THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第66章

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any　weight　on　it；　a　process　so　slow　and　wearisome　that　they　thought　they　might　die　of　fatigue；　but　they　couldnt　rest；　they　couldnt　stop。　how　could　anyone　rest；　with　that　fearful　gulf　below　them？

and　after　another　hour　of　toil；　he　said　to　her：

〃look　ahead。　i　think　theres　a　way　out。。。〃

it　was　true：　the　slope　was　getting　easier；　and　it　was　even　possible　to　climb　slightly；　up　and　away　from　the　edge。　and　ahead：　wasnt　that　a　fold　in　the　wall　of　the　cliff？　could　that　really　be　a　way　out？

lyra　looked　into　wills　brilliant；　strong　eyes　and　smiled。

they　clambered　on；　up　and　farther　up；　with　every　step　moving　farther　from　the　abyss。　and　as　they　climbed；　they　found　the　ground　firmer；　the　handholds　more　secure；　the　footholds　less　liable　to　roll　and　twist　their　ankles。

〃we　must　have　climbed　a　fair　way　now；〃　will　said。　〃i　could　try　the　knife　and　see　what　i　find。〃

〃not　yet；〃　said　the　harpy。　〃farther　to　go　yet。　this　is　a　bad　place　to　open。　better　place　higher　up。〃

they　carried　on　quietly；　hand；　foot；　weight；　move；　test；　hand；　foot。。。their　fingers　were　raw；　their　knees　and　hips　were　trembling　with　the　effort；　their　heads　ached　and　rang　with　exhaustion。　they　climbed　the　last　few　feet　up　to　the　foot　of　the　cliff；　where　a　narrow　defile　led　a　little　way　into　the　shadow。

lyra　watched　with　aching　eyes　as　will　took　the　knife　and　began　to　search　the　air；　touching；　withdrawing；　searching；　touching　again。

〃ah；〃　he　said。

〃you　found　an　open　space？〃

〃i　think　so。。。〃

〃will；〃　said　his　fathers　ghost；　〃stop　a　moment。　listen　to　me。〃

will　put　down　the　knife　and　turned。　in　all　the　effort　he　hadnt　been　able　to　think　of　his　father；　but　it　was　good　to　know　he　was　there。　suddenly　he　realized　that　they　were　going　to　part　for　the　last　time。

〃what　will　happen　when　you　go　outside？〃　will　said。　〃will　you　just　vanish？〃

〃not　yet。　mr。　scoresby　and　i　have　an　idea。　some　of　us　will　remain　here　for　a　little　while；　and　we　shall　need　you　to　let　us　into　lord　asriels　world；　because　he　might　need　our　help。　whats　more；〃　he　went　on　somberly；　looking　at　lyra；　〃youll　need　to　travel　there　yourselves；　if　you　want　to　find　your　daemons　again。　because　thats　where　theyve　gone。〃

〃but　mr。　parry；〃　said　lyra；　〃how　do　you　know　our　daemons　have　gone　into　my　fathers　world？〃

〃i　was　a　shaman　when　i　was　alive。　i　learned　how　to　see　things。　ask　your　alethiometer；　itll　confirm　what　i　say。　but　remember　this　about　daemons；〃　he　said；　and　his　voice　was　intense　and　emphatic。　〃the　man　you　knew　as　sir　charles　latrom　had　to　return　to　his　own　world　periodically；　he　could　not　live　permanently　in　mine。　the　philosophers　of　the　guild　of　the　torre　degli　angeli；　who　traveled　between　worlds　for　three　hundred　years　or　more；　found　the　same　thing　to　he　true；　and　gradually　their　world　weakened　and　decayed　as　a　result。

〃and　then　there　is　what　happened　to　me。　i　was　a　soldier；　i　was　an　officer　in　the　marines；　and　then　i　earned　my　living　as　an　explorer；　i　was　as　fit　and　healthy　as　its　possible　for　a　human　to　be。　then　i　walked　out　of　my　own　world　by　accident；　and　couldnt　find　the　way　back。　i　did　many　things　and　learned　a　great　deal　in　the　world　i　found　myself　in；　but　ten　years　after　i　arrived　there；　i　was　mortally　sick。

〃and　this　is　the　reason　for　all　those　things：　your　daemon　can　only　live　its　full　life　in　the　world　it　was　born　in。　elsewhere　it　will　eventually　sicken　and　die。　we　can　travel；　if　there　are　openings　into　other　worlds；　but　we　can　only　live　in　our　own。　lord　asriels　great　enterprise　will　fail　in　the　end　for　the　same　reason：　we　have　to　build　the　republic　of　heaven　where　we　are；　because　for　us　there　is　no　elsewhere。

〃will；　my　boy；　you　and　lyra　can　go　out　now　for　a　brief　rest；　you　need　that；　and　you　deserve　it；　but　then　you　must　e　back　into　the　dark　with　me　and　mr。　scoresby　for　one　last　journey。〃

will　and　lyra　exchanged　a　look。　then　he　cut　a　window；　and　it　was　the　sweetest　thing　they　had　ever　seen。

the　night　air　filled　their　lungs；　fresh　and　clean　and　cool；　their　eyes　took　in　a　canopy　of　dazzling　stars；　and　the　shine　of　water　somewhere　below；　and　here　and　there　groves　of　great　trees；　as　high　as　castles；　dotting

the　wide　savanna。

will　enlarged　the　window　as　wide　as　he　could；　moving　across　the　grass　to　left　and　right；　making　it　big　enough　for　six；　seven；　eight　to　walk　through　abreast；　out　of　the　land　of　the　dead。

the　first　ghosts　trembled　with　hope；　and　their　excitement　passed　back　like　a　ripple　over　the　long　line　behind　them；　young　children　and　aged　parents　alike　looking　up　and　ahead　with　delight　and　wonder　as　the　first　stars　they　had　seen　for　centuries　shone　through　into　their　poor　starved　eyes。

the　first　ghost　to　leave　the　world　of　the　dead　was　roger。　he　took　a　step　forward；　and　turned　to　look　back　at　lyra；　and　laughed　in　surprise　as　he　found　himself　turning　into　the　night；　the　starlight；　the　air。。。　and　then　he　was　gone；　leaving　behind　such　a　vivid　little　burst　of　happiness　that　will　was　reminded　of　the　bubbles　in　a　glass　of　champagne。

the　other　ghosts　followed　roger；　and　will　and　lyra　fell　exhausted　on　the　dew…laden　grass；　every　nerve　in　their　bodies　blessing　the　sweetness　of　the　good　soil；　the　night　air；　the　stars。







TWENTY…SEVEN　…　THE　PLATFORM

@小‘说〃网
once　the　mulefa　began　to　build　the　platform　for　mary；　they　worked　quickly　and　well。　she　enjoyed　watching　them；　because　they　could　discuss　without　quarreling　and　cooperate　without　getting　in　each　others　way；　and　because　their　techniques　of　splitting　and　cutting　and　joining　wood　were　so　elegant　and　effective。

within　two　days　the　observation　platform　was　designed　and　built　and　lifted　into　place。　it　was　firm　and　spacious　and　fortable；　and　when　she　had　climbed　up　to　it；　she　was　as　happy；　in　one　way；　as　she　had　ever　been。　that　one　way　was　physically。　in　the　dense　green　of　the　canopy；　with　the　rich　blue　of　the　sky　between　the　leaves；　with　a　breeze　keeping　her　skin　cool；　and　the　faint　scent　of　the　flowers　delighting　her　whenever　she　sensed　it；　with　the　rustle　of　the　leaves；　the　song　of　the　hundreds　of　birds；　and　the　distant　murmur　of　the　waves　on　the　seashore；　all　her　senses　were　lulled　and　nurtured；　and　if　she　could　have　stopped　thinking；　she　would　have　been　entirely　lapped　in　bliss。

but　of　course　thinking　was　what　she　was　there　for。

and　when　she　looked　through　her　spyglass　and　saw　the　relentless　outward　drift　of　the　sraf；　the　shadow　particles；　it　seemed　to　her　as　if　happiness　and　life　and　hope　were　drifting　away　with　them。　she　could　find　no　explanation　at　all。

three　hundred　years；　the　mulefa　had　said：　that　was　how　long　the　trees　had　been　failing。　given　that　the　shadow　particles　passed　through　all　the　worlds　alike；　presumably　the　same　thing　was　happening　in　her　universe；　too；　and　in　every　other　one。　three　hundred　years　ago；　the　royal　society　was　set　up：　the　first　true　scientific　society　in　her　world。　newton　was　making　his　discoveries　about　optics　and　gravitation。

three　hundred　years　ago　in　lyras　world；　someone　invented　the　alethiometer。

at　the　same　time　in　that　strange　world　through　which　shed　e　to　get　here；　the　subtle　knife　was　invented。

she　lay　back　on　the　planks；　feeling　the　platform　move　in　a　very　slight；　very　slow　rhythm　as　the　great　tree　swayed　in　the　sea　breeze。　holding　the　spyglass　to　her　eye；　she　watched　the　myriad　tiny　sparkles　drift　through　the　leaves；　past　the　open　mouths　of　the　blossoms；　through　the　massive　boughs；　moving　against　the　wind；　in　a　slow；　deliberate　current　that　looked　all　but　conscious。

what　had　happened　three　hundred　years　ago？　was　it　the　cause　of　the　dust　current；　or　was　it　the　other　way　around？　or　were　they　both　the　results　of　a　different　cause　altogether？　or　were　they　simply　not　connected　at　all？

the　drift　was　mesmerizing。　how　easy　it　would　be　to　fall　into　a　trance；　and　let　her　mind　drift　away　with　the　floating　particles。。。

before　she　knew　what　she　was　doing；　and　because　her　body　was　lulled；　that　was　exactly　what　happened。　she　suddenly　snapped　awake　to　find　herself　outside　her　body；　and　she　panicked。

she　was　a　little　way　above　the　platform；　and　a　few　feet　off　among　the　branches。　and　something　had　happened　to　the　dust　wind：　instead　of　that　slow　drift；　it　was　racing　like　a　river　in　flood。　had　it　sped　up；　or　was　time　moving　differently　for　her；　now　that　she　was　outside　her　body？　either　way　she　was　conscious　of　the　most　horrible　danger；　because　the　flood　was　threatening　to　sweep　her　loose　pletely；　and　it　was　immense。

she　flung　out　her　arms　to　seize　hold　of　anything　solid；　but　she　had　no　arms。　nothing　connected。　now　she　was　almost　over　that　abominable　drop；　and　her　body　was　farther　and　farther　from　reach；　sleeping　so　hoggishly　below　her。　she　tried　to　shout　and　wake　herself　up：　not　a　sound。　the　body　slumbered　on；　and　the　self　that　observed　was　being　borne　away　out　of　the　canopy　of　leaves　altogether　and　into　the　open　sky。

and　no　matter　how　she　struggled；　she　could　make　no　headway。　the　force　that　carried　her　out　was　as　smooth　and　powerful　as　water　pouring　over　a　weir；　the　particles　of　dust　were　streaming　along　as　if　they；　too；　were　pouring　over　some　invisible　edge。

and　carrying　her　away　from　her　body。

she　flung　a　mental　lifeline　to　that　physical　self；　and　tried　to　recall　the　feeling　of　being　in　it：　all　the　sensations　that　made