　mention　of　the　srafwind　among　their　legends　and　histories；　but　there　was　none。　all　they　had　ever　known　was　that　sraf　came　from　the　stars；　as　it　had　always　done。

finally　they　asked　if　she　had　any　more　ideas；　and　she　said：

i　need　to　make　more　observations。　i　need　to　find　out　whether　the　wind　goes　always　in　that　direction　or　whether　it　alters　like　the　air　currents　during　the　day　and　the　night。　so　i　need　to　spend　more　time　in　the　treetops；　and　sleep　up　there　and　observe　at　night。　i　will　need　your　help　to　build　a　platform　of　some　kind　so　i　can　sleep　safely。　but　we　do　need　more　observations。

the　mulefa；　practical　and　anxious　to　find　out；　offered　at　once　to　build　her　whatever　she　needed。　they　knew　the　techniques　of　using　pulleys　and　tackle；　and　presently　one　suggested　a　way　of　lifting　mary　easily　into　the　canopy　so　as　to　save　her　the　dangerous　labor　of　climbing。

glad　to　have　something　to　do；　they　set　about　gathering　materials　at　once；　braiding　and　tying　and　lashing　spars　and　ropes　and　lines　under　her　guidance；　and　assembling　everything　she　needed　for　a　treetop　observation　platform。

after　speaking　to　the　old　couple　by　the　olive　grove；　father　gomez　lost　the　track。　he　spent　several　days　searching　and　inquiring　in　every　direction；　but　the　woman　seemed　to　have　vanished　pletely。

he　would　never　have　given　up；　although　it　was　discouraging；　the　crucifix　around　his　neck　and　the　rifle

at　his　back　were　twin　tokens　of　his　absolute　determination　to　plete　the　task。

but　it　would　have　taken　him　much　longer　if　it　hadnt　been　for　a　difference　in　the　weather。　in　the　world　he　was　in；　it　was　hot　and　dry；　and　he　was　increasingly　thirsty；　and　seeing　a　wet　patch　of　rock　at　the　top　of　a　scree；　he　climbed　up　to　see　if　there　was　a　spring　there。　there　wasnt；　but　in　the　world　of　the　wheel…pod　trees；　there　had　just　been　a　shower　of　rain；　and　so　it　was　that　he　discovered　the　window　and　found　where　mary　had　gone。

　。。



TWENTY…ONE　…　THE　HARPIES

。^生。网
lyra　and　will　each　awoke　with　a　heavy　dread：　it　was　like　being　a　condemned　prisoner　on　the　morning　fixed　for　the　execution。　tialys　and　salmakia　were　attending　to　their　dragonflies；　bringing　them　moths　lassoed　near　the　anbaric　lamp　over　the　oil　drum　outside；　flies　cut　from　spiderwebs；　and　water　in　a　tin　plate。　when　she　saw　the　expression　on　lyras　face　and　the　way　that　pantalaimon；　mouse…formed；　was　pressing　himself　close　to　her　breast；　the　lady　salmakia　left　what　she　was　doing　to　e　and　speak　with　her。　will；　meanwhile；　left　the　hut　to　walk　about　outside。

〃you　can　still　decide　differently；〃　said　salmakia。

〃no；　we　cant。　we　decided　already；〃　said　lyra；　stubborn　and　fearful　at　once。

〃and　if　we　dont　e　back？〃

〃you　dont　have　to　e；〃　lyra　pointed　out。

〃were　not　going　to　abandon　you。〃

〃then　what　if　you　dont　e　back？〃

〃we　shall　have　died　doing　something　important。〃

lyra　was　silent。　she　hadnt　really　looked　at　the　lady　before；　but　she　could　see　her　very　clearly　now；　in　the　smoky　light　of　the　naphtha　lamp；　standing　on　the　table　just　an　arms　length　away。　her　face　was　calm　and　kindly；　not　beautiful；　not　pretty；　but　the　very　sort　of　face　you　would　be　glad　to　see　if　you　were　ill　or　unhappy　or　frightened。　her　voice　was　low　and　expressive；　with　a　current　of　laughter　and　happiness　under　the　clear　surface。　in　all　the　life　she　could　remember；　lyra　had　never　been　read　to　in　bed；　no　one　had　told　her　stories　or　sung　nursery　rhymes　with　her　before　kissing　her　and　putting　out　the　light。　but　she　suddenly　thought　now　that　if　ever　there　was　a　voice　that　would　lap　you　in　safety　and　warm　you　with　love；　it　would　be　a　voice　like　the　lady　salmakias；　and　she　felt　a　wish　in　her　heart　to　have　a　child　of　her　own；　to　lull　and　soothe　and　sing　to；　one　day；　in　a　voice　like　that。

〃well；〃　lyra　said；　and　found　her　throat　choked；　so　she　swallowed　and　shrugged。

〃well　see；〃　said　the　lady；　and　turned　back。

once　they　had　eaten　their　thin；　dry　bread　and　drunk　their　bitter　tea；　which　was　all　the　people　had　to　offer　them；　they　thanked　their　hosts；　took　their　rucksacks；　and　set　off　through　the　shanty　town　for　the　lakeshore。　lyra　looked　around　for　her　death；　and　sure　enough；　there　he　was；　walking　politely　a　little　way　ahead；　but　he　didnt　want　to　e　closer；　though　he　kept　looking　back　to　see　if　they　were　following。

the　day　was　overhung　with　a　gloomy　mist。　it　was　more　like　dusk　than　daylight；　and　wraiths　and　streamers　of　the　fog　rose　dismally　from　puddles　in　the　road；　or　clung　like　forlorn　lovers　to　the　anbaric　cables　overhead。　they　saw　no　people；　and　few　deaths；　but　the　dragonflies　skimmed　through　the　damp　air；　as　if　they　were　sewing　it　all　together　with　invisible　threads；　and　it　was　a　delight　to　the　eyes　to　watch　their　bright　colors　flashing　back　and　forth。

before　long　they　had　reached　the　edge　of　the　settlement　and　made　their　way　beside　a　sluggish　stream　through　bare…twigged　scrubby　bushes。　occasionally　they　would　hear　a　harsh　croak　or　a　splash　as　some　amphibian　was　disturbed；　but　the　only　creature　they　saw　was　a　toad　as　big　as　wills　foot；　which　could　only　flop　in　a　pain…filled　sideways　heave　as　if　it　were　horribly　injured。　it　lay　across　the　path；　trying　to　move　out　of　the　way　and　looking　at　them　as　if　it　knew　they　meant　to　hurt　it。

〃it　would　be　merciful　to　kill　it；〃　said　tialys。　〃how　do　you　know？〃　said　lyra。　〃it　might　still　like　being　alive；　in　spite　of　everything。〃

〃if　we　killed　it；　wed　be　taking　it　with　us；〃　said　will。　〃it　wants　to　stay　here。　ive　killed　enough　living　things。　even　a　filthy　stagnant　pool　might　be　better　than　being　dead。〃

〃but　if　its　in　pain？〃　said　tialys。

〃if　it　could　tell　us；　wed　know。　but　since　it　cant；　im　not　going　to　kill　it。　that　would　be　considering　our　feelings　rather　than　the　toads。〃

they　moved　on。　before　long　the　changing　sound　their　footsteps　made　told　them　that　there　was　an　openness　nearby；　although　the　mist　was　even　thicker。　pantalaimon　was　a　lemur；　with　the　biggest　eyes　he　could　manage；　clinging　to　lyras　shoulder；　pressing　himself　into　her　fog…pearled　hair；　peering　all　around　and　seeing　no　more　than　she　did。　and　still　he　was　trembling　and　trembling。

suddenly　they　all　heard　a　little　wave　breaking。　it　was　quiet；　but　it　was　very　close　by。　the　dragonflies　returned　with　their　riders　to　the　children；　and　pantalaimon　crept　into　lyras　breast　as　she　and　will　moved　closer　together；　treading　carefully　along　the　slimy　path。

and　then　they　were　at　the　shore。　the　oily；　scummy　water　lay　still　in　front　of　them；　an　occasional　ripple　breaking　languidly　on　the　pebbles。

the　path　turned　to　the　left；　and　a　little　way　along；　more　like　a　thickening　of　the　mist　than　a　solid　object；　a　wooden　jetty　stood　crazily　out　over　the　water。　the　piles　were　decayed　and　the　planks　were　green　with　slime；　and