THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第71章

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wherever　he　went；　lyra　went；　too；　wishing　she　had　something　to　fight　with　as　will　was　doing；　but　looking　around；　watching　more　widely。　she　thought　she　could　see　the　specters　from　time　to　time；　in　an　oily　glistening　of　the　air；　and　it　was　lyra　who　felt　the　first　shiver　of　danger。

with　salmakia　on　her　shoulder；　she　found　herself　on　a　slight　rise；　just　a　bank　of　earth　surmounted　by　hawthorn　bushes；　from　which　she　could　see　the　great　sweep　of　country　the　invaders　were　laying　waste。

the　sun　was　above　her。　ahead；　on　the　western　horizon；　clouds　lay　heaped　and　brilliant；　riven　with　chasms　of　darkness；　their　tops　drawn　out　in　the　high…altitude　winds。　that　way；　too；　on　the　plain；　the　enemys　ground　forces　waited：　machines　glinting　brightly；　flags　astir　with　color；　regiments　drawn　up；　waiting。

behind；　and　to　her　left；　was　the　ridge　of　jagged　hills　leading　up　to　the　fortress。　they　shone　bright　gray　in　the　lurid　pre…storm　light；　and　on　the　distant　ramparts　of　black　basalt；　she　could　even　see　little　figures　moving　about；　repairing　the　damaged　battlements；　bringing　more　weapons　to　bear；　or　simply　watching。

and　it　was　about　then　that　lyra　felt　the　first　distant　lurch　of　nausea；　pain；　and　fear　that　was　the　unmistakable　touch　of　the　specters。

she　knew　what　it　was　at　once；　though　shed　never　felt　it　before。　and　it　told　her　two　things：　first；　that　she　must　have　grown　up　enough　now　to　bee　vulnerable　to　the　specters；　and　secondly；　that　pan　must　be　somewhere　close　by。

〃will；　will。。。”　she　cried。

he　heard　her　and　turned；　knife　in　hand　and　eyes　ablaze。

but　before　he　could　speak；　he　gave　a　gasp；　made　a　choking　lurch；　and　clutched　his　breast；　and　she　knew　the　same　thing　was　happening　to　him。

〃pan！　pan！〃　she　cried；　standing　on　tiptoe　to　look　all　around。

will　was　bending　over；　trying　not　to　be　sick。　after　a　few　moments　the　feeling　passed　away；　as　if　their　demons　had　escaped；　but　they　were　no　nearer　to　finding　them；　and　all　around　the　air　was　full　of　gunshots；　cries；　voices　crying　in　pain　or　terror；　the　distant　yowk…yowk…yowk　of　cliff…ghasts　circling　overhead；　the　occasional　whiz　and　chock　of　arrows；　and　then　a　new　sound：　the　rising　of　the　wind。

lyra　felt　it　first　on　her　cheeks；　and　then　she　saw　the　grass　bending　under　it；　and　then　she　heard　it　in　the　hawthorns。　the　sky　ahead　was　huge　with　storm：　all　the　whiteness　had　gone　from　the　thunderheads；　and　they　rolled　and　swirled　with　sulphur　yellow；　sea　green；　smoke　gray；　oil　black；　a　queasy　churning　miles　high　and　as　wide　as　the　horizon。

behind　her　the　sun　was　still　shining；　so　that　every　grove　and　every　single　tree　between　her　and　the　storm　blazed　ardent　and　vivid；　little　frail　things　defying　the　dark　with　leaf　and　twig　and　fruit　and　flower。

and　through　it　all　went　the　two　no…longer…quite…children；　seeing　the　specters　almost　clearly　now。　the　wind　was　snapping　at　wills　eyes　and　lashing　lyras　hair　across　her　face；　and　it　should　have　been　able　to　blow　the　specters　away；　but　the　things　drifted　straight　down　through　it　toward　the　ground。　boy　and　girl；　hand　in　hand；　picked　their　way　over　the　dead　and　the　wounded；　lyra　calling　for　her　daemon；　will　alert　in　every　sense　for　his。

and　now　the　sky　was　laced　with　lightning；　and　then　the　first　almighty　crack　of　thunder　hit　their　eardrums　like　an　ax。　lyra　put　her　hands　to　her　head；　and　will　nearly　stumbled；　as　if　driven　downward　by　the　sound。　they　clung　to　each　other　and　looked　up；　and　saw　a　sight　no　one　had　ever　seen　before　in　any　of　the　millions　of　worlds。

witches；　ruta　skadis　clan；　and　reina　mitis；　and　half　a　dozen　others；　every　single　witch　carrying　a　torch　of　flaring　pitch　pine　dipped　in　bitumen；　were　streaming　over　the　fortress　from　the　east；　from　the　last　of　the　clear　sky；　and　flying　straight　toward　the　storm。

those　on　the　ground　could　hear　the　roar　and　crackle　as　the　volatile　hydrocarbons　flamed　high　above。　a　few　specters　still　remained　in　the　upper　airs；　and　some　witches　flew　into　them　unseeing；　to　cry　out　and　tumble　blazing　to　the　ground；　but　most　of　the　pallid　things　had　reached　the　earth　by　this　time；　and　the　great　flight　of　witches　streamed　like　a　river　of　fire　into　the　heart　of　the　storm。

a　flight　of　angels；　armed　with　spears　and　swords；　had　emerged　from　the　clouded　mountain　to　meet　the　witches　head…on。　they　had　the　wind　behind　them；　and　they　sped　forward　faster　than　arrows；　but　the　witches　were　equal　to　that；　and　the　first　ones　soared　up　high　and　then　dived　into　the　ranks　of　the　angels；　lashing　to　left　and　right　with　their　flaring　torches。　angel　after　angel；　outlined　in　fire；　their　wings　ablaze；　tumbled　screaming　from　the　air。

and　then　the　first　great　drops　of　rain　came　down。　if　the　mander　in　the　storm　clouds　meant　to　douse　the　witch　fires；　he　was　disappointed；　the　pitch　pine　and　the　bitumen　blazed　defiance　at　it；　spitting　and　hissing　more　loudly　as　more　rain　splashed　into　them。　the　raindrops　hit　the　ground　as　if　theyd　been　hurled　in　malice；　breaking　and　splashing　up　into　the　air。　within　a　minute　lyra　and　will　were　both　soaked　to　the　skin　and　shaking　with　cold；　and　the　rain　stung　their　heads　and　arms　like　tiny　stones。

through　it　all　they　stumbled　and　struggled；　wiping　the　water　from　their　eyes；　calling　in　the　tumult：　〃pan！　pan！〃

the　thunder　overhead　was　almost　constant　now；　ripping　and　grinding　and　crashing　as　if　the　very　atoms　were　being　torn　open。　between　thunder　crash　and　pang　of　fear　ran　will　and　lyra；　howling；　both　of　them；　〃pan！　my　pantalaimon！　pan！〃　from　lyra　and　a　wordless　cry　from　will；　who　knew　what　he　had　lost；　but　not　what　she　was　named。

with　them　everywhere　went　the　two　gallivespians；　warning　them　to　look　this　way；　to　go　that　way；　watching　out　for　the　specters　the　children　could　still　not　fully　see。　but　lyra　had　to　hold　salmakia　in　her　hands；　because　the　lady　had　little　strength　left　to　cling　to　lyras　shoulder。　tialys　was　scanning　the　skies　all　around；　searching　for　his　kindred　and　calling　out　whenever　he　saw　a　needle…bright　darting　movement　through　the　air　above。　but　his　voice　had　lost　much　of　its　power；　and　in　any　case　the　other　gallivespians　were　looking　for　the　clan　colors　of　their　two　dragonflies；　the　electric　blue　and　the　red…and…yellow；　and　those　colors　had　long　since　faded；　and　the　bodies　that　had　shone　with　them　lay　in　the　world　of　the　dead。

and　then　came　a　movement　in　the　sky　that　was　different　from　the　rest。　as　the　children　looked　up；　sheltering　their　eyes　from　the　lashing　raindrops；　they　saw　an　aircraft　unlike　any　theyd　seen　before；　ungainly；　six…legged；　dark；　and　totally　silent。　it　was　flying　low；　very　low；　from　the　fortress。　it　skimmed　overhead；　no　higher　than　a　rooftop　above　them；　and　then　moved　away　into　the　heart　of　the　storm。

but　they　had　no　time　to　wonder　about　it；　because　another　head…wrenching　throb　of　nausea　told　lyra　that　pan　was　in　danger　again；　and　then　will　felt　it；　too；　and　they　stumbled　blindly　through　the　puddles　and　the　mud　and　the　chaos　of　wounded　men　and　fighting　ghosts；　helpless；　terrified；　and　sick。

/d/



THIRTY　…　THE　CLOUDED　MOUNTAIN

　生小说＿网　
the　intention　craft　was　being　piloted　by　mrs。　coulter。　she　and　her　daemon　were　alone　in　the　cockpit。

the　barometric　altimeter　was　little　use　in　the　storm；　but　she　could　judge　her　altitude　roughly　by　watching　the　fires　on　the　ground　that　blazed　where　angels　fell；　despite　the　hurtling　rain；　they　were　still　flaring　high。　as　for　the　course；　that　wasnt　difficult；　either：　the　lightning　that　flickered　around　the　mountain　served　as　a　brilliant　beacon。　but　she　had　to　avoid　the　various　flying　beings　who　were　still　fighting　in　the　air；　and　keep　clear　of　the　rising　land　below。

she　didnt　use　the　lights；　because　she　wanted　to　get　close　and　find　somewhere　to　land　before　they　saw　her　and　shot　her　down。　as　she　flew　closer；　the　updrafts　became　more　violent；　the　gusts　more　sudden　and　brutal。　a　gyropter　would　have　had　no　chance：　the　savage　air　would　have　slammed　it　to　the　ground　like　a　fly。　in　the　intention　craft　she　could　move　lightly　with　the　wind；　adjusting　her　balance　like　a　wave　rider　in　the　peaceable　ocean。

cautiously　she　began　to　climb；　peering　forward；　ignoring　the　instruments　and　flying　by　sight　and　by　instinct。　her　daemon　leapt　from　one　side　of　the　little　glass　cabin　to　the　other；　looking　ahead；　above；　to　the　left　and　right；　and　calling　to　her　constantly。　the　lightning；　great　sheets　and　lances　of　brilliance；　flared　and　cracked　above　and　around　the　machine。　through　it　all　she　flew　in　the　little　aircraft；　gaining　height　little　by　little；　and　always　moving　on　toward　the　cloud…hung　palace。

and　as　mrs。　coulter　approached；　she　found　her　attention　dazzled　and　bewildered　by　the　nature　of　the　mountain　itself。

it　reminded　her　of　a　certain　abominable　heresy；　whose　author　was　now　deservedly　languishing　in　the　dungeons　of　the　consistorial　court。　he　had　suggested　that　there　were　more　spatial　dimensions　than　the　three　familiar　ones；　that　on　a　very　small　scale；　there　were　up　to　seven　or　eight　other　dimensions；　but　that　they　were　impossible　to　examine　directly。　he　had　even　constructed　a　model　to　show　how　they　might　work；　and　mrs。　coulter　had　seen　the　object　before　it　was　exorcised　and　burned。　folds　within　folds；　corners　and　edges　both　containing　and　being　contained：　its　inside　was　everywhere　and　its　outside　was　e