THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第79章

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some　of　them　came　toward　mary　as　if　they　wanted　to　tell　her　something；　and　reached　out　their　hands；　and　she　felt　their　touch　like　little　shocks　of　cold。　one　of　the　ghosts；　an　old　woman；　beckoned；　urging　her　to　e　close。

then　she　spoke；　and　mary　heard　her　say：

〃tell　them　stories。　they　need　the　truth。　you　must　tell　them　true　stories；　and　everything　will　be　well；　just　tell　them　stories。〃

that　was　all；　and　then　she　was　gone。　it　was　one　of　those　moments　when　we　suddenly　recall　a　dream　that　weve　unaccountably　forgotten；　and　back　in　a　flood　es　all　the　emotion　we　felt　in　our　sleep。　it　was　the　dream　shed　tried　to　describe　to　atal；　the　night　picture；　but　as　mary　tried　to　find　it　again；　it　dissolved　and　drifted　apart；　just　as　these　presences　did　in　the　open　air。　the　dream　was　gone。

all　that　was　left　was　the　sweetness　of　that　feeling；　and　the　injunction　to　tell　them　stories。

she　looked　into　the　darkness。　as　far　as　she　could　see　into　that　endless　silence；　more　of　these　ghosts　were　ing；　thousands　upon　thousands；　like　refugees　returning　to　their　homeland。

〃tell　them　stories；〃　she　said　to　herself。

　％％。



THIRTY…THREE　–　MARZIPAN

。
next　morning　lyra　woke　up　from　a　dream　in　which　pantalaimon　had　e　back　to　her　and　revealed　his　final　shape；　and　she　had　loved　it；　but　now　she　had　no　idea　what　it　was。

the　sun　hadnt　long　risen；　and　the　air　had　a　fresh　bloom。　she　could　see　the　sunlight　through　the　open　door　of　the　little　thatched　hut　she　slept　in；　marys　house。　she　lay　for　a　while　listening。　there　were　birds　outside；　and　some　kind　of　cricket；　and　mary　was　breathing　quietly　in　her　sleep　nearby。

lyra　sat　up　and　found　herself　naked。　she　was　indignant　for　a　moment；　and　then　she　saw　some　clean　clothes　folded　beside　her　on　the　floor：　a　shirt　of　marys；　a　length　of　soft；　light　patterned　cloth　that　she　could　tie　into　a　skirt。　she　put　them　on；　feeling　swamped　in　the　shirt；　but　at　least　decent。

she　left　the　hut。　pantalaimon　was　nearby；　she　was　sure　of　it。　she　could　almost　hear　him　talking　and　laughing。　it　must　mean　that　he　was　safe；　and　they　were　still　connected　somehow。　and　when　he　forgave　her　and　came　back；　the　hours　theyd　spend　just　talking；　just　telling　each　other　everything。。。

will　was　still　asleep　under　the　shelter　tree；　the　lazy　thing。　lyra　thought　of　waking　him　up；　but　if　she　was　on　her　own；　she　could　swim　in　the　river。　she　happily　used　to　swim　naked　in　the　river　cherwell　with　all　the　other　oxford　children；　but　it　would　be　quite　different　with　will；　and　she　blushed　even　to　think　of　it。

so　she　went　down　to　the　water　alone　in　the　pearl…colored　morning。　among　the　reeds　at　the　edge　there　was　a　tall；　slender　bird　like　a　heron；　standing　perfectly　still　on　one　leg。

she　walked　quietly　and　slowly　so　as　not　to　disturb　it；　but　the　bird　took　no　more　notice　of　her　than　if　shed　been　a　twig　on　the　water。

〃well；〃　she　said。

she　left　the　clothes　on　the　bank　and　slipped　into　the　river。　it　was　seawater　ing　in　on　the　tide；　and　it　was　strange　to　lyra；　who　had　never　swum　in　salt　water　before。　she　swam　hard　to　keep　warm；　and　then　came　out　and　huddled　on　the　bank；　shivering。　pan　would　help　dry　her；　normally。　was　he　a　fish；　laughing　at　her　from　under　the　water？　or　a　beetle；　creeping　into　the　clothes　to　tickle　her；　or　a　bird？　or　was　he　somewhere　else　entirely　with　the　other　daemon；　and　with　lyra　not　on　his　mind　at　all？　〃〃

the　sun　was　warm　now；　and　she　was　soon　dry。　she　dressed　in　；c　marys　loose　shirt　again　and；　seeing　some　flat　stones　by　the　bank；　went　to　fetch　her　own　clothes　to　wash　them。　but　she　found　that　someone　had　already　done　that：　hers　and　wills；　too；　were　laid　over　the　springy　twigs　of　a　fragrant　bush；　nearly　dry。

will　was　stirring。　she　sat　nearby　and　called　him　softly。

〃will！　wake　up！〃

〃where　are　we？〃　he　said　at　once；　and　sat　up；　reaching　for　the　knife。

〃safe；〃　she　said；　looking　away。　〃and　they　washed　our　clothes；　too；　or　dr。　malone　did。　ill　get　yours。　theyre　nearly　dry。。。〃

she　passed　them　in　through　the　curtain　of　leaves　and　sat　with　her　back　to　him　till　he　was　dressed。

〃i　swam　in　the　river；〃　she　said。　〃i　went　to　look　for　pan；　but　i　think　hes　hiding。〃

〃thats　a　good　idea。　i　mean　a　swim。　i　feel　as　if　ive　got　years　and　years　of　dirt　on　me。。。　ill　go　down　and　wash。〃

while　he　was　gone；　lyra　wandered　around　the　village；　not　looking　too　closely　at　anything　in　case　she　broke　some　code　of　politeness；　but　curious　about　everything　she　saw。　some　of　the　houses　were　very　old　and　some　quite　new；　hut　they　were　all　built　in　much　the　same　way　out　of　wood　and　clay　and　thatch。　there　was　nothing　crude　about　them；　each　door　and　window　frame　and　lintel　was　covered　in　subtle　patterns；　but　patterns　that　werent　carved　in　the　wood：　it　was　as　if　theyd　persuaded　the　wood　to　grow　in　that　shape　naturally。

the　more　she　looked；　the　more　she　saw　all　kinds　of　order　and　carefulness　in　the　village；　like　the　layers　of　meaning　in　the　alethiometer。　part　of　her　mind　was　eager　to　puzzle　it　all　out；　to　step　lightly　from　similarity　to　similarity；　from　one　meaning　to　another　as　she　did　with　the　instrument；　but　another　part　was　wondering　how　long　theyd　be　able　to　stay　here　before　they　had　to　move　on。

well；　im　not　going　anywhere　till　pan　es　back；　she　said　to　herself。

presently　will　came　up　from　the　river；　and　then　mary　came　out　of　her　house　and　offered　them　breakfast；　and　soon　atal　came　along；　too；　and　the　village　came　to　life　around　them。　the　young　mulefa　children；　without　wheels；　kept　peeping　around　the　edges　of　their　houses　to　stare；　and　lyra　would　suddenly　turn　and　look　at　them　directly　to　make　them　jump　and　laugh　with　terror。

〃well；　now；〃　mary　said　when　theyd　eaten　some　bread　and　fruit　and　drunk　a　scalding　infusion　of　something　like　mint。　〃yesterday　you　were　too　tired　and　all　you　could　do　was　rest。　but　you　look　a　lot　more　lively　today；　both　of　you；　and　i　think　we　need　to　tell　each　other　everything　weve　found　out。　and　itll　take　us　a　good　long　time；　and　we　might　as　well　keep　our　hands　busy　while　were　doing　it；　so　well　make　ourselves　useful　and　mend　some　nets。〃

they　carried　the　pile　of　stiff　tarry　netting　to　the　riverbank　and　spread　it　out　on　the　grass；　and　mary

showed　them　how　to　knot　a　new　piece　of　cord　where　it　was　worn。　she　was　wary；　because　atal　had　told　her　that　the　families　farther　along　the　coast　had　seen　large　numbers　of　the　tualapi；　the　white　birds；　gathering　out　at　sea；　and　everyone　was　prepared　for　a　warning　to　leave　at　once；　but　work　had　to　go　on　in　the　meantime。

so　they　sat　working　in　the　sun　by　the　placid　river；　and　lyra　told　her　story；　from　the　moment　so　long　ago　when　she　and　pan　decided　to　look　in　the　retiring　room　at　jordan　college。

the　tide　came　in　and　turned；　and　still　there　was　no　sign　of　the　tualapi。　in　the　late　afternoon　mary　took　will　and　lyra　along　the　riverbank；　past　the　fishing　posts　where　the　nets　were　tied；　and　through　the　wide　salt　marsh　toward　the　sea。　it　was　safe　to　go　there　when　the　tide　was　out；　because　the　white　birds　only　came　inland　when　the　water　was　high。　mary　led　the　way　along　a　hard　path　above　the　mud；　like　many　things　the　mulefa　had　made；　it　was　ancient　and　perfectly　maintained；　more　like　a　part　of　nature　than　something　imposed　on　it。

〃did　they　make　the　stone　roads？〃　will　said。

〃no。　i　think　the　roads　made　them；　in　a　way；〃　mary　said。　〃i　mean　theyd　never　have　developed　the　use　of　the　wheels　if　there　hadnt　been　plenty　of　hard；　flat　surfaces　to　use　them　on。　i　think　theyre　lava…flows　from　ancient　volcanoes。

〃so　the　roads　made　it　possible　for　them　to　use　the　wheels。　and　other　things　came　together　as　well。　like　the　wheel　trees　themselves；　and　the　way　their　bodies　are　formed；　theyre　not　vertebrates；　they　dont　have　a　spine。　some　lucky　chance　in　our　worlds　long　ago　must　have　meant　that　creatures　with　backbones　had　it　a　bit　easier；　so　all　kinds　of　other　shapes　developed；　all　based　on　the　central　spine。　in　this　world；　chance　went　another　way；　and　the　diamond　frame　was　successful。　there　are　vertebrates；　to　be　sure；　but　not　many。　there　are　snakes；　for　example。　snakes　are　important　here。　the　people　look　after　them　and　try　not　to　hurt　them。

〃anyway；　their　shape；　and　the　roads；　and　the　wheel　trees　ing　together　all　made　it　possible。　a　lot　of　little　chances；　all　ing　together。　when　did　your　part　of　the　story　begin；　will？〃

〃lots　of　little　chances　for　me；　too；〃　he　began；　thinking　of　the　cat　under　the　hornbeam　trees。　if　hed　arrived　there　thirty　seconds　earlier　or　later；　he　would　never　have　seen　the　cat；　never　have　found　the　window；　never　have　discovered　cittagazze　and　lyra；　none　of　this　would　have　happened。

he　started　from　the　very　beginning；　and　they　listened　as　they　walked。　by　the　time　they　reached　the　mudflats；　he　had　reached　the　point　where　he　and　his　father　were　fighting　on　the　mountaintop。

〃and　then　the　witch　killed　him。。。〃

he　had　never　really　understood　that。　he　explained　what　shed　told　him　before　she　killed　herself：　she　had　loved　john　parry；　and　he　had　scorned　her。

〃witches　are　fierce；　though；〃　lyra　said。

〃but　if　she　loved　him。。。〃

〃well；〃　said　mary；　〃love　is　ferocious；　too。〃

〃but　he　loved　my　mother；〃　said　will。　〃and　i　can　tell　her　that　he　was　never　unfaithful。〃

lyra；　looking　at　will；　thought　that　if　he　fell　in　love；　he　would　be　like　that。

all　around　them