THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第74章

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he　kissed　her；　saying；　〃yes。　lyra　will　be　safe；　and　the　kingdom　will　be　powerless　against　her。　call　him　now；　marisa；　my　love。〃

she　took　a　deep　breath　and　let　it　out　in　a　long；　shuddering　sigh。　then　she　smoothed　her　skirt　down　over　her　thighs　and　tucked　the　hair　back　behind　her　ears。

〃metatron；〃　she　called　softly。　〃its　time。〃

metatrons　shadow…cloaked　form　appeared　out　of　the　golden　air　and　took　in　at　once　what　was　happening：　the　two　daemons；　crouching　and　watchful；　the　woman　with　the　nimbus　of　dust；　and　lord　asriel。。。

who　leapt　at　him　at　once；　seizing　him　around　the　waist；　and　tried　to　hurl　him　to　the　ground。　the　angels　arms　were　free；　though；　and　with　fists；　palms；　elbows；　knuckles；　forearms；　he　battered　lord　asriels　head　and　body：　great　pummeling　blows　that　forced　the　breath　from　his　lungs　and　rebounded　from　his　ribs；　that　cracked　against　his　skull　and　shook　his　senses。

however；　his　arms　encircled　the　angels　wings；　cramping　them　to　his　side。　and　a　moment　later；　mrs。　coulter　had　leapt　up　between　those　pinioned　wings　and　seized　metatrons　hair。　his　strength　was　enormous：　it　was　like　holding　the　mane　of　a　bolting　horse。　as　he　shook　his　head　furiously；　she　was　flung　this　way　and　that；　and　she　felt　the　power　in　the　great　folded　wings　as　they　strained　and　heaved　at　the　mans　arms　locked　so　tightly　around　them。

the　daemons　had　seized　hold　of　him；　too。　stelmaria　had　her　teeth　firmly　in　his　leg；　and　the　golden　monkey　was　tearing　at　one　of　the　edges　of　the　nearest　wing；　snapping　feathers；　ripping　at　the　vanes；　and　this　only　roused　the　angel　to　greater　fury。　with　a　sudden　massive　effort　he　flung　himself　sideways；　freeing　one　wing　and　crushing　mrs。　coulter　against　a　rock。

mrs。　coulter　was　stunned　for　a　second；　and　her　hands　came　loose。　at　once　the　angel　reared　up　again；　beating　his　one　free　wing　to　fling　off　the　golden　monkey；　but　lord　asriels　arms　were　firm　around　him　still；　and　in　fact　the　man　had　a　better　grip　now　there　wasnt　so　much　to　enclose。　lord　asriel　set　himself　to　crushing　the　breath　out　of　metatron；　grinding　his　ribs　together；　and　trying　to　ignore　the　savage　blows　that　were　landing　on　his　skull　and　his　neck。

but　those　blows　were　beginning　to　tell。　and　as　lord　asriel　tried　to　keep　his　footing　on　the　broken　rocks；　something　shattering　happened　to　the　back　of　his　head。　when　he　flung　himself　sideways；　metatron　had　seized　a　fist…sized　rock；　and　now　he　brought　it　down　with　brutal　force　on　the　point　of　lord　asriels　skull。　the　man　felt　the　bones　of　his　head　move　against　each　other；　and　he　knew　that　another　blow　like　that　would　kill　him　outright。　dizzy　with　pain；　pain　that　was　worse　for　the　pressure　of　his　head　against　the　angels　side；　he　still　clung　fast；　the　fingers　of　his　right　hand　crushing　the　bones　of　his　left；　and　stumbled　for　a　footing　among　the　fractured　rocks。

and　as　metatron　raised　the　bloody　stone　high；　a　golden…furred　shape　sprang　up　like　a　flame　leaping　to　a　treetop；　and　the　monkey　sank　his　teeth　into　the　angels　hand。　the　rock　came　loose　and　clattered　down

toward　the　edge；　and　metatron　swept　his　arm　to　left　and　right；　trying　to　dislodge　the　daemon；　but　the　golden　monkey　clung　with　teeth；　claws；　and　tail；　and　then　mrs。　coulter　gathered　the　great　white　beating　wing　to　herself　and　smothered　its　movement。

metatron　was　hampered；　but　he　still　wasnt　hurt。　nor　was　he　near　the　edge　of　the　abyss。

and　by　now　lord　asriel　was　weakening。　he　was　holding　fast　to　his　blood…soaked　consciousness；　but　with　every　movement　a　little　more　was　lost。　he　could　feel　the　edges　of　the　bones　grinding　together　in　his　skull；　he　could　hear　them。　his　senses　were　disordered；　all　he　knew　was　hold　tight　and　drag　down。

then　mrs。　coulter　found　the　angels　face　under　her　hand；　and　she　dug　her　fingers　deep　into　his　eyes。

metatron　cried　out。　from　far　off　across　the　great　cavern；　echoes　answered；　and　his　voice　bounded　from　cliff　to　cliff；　doubling　and　diminishing　and　causing　those　distant　ghosts　to　pause　in　their　endless　procession　and　look　up。

and　stelmaria　the　snow…leopard　daemon；　her　own　consciousness　dimming　with　lord　asriels；　made　one　last　effort　and　leapt　for　the　angels　throat。

metatron　fell　to　his　knees。　mrs。　coulter；　falling　with　him；　saw　the　blood…filled　eyes　of　lord　asriel　gaze　at　her。　and　she　scrambled　up；　hand　over　hand；　forcing　the　beating　wing　aside；　and　seized　the　angels　hair　to　wrench　back　his　head　and　bare　his　throat　for　the　snow　leopards　teeth。

and　now　lord　asriel　was　dragging　him；　dragging　him　backward；　feet　stumbling　and　rocks　falling；　and　the　golden　monkey　was　leaping　down　with　them；　snapping　and　scratching　and　tearing；　and　they　were　almost　there；　almost　at　the　edge；　but　metatron　forced　himself　up；　and　with　a　last　effort　spread　both　wings　wide；　a　great　white　canopy　that　beat　down　and　down　and　down；　again　and　again　and　again；　and　then　mrs。　coulter　had　fallen　away；　and　metatron　was　upright；　and　the　wings　beat　harder　and　harder；　and　he　was　aloft；　he　was　leaving　the　ground；　with　lord　asriel　still　clinging　tight；　but　weakening　fast。　the　golden　monkeys　fingers　were　entwined　in　the　angels　hair；　and　he　would　never　let　go…

but　they　were　over　the　edge　of　the　abyss。　they　were　rising。　and　if　they　flew　higher；　lord　asriel　would　fall；　and　metatron　would　escape。

〃marisa！　marisa！〃

the　cry　was　torn　from　lord　asriel；　and　with　the　snow　leopard　beside　her；　with　a　roaring　in　her　ears；　lyras　mother　stood　and　found　her　footing　and　leapt　with　all　her　heart；　to　hurl　herself　against　the　angel　and　her　daemon　and　her　dying　lover；　and　seize　those　beating　wings；　and　bear　them　all　down　together　into　the　abyss。

the　cliff…ghasts　heard　lyras　exclamation　of　dismay；　and　their　flat　heads　all　snapped　around　at　once。

will　sprang　forward　and　slashed　the　knife　at　the　nearest　of　them。　he　felt　a　little　kick　on　his　shoulder　as　tialys　leapt　off　and　landed　on　the　cheek　of　the　biggest；　seizing　her　hair　and　kicking　hard　below　the　jaw　before　she　could　throw　him　off。　the　creature　howled　and　thrashed　as　she　fell　into　the　mud；　and　the　nearest　one　looked　stupidly　at　the　stump　of　his　arm；　and　then　in　horror　at　his　own　ankle；　which　his　sliced…off　hand　had　seized　as　it　fell。　a　second　later　the　knife　was　in　his　breast。　will　felt　the　handle　jump　three　or　four　times　with　the　dying　heartbeats；　and　pulled　it　out　before　the　cliff…ghast　could　twist　it　away　in　falling。

he　heard　the　others　cry　and　shriek　in　hatred　as　they　fled；　and　he　knew　that　lyra　was　unhurt　beside　him；　but　he　threw　himself　down　in　the　mud　with　only　one　thing　in　his　mind。

〃tialys！　tialys！〃　he　cried；　and　avoiding　the　snapping　teeth；　he　hauled　the　biggest　cliff…ghasts　head　aside。　tialys　was　dead；　his　spurs　deep　in　her　neck。　the　creature　was　kicking　and　biting　still；　so　he　cut　off　her　head　and　rolled　it　away　before　lifting　the　dead　gallivespian　clear　of　the　leathery　neck。

〃will；〃　said　lyra　behind　him；　〃will；　look　at　this。。。〃

she　was　gazing　into　the　crystal　litter。　it　was　unbroken；　although　the　crystal　was　stained　and　smeared　with　mud　and　the　blood　from　what　the　cliff…ghasts　had　been　eating　before　they　found　it。　it　lay　tilted　crazily　among　the　rocks；　and　inside　it。。。

〃oh；　will；　hes　still　alive！　but；　the　poor　thing。。。〃

will　saw　her　hands　pressing　against　the　crystal；　trying　to　reach　in　to　the　angel　and　fort　him；　because　he　was　so　old；　and　he　was　terrified；　crying　like　a　baby　and　cowering　away　into　the　lowest　corner。

〃he　must　be　so　old；　ive　never　seen　anyone　suffering　like　that；　oh；　will；　cant　we　let　him　out？〃

will　cut　through　the　crystal　in　one　movement　and　reached　in　to　help　the　angel　out。　demented　and　powerless；　the　aged　being　could　only　weep　and　mumble　in　fear　and　pain　and　misery；　and　he　shrank　away　from　what　seemed　like　yet　another　threat。

〃its　all　right；〃　will　said；　〃we　can　help　you　hide；　at　least。　e　on；　we　wont　hurt　you。〃

the　shaking　hand　seized　his　and　feebly　held　on。　the　old　one　was　uttering　a　wordless　groaning　whimper　that　went　on　and　on；　and　grinding　his　teeth；　and　pulsively　plucking　at　himself　with　his　free　hand；　but　as　lyra　reached　in；　too；　to　help　him　out；　he　tried　to　smile；　and　to　bow；　and　his　ancient　eyes　deep　in　their　wrinkles　blinked　at　her　with　innocent　wonder。

between　them　they　helped　the　ancient　of　days　out　of　his　crystal　cell；　it　wasnt　hard；　for　he　was　as　light　as　paper；　and　he　would　have　followed　them　anywhere；　having　no　will　of　his　own；　and　responding　to　simple　kindness　like　a　flower　to　the　sun。　but　in　the　open　air　there　was　nothing　to　stop　the　wind　from　damaging　him；　and　to　their　dismay　his　form　began　to　loosen　and　dissolve。　only　a　few　moments　later　he　had　vanished　pletely；　and　their　last　impression　was　of　those　eyes；　blinking　in　wonder；　and　a　sigh　of　the　most　profound　and　exhausted　relief。

then　he　was　gone：　a　mystery　dissolving　in　mystery。　it　had　all　taken　less　than　a　minute；　and　will　turned　back　at　once　to　the　fallen　chevalier。　he　picked　up　the　little　body；　cradling　it　in　his　palms；　and　found　his　tears　flowing　fast。

but　lyra　was　saying　something　urgently。

〃will；　weve　got　to　move；　weve　got　to；　the　lady　can　hear　those　horses　ing。。。”

out　of　the　indigo　sky　an　indigo　hawk　swooped　low；　and　lyra　cried　out　and　ducked；　but　salmakia　cried　with　all　her　strength；　〃no；　lyra！　no！　stand　high；　and　hold　out　your　fist！〃

so　lyra　held　s